Podcast 891: A Conversation with Kabir Dalawari

Nourished by the abundant creative energies of the scene in his native Chicago, drummer and composer Kabir Dalawari has developed a unique musical on his vibrant debut  album, Awareness. Dalawari fronts a talent-packed quartet with altoist Kyle Brooks, pianist Eric Arroyo and bassist Matt Ulery for a set of original pieces brimming with rhythmic animation, melodic richness and bristling interactivity. Dalawari approaches music in part from the perspective of someone versed in neuroscience, given his collegiate focus on Jazz Studies and Cognitive Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. The resulting music can feature some odd time signatures and even odder chord structures at times but rewards the listener after repeated plays as a strong, coherent musical statement. Podcast 891 is my conversation with Kabir, as we discuss the inspiration for tunes on Awareness, including the title track, dedicated to his brother. He also takes us on a tour of Chicago's best jazz spots and talks about plans for live performances as well. Musical selections from Awareness include the title track.