The Art of the Story

Dave Popkin catches up with saxophonist Jimmy Greene at the Saratoga Jazz Festival.

Leo and Ben Sidran reflect on 250 years of America, jazz being arguably one of America's greatest contributions to the world, and democracy both conceptually and in practice.

Aaron Diehl on curating 92NY's Jazz in July and the enduring echoes of Miles Davis.

Writer Heather Aimee O’Neill spoke to Leo Sidran about her debut novel and about how she knew it was time to come out of the shadows as a writer.

Herbie Hancock talked recently with WBGO's Pat Prescott about Miles, Wayne Shorter, and his upcoming NJPAC show. Here on The Art Of The Story, Ray Long presents the standout Wayne Shorter memory that Herbie shared.

Dave Popkin chats with rising vocalist and Saratoga Jazz Fest performer Tyreek McDole

Dave Popkin catches up with Chicago blues man Lil Ed Williams

Willard Jenkins catches up with the multifaceted Alex Hamburger - a musician as well as the managing director of CapitalBop, a resource for all things jazz in the D.C. area.

Leo Sidran chat with Patricia Nicholson Parker about the 30th Vision Festival, set for June 23–28 at the Abrons Arts Center in New York.

On this episode of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Doug Doyle chats with legendary festival producer Danny Melnick about the upcoming Saratoga Jazz Festival

Leo Sidran talks to composer and musician Arturo O’Farrill about creation, discovery and imposter syndrome.

Vocalist and educator Theo Bleckmann on why artists need community, how to "code the self," and why a life in music matters more than a career.

Dave Popkin talks with drummer Vince Wilburn Jr. of the Miles Electric Band. Wilburn performed with Miles Davis throughout the 1980s and is his nephew. He is also a co-manager of the Davis estate’s business, including new releases, collaborations, social media, merchandise, and other ventures.

On this episode of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Doug Doyle reports on the passing of South African pianist and NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim

Food writer Melissa Clark talks to Leo Sidran about when a kitchen improvisation becomes a recipe—and how finding the right name can help bring it to life.

Vibraphonist Warren Wolf is one of the most accomplished musicians of his generation, but he never planned on playing the instrument that would define his career. Raised in Baltimore by a father who insisted he study music, Wolf spent years practicing vibraphone, drums and piano before discovering the joy of performance and finding his own voice. Today, whether he's making groove-oriented records like Smooth Vibes or revisiting ambitious works like Chick Corea's Lyric Suite for Sextet, Wolf continues to follow a philosophy shaped by a lifetime of listening: keep an open mind, avoid musical boxes, and let the music speak for itself.

South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe talks about his new EP with Chris Pattishall, 'Invocation'

Saxophonist and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin has become one of the most dynamic voices in jazz. She tells Leo Sidran about one of her first professional experiences, and how the mentors, heroes, setbacks and aspirations that shaped her journey continue to inform her new album, We Dream.

Leo Sidran catches up with Zev Feldman, a man often called 'the Indiana Jones of Jazz'. Others know him as 'the jazz detective'. He prefers something simpler: a music fan who never stopped asking questions. “I literally search the world for previously unissued recordings of this music - America’s classical music."

WBGO’s Ray Long talks with Mikey Bar-Lavi, creator and host of the NYC-based “Sleeves” record club (‘like a book club, but for records…’)

After traveling to Spain to accept a surprising jazz award, Leo Sidran finds himself wrestling with an old question: what is jazz, anyway? The answer arrives later that night at Madrid's Café Central, where musicians and fans gather to sing an impromptu tribute to the late Sonny Rollins.

Dave Popkin talks with Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of The Rumble about his New Orleans roots, shepherding tradition into the future, and more.

Leo Sidran explores the newly unearthed treasure trove from the archives of photographer Steve Schapiro, a photo book entitled "Jazz" offering a priceless look inside the happenings of jazz in 1960s New York City.

Jimmy Jam of legendary producing duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis talks about his 50+ year career and legacy, and his new live storytelling event, Jamz & Conversation, happening June 4 at Sony Hall.

WBGO’s Dave Popkin catches up with The Nth Power to cover their new record “Never Alone” plus performing with Snarky Puppy and more.

On this episode of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Doug Doyle reports on the death of the great jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins

To mark what would have been Miles Davis’s 100th birthday, Leo Sidran revisits a rare 1986 conversation between Miles and Ben Sidran, recorded on the terrace of Miles’s Malibu home. As musicians around the world celebrate the centennial, Miles reflects on creativity, individuality, and the lifelong search for something new.

In the centennial year of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, pianist Emmet Cohen says the greatest tribute to the masters isn’t imitation, it’s self-discovery. As his new album Universal Truth arrives the same week he turns 36, Cohen reflects on artistry, mentorship, and why jazz remains one of the last places where people fully inhabit the moment.

On this episode of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Doug Doyle previews Crossroads Theatre's production of "Sizwe Banzi is Dead"

At a moment when musicians are increasingly expected to market themselves as brands, Detroit pianist and songwriter Mike Harrison is connecting for almost the opposite reason: he seems perfectly content not trying to sell you anything at all. Leo Sidran talks with the unlikely internet favorite about songwriting, Detroit, jazz, and the freedom of low ambition.

WBGO’s Ray Long dives into the new album from singer-songwriter Phoebe Katis, “A Coming Of Age” taking some highlights from the record track-by-track.

WBGO's Willard Jenkins sat down with D.C. based vocalist Heidi Martin to chat about one of her heroes Abbey Lincoln, as well as the importance of jazz education and the D.C. Jazz Fest.

Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas on how growing up in Tijuana - a border city suspended between Mexico and the United States - developed an instinct for living “in-between,” musically and personally.

Kyla Marshell catches up with vocalist Shenel Johns about her journey of self-discovery, musical and otherwise.

“You can only go as far forward as you go back.” Ahead of his Miles Davis tribute at Carnegie Hall, trumpeter Keyon Harrold talks about influences, collaboration, and honoring Miles by staying true to himself.

WBGO’s Dave Popkin recently spoke with Guy Davis about his new record “Fight On! True Blues Vol. 2” as well as his original play “Sugarbelly and Other Tales My Father Told Me.”

Pianist, educator, and longtime jazz advocate Eli Yamin got his first job in jazz at WBGO as an 18-year-old board operator. Now, nearly four decades later, Yamin’s Jazz Power Initiative is partnering with WBGO as the organization prepares for its annual Syncopated Celebration at Symphony Space, honoring WBGO CEO Steve Williams alongside Lakecia Benjamin and Council Member Carmen De La Rosa.

On this edition of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Doug Doyle previews the GSP production of "My Lord, What a Night"

To mark Keith Jarrett’s birthday, Leo Sidran revisits a rare 1980s conversation between Jarrett and his father, Ben Sidran - exploring the pianist’s deeply personal ideas about presence, improvisation, and the state of mind behind his music.

WBGO’s Ray Long chats with NYC-based trumpet player Jon Lampley about his forthcoming album Notes To Self, as well as a prolific career as a sideman, backing Jon Batiste, Lake Street Dive, Cory Wong, O.A.R. and many more - not to mention Lampley’s decade-long tenure as a member of the house band for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Carmen Lundy tells Janis Siegel and Lezlie Harrison about the moment when she realized she was going to move to New York from her Florida home.

Writer Larry Ratso Sloman was more than ready for his close-up when director Josh Safdie tapped him to make his Hollywood acting debut in Marty Supreme — and discovered that four days on a movie set can rival a lifetime at the typewriter.

Marcus Miller

Leo Sidran goes behind the scenes with his father, Ben at the Palm Springs Jazz Festival. Part personal narrative, part exploration of how natural phenomena like overtones, particles, and waves shape our ideas of beauty — and part look at how creative work actually gets made.

Before “fake news” had a name, writer Clifford Irving pulled off one of the most audacious literary hoaxes in history: a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. In this Art of the Story, Leo Sidran revisits Irving’s remarkable tale—part scam, part self-mythology, and a strangely prophetic mirror of our media age.

Celebrating Bobby McFerrin on his birthday

Remembering Bob Power, the innovative recording engineer and producer who helped to redefine the sound of Hip Hop.

Clyde and Gracie Lawrence of the band Lawrence talk about their creative philosophy, their use of humor, their approach to honest songwriting, and how that sensibility brought them to All Out On Broadway.

For Women’s History Month, Leo Sidran reflects on the evolving role of women in jazz — from overlooked pioneers to contemporary innovators reshaping the music today. Featuring insights from Caroline Davis, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Melissa Aldana, the piece explores how representation, authorship, and canon-building continue to shape the sound of jazz.

John Pizzarelli celebrates Tony Bennett with Dear Mr. Bennett