JazzTalk

JazzTalk is a series of informal online conversations with jazz artists performing in the current Center Presents season. Host Todd Williams is a nationally known saxophonist, composer and music educator who first gained national fame as a member of Wynton Marsalis' ensembles.

Williams talks with each guest about a variety of topics, including their background, inspirations and current work. Viewers can join in via Vimeo and pose questions after the discussion. Participation in the webinar is free.

COMING NEXT:

A Conversation with Don Was

Mon Feb 10, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Online via Vimeo
Register now!

Don Was has led a prolific career in the music industry, winning six Grammy Awards as producer of albums by artists including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt. A founding member of the art-funk band Was (Not Was), he also has made his mark as a filmmaker, radio host and Emmy-winning music director for TV and film. Since 2011, he has served as president of the venerated jazz label Blue Note Records.

In this JazzTalk conversation, Was will discuss his early years in the business, his work with some of the greatest musicians of our time, his experiences running a prestigious record label, and his current tour as bassist and leader of the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, a collective of top jazz musicians from his hometown of Detroit.

Join us for this engaging conversation in anticipation of Was’ performance with his band the Pan-Detroit Ensemble on February 28 at the Palladium.

Past Sessions:

A Conversation with Sammy Miller

With a witty and theatrical approach that has drawn comparisons to Ben Folds and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sammy Miller and The Congregation are “on a mission to put the generosity back into jazz and bring art back to the people.”

A Conversation with Boney James

Born James Oppenheim, Boney James began gigging as a teenager and turned pro at 19. Join us for an engaging conversation to hear more about how this four-time Grammy-nominated, multiplatinum R&B/jazz saxophonist, songwriter and producer got his start in the music business. We’ll hear about his greatest musical influences and find out how he got his famous moniker.

A Conversation with Paula Cole

Since making her first splash in the ’90s with the pop hits “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and “I Don’t Want to Wait,” Paula Cole has distinguished herself as a songwriter, music producer and interpreter of traditional tunes and American Songbook standards. More recently, Cole has rekindled her love of singing jazz. Her 2017 double album Ballads included timeless titles like “Skylark” and “Autumn Leaves.” Her latest release, 2021’s American Quilt, is a showcase of blues, jazz, folk, pop and gospel favorites.

A Conversation with Matthew Whitaker

Rising jazz star Matthew Whitaker is a musical prodigy who, though just 20 years old, has been performing in the public eye for more than a decade at venues including the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. Blind since birth, he plays not only piano but also organ and drums and has appeared on Today, Ellen and 60 Minutes.

A Conversation with Stacey Kent

How does someone with a master’s degree in comparative literature become one of the most acclaimed jazz and American Songbook singers in the world? Join JazzTalk host Todd Williams as he chats with Stacey Kent about the path that led her from childhood piano lessons, to Europe, to a Grammy nomination and album sales in excess of 2 million.

A Conversation with Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis is an internationally acclaimed musician, composer, bandleader, educator and leading advocate of American culture. He has created and performed an expansive range of music, from quartets to big bands, chamber music ensembles to symphony orchestras and tap dance to ballet, expanding the vocabulary for jazz and classical music with a vital body of work that places him among the world’s finest musicians and composers.

A Conversation with Chris Brubeck

Musician and Grammy-nominated composer Chris Brubeck was a member of his late father’s Dave Brubeck Quartet for over 20 years. Among other projects, he now plays bass and trombone in the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, with his brother Dan on drums. Chris also performs as a soloist with orchestras and has served as an artist-in-residence with orchestras and college music departments across the United States.

For more information, contact Julia Shildmyer at 317.819.3516 or JShildmyer@TheCenterPresents.org.