The Spirit of Jazz
Where Music Dances with Mystery - with co-hosts Bill Carter and Jeff Kellam
Episodes
48 episodes
Encountering John Coltrane
Season Three begins with a burst! After a couple of minutes of catching up, Jeff Kellam shares an interview with Dante Di Stefano. He’s a brilliant poet and educator with a love for John Coltrane’s music. Let’s listen to what he has to say....
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Season 3
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Episode 42
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31:02
Pulling the Music Off the Shelf
In this musical episode, Bill Carter and Jeff Kellam discuss the development (or redevelopment) of old material, musical or otherwise. Bill introduces a suite of four tunes originally composed for a 2001 concert at Binghamton (NY) University. H...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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36:38
Live or Studio?
Here is our first “Mailbag Episode,” where Bill Carter and Jeff Kellam address a burning question from one from our listeners: Which is better? Live jazz or jazz recorded in the studio? Our two raconteurs discuss this, and demonstrate the diffe...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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28:58
Composing a New Book
Jeff asked Bill, "Is composing a new book like composing a jazz tune?" What follows is a lively conversation about writing Thriving on a Riff: Jazz and the Spiritual Life. How was the book put together? What was the process? How is the...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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31:36
The Endless Musical Field of Ike Sturm
There are many extraordinary souls in the jazz community. Here is one to know: Ike Sturm. He is a bassist, composer, band leader, and creative spirit. What fun to speak with him about his formation as a musician, his creation of a jazz mass, an...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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35:36
BONUS - Jazz for Holy Week
BONUS - For Holy Week, we offer a re-broadcast of a previous episode. What does jazz have to do with Jerusalem? Especially the Jerusalem that Jesus entered for the last week of his life? That's the topic explored in this episode. O...
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Season 2
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30:21
The Spirit of Jazz
In this episode, our co-hosts explore some of the themes from Thriving on a Riff: Jazz and the Spiritual Life, Bill Carter's new book. They chat about creativity, the power ...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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33:44
Cultivating the Artistic Life
This episode continues our lively conversation with pianist Bill Mays. We explore his writing (and sometimes, his lack of “writing”) for the jazz trio. Bill shares some of the ways that he cultivates creativity in his life and tells us about hi...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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26:30
The Harmonic Imagination of Bill Mays
We welcome pianist Bill Mays in the first of two episodes. He moves easily between the jazz and classical spheres as a composer, arranger, performer, and recording artist. Bill tells us about his artistic development, his experience performing ...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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25:24
Not the Same Old Thing
Jazz performances are different every single time! Even if forty percent of the music (or more) is written down, each fresh performance varies. Bill and Jeff explore this curious aspect of jazz as they listen to studio and live recordings of tw...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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29:58
Our Feet Began to Pray
We welcome bassist David Chevan and pianist Warren Byrd. As co-founders of the Afro-Semitic Experience, they have created a dynamic ensemble rooted in the holy work of liberation. Whether they are updating African American spirituals, rea...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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26:50
New Wine for New Bottles
At the beginning of a new year, Jeff and Bill discuss their big projects. CLASSIC VINYL JAZZ is Jeff’s new radio show on the internet. He loves going through the LPs in his attic and sharing them with a new generation. The show broadcasts on Fr...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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24:37
Wondering As We Wander
As the year concludes, here is a bonus episode of new music. The Presbybop Quintet offers three fresh tunes from their International Tour of New England. Music includes: "Finding Our Way Home," "I Wonder As I Wander," and "God Rest...
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Season 2
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26:47
Ho Ho Ho 2023
In this special Christmas episode, Jeff Kellam tracks down Bill Carter on the Presbybop Quintet International Tour of New England. You will get a behind-the-scenes introduction to the music and good humor of a working jazz group. The band was p...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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22:46
Coming to You on the Airwaves
On this episode, Jeff and Bill have a conversation with Chris Norton, senior vice president of WVIA-FM and a longtime friend of Presbybop Music. They discuss the current scene in jazz radio and the unique resource that radio has always been for...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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21:15
With Gratitude
With the Thanksgiving holiday at hand, Jeff and Bill reflect on the virtue of gratitude. Along the way, they recount the moments when they have offered thanks for the jazz tradition. Bill tells the stirring story of how Dave Brubeck composed a ...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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21:35
Swinging With Purpose
Sherrie Maricle is a triple threat: drummer, bandleader, and composer. With her bands Sherrie has performed at many of the world’s most acclaimed music venues and festivals, from Lincoln Center to the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl, to J...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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35:17
Psalms for the Syncopated Soul
This episode explores a most unusual resource for a jazz-shaped life: the Psalms of Israel. Jeff Kellam asks Bill Carter about this connection and how it shaped a set of thirty new jazz compositions. Sadness, yearning, joy, ecstasy ...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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27:38
A Mighty Oak Has Fallen: Remembering Al Hamme
Today we remember Al Hamme, celebrate his life, and lament his passing. A mentor to co-host Bill Carter, he was a co-founder of Bill’s Presbybop Quartet. Co-host Jeff Kellam also enjoyed a great friendship with Al, stretching back almost sixty ...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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26:04
Jazz at Dawn
Here are three more tunes to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Faith in a New Key, the first recording by the Presbybop Quartet. Music: “Dawn Shall Break Again,” “A Canticle of Love,” and Amazing Grace,” all composed or arranged by ...
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Season 2
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23:32
Behind the Music - Faith in a New Key
On the 25th anniversary of its release, Bill and Jeff have a conversation about Faith in a New Key, the first recording of the Presbybop Quartet. Bill dishes on the background of the album. Where did it originate? Who were the players? How was ...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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34:41
Jazz Wakes Up for Worship
As we begin Season 2, Jeff Kellam asks Bill Carter to speak about his work in syncopating Christian worship services. Bill has been at it for forty years, ever since he was a student pastor in New Jersey. Along the way, the co-hosts offer some ...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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21:11
Improvising Is My Lifeline
We conclude Season 1 of the Spirit of Jazz with a conversation with Donny McCaslin. Twice nominated for a Grammy for "Best Improvised Solo," Donny speaks about three musicians with whom he has performed and recorded: trumpeter Dave Douglas, com...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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28:41