I met Tigran Hamasyan at a Starbucks here in Montreal a few hours before his solo piano show at L’Astral on February 11. Tigran seemed quite composed, and he answered my sometimes-erratic questions with patience and intelligence. In the past few months, I have interviewed several jazz musicians between sets, and I’m always surprised at how composed they are. But this was … [Read more...]
The Mentality of Music: An Interview with Marcus Miller
On Monday, February 7, I did a phone interview with Marcus Miller. He was in Los Angeles and I was in Montreal. It was quite cold that night in Montreal. When we talked, the protests were well under way in Egypt. Matthew Kassel: So, let’s talk a little about your new record, “A Night in Monte Carlo.” Marcus Miller: Let’s see, “A Night in Monte Carlo,” there’s a guy … [Read more...]
Matt Kassel sit down with Ari Hoenig and Gilad Hekselman
On the night of Friday, November 19, I sat down to talk with guitarist Gilad Hekselman and drummer Ari Hoenig between sets at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill. (Find the review of the show here.) They were performing in the Rick Rosato Trio, and I caught them in the musicians’ room about thirty minutes before the second and last set of the night. It was a pleasure to talk for a bit … [Read more...]
Aaron Parks Interviewed by Matt Kassel
On Friday, October 22, I sat down with pianist Aaron Parks between sets at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill here in Montreal. He was performing in the Rick Rosato Quintet. (Read this review, on Nextbop, for more information on that performance.) We talked for about twenty minutes about his work, his projects, his influences, his life in New York, his views on the importance of … [Read more...]
The Rick Rosato Quintet
The Rick Rosato Quintet existed on stage for two nights, four sets, from October 22 to October 23, at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill here in Montreal. Well, that often happens in jazz. Groups form for gigs and un-form after, moving on to other projects. But during the first set on Friday the 22 (the only one I saw), you got the impression that this was more than just a gig, for … [Read more...]