Podcast 581: A Conversation with Sean Jones

I've wanted to have Sean Jones on the show for a long time. A talented trumpeter and composer, he was mentored by the greatest of all trumpet teachers, William "Prof" Fielder at Rutgers University. After graduating, he quickly became a fixture in New York big bands, most notably the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Based on a strong showing at a Gerald Wilson Orchestra recording session for Mack Avenue Records, Jones was inked to a solo contract with the label at the age of 26. Live at the Jazz Bistro is his eighth release for the label, and their collaboration is still going strong. The live CD gives us a chance to hear Sean in both quartet and quintet settings. He is blessed by having a core group of musicians who have stayed together for more than eleven years. Each group is anchored by long-time collaborator (and newly minted member of the Bad Plus) Orrin Evans on piano,  Luques Curtis holds down the bass, while Obed Calvaire is the drummer on the quartet sessions, and Mark Whitfield Jr. on the quintet. Brian Hogans (alto and soprano saxophones) contributes both strong material (the moving "Piscean Dichotomy") and great emotional resonance to the band. Podcast 58_ is my conversation with Sean, as we discuss the new CD, how he gauges an audience in picking tunes to play live, and how he met Gerald Wilson, who helped launch his career. Musical selections from  Live at the Jazz Bistro include "Piscean Dichotomy", "Prof" and "Doc's Holiday", plus a track from the Gerald Wilson Orchestra album Legacy, entitled "A Night at the El Grotto".