Advertise on podcast: Liner Notes with David Bixler

A Sun That Never Sets is Ralph Alessi's new recording on ECM and features Matt Mitchell on piano, bassist John Hébert double bass and Ches Smith on drums and vibes. This quartet is augmented by the appearance of Ralph's brother Joseph Alessi, who is the principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic. In this episode on LINER NOTES Ralph talks about his path from classical trumpet to jazz and additionally offers profound insight into his compositional process.

When you put musicians like bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake behind a true visionary, you're guaranteed something extraordinary. I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Grammy-winning pianist Kris Davis to the podcast. September 25th marks the release of her incredible upcoming album, Lost in Geneva. This is the second release from this powerhouse trio, and the way they have locked in together is something special.

My guest today is the singular trumpeter, composer, and master of musical alchemy, Steven Bernstein. On June 5th, Steven dropped a massive double release on Royal Potato Family that looks both forward and backward, capturing a brilliant moment in time and then completely turning it inside out. The first half of this equation is the Steven Bernstein ResoNation Trio, featuring the incredible rhythm section of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Nasheet Waits. Recorded in 2023, it captures the raw acoustic energy of three masters in a room. But the story doesn't stop there. Bernstein handed those session tapes over to legendary producer and sonic architect Scotty Hard, who took the material and completely reimagined it. The result is Ultra Resonance—a masterclass in studio manipulation, groove, and sonic expansion. It's a fascinating look at how the same seed of improvisation can grow into two completely different musical ecosystems. We talk about the genesis of the session, the art of letting go in the studio, and what happens when live chemistry meets production genius.

Today marks a massive milestone for LINER NOTES as this episode officially kicks off Year 9 of the podcast. For the past 8 years, this show has been about pulling back the curtain on the creative process, and I couldn't think of a better artist to help us launch this anniversary season than keyboard wizard Larry Goldings. Larry has been a definitive voice on the Hammond B3 for over three decades, shaping the sound of modern jazz organ. He joins me today to break down his incredible new organ trio record, Rhombus on Smoke Sessions Records with his bandmates Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart—delving into the unique chemistry of the trio and how he continues to find fresh terrain in a classic format.

In this episode of LINER NOTES we are diving into a monumental new release from saxophonist and composer Jeff Lederer called There's A Yearnin', out on Little "i" Music. This record is a boundary-blurring project for winds and voice that features the Wildebeest Wind Quintet and vocalist Mary LaRose. Together, they tackle unissued and rare archival scores by Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman, alongside several of Jeff's brilliant arrangements of the music of Oliver Nelson. In our conversation today, Jeff speaks about the incredible discovery of these scores—including a completely unperformed woodwind sextet manuscript by Eric Dolphy that was kept hidden away in the Library of Congress. It is a fascinating look into how these masterworks were pulled from the archives and brought to life.

Since the mid-2000s, pianist Adam Birnbaum has been one of the most in-demand sidemen in jazz—anchoring ensembles for Cécile McLorin Salvant, Wynton Marsalis, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. But as a leader, he's charting a different course. His latest project, Preludes, takes on the monumental task of re-imagining J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier alongside bassist Matt Clohesy and percussionist Keita Ogawa. Today, join us as Adam breaks down the careful choices made in handling this historic body of work.

Drummer Greg Hutchinson has been the heartbeat of the New York City jazz scene for over three decades, bringing a signature fire to the bands of legends like Betty Carter, Roy Hargrove, and Joshua Redman. Known as one of the most soulful and technically gifted drummers of his generation, 'Hutch' is now stepping further into the spotlight as a leader. Today, we're discussing his evolution from the ultimate sideman to a visionary frontman with his second recording with Warner Music, Kind of Now-The Pulse of Miles Davis out April 3.

What happens when you go off the grid to find your sound? For saxophonist Caroline Davis, the answer is Fallows, her first solo release which was conceived during a month-long residency at Ucross, Wyoming.  During this time Davis stripped away the 'self' to make room for pure creation: the album is the result of a deliberate 'un-becoming'—a period where Davis set aside the expectations of daily life to let the landscape speak through her horn.

In a world that is increasingly anchored by AI and social media, pianist and composer Emilio Solla champions the human connection on his new recording Handmade, with his nonet, La Inestable de Brooklyn. Swimming in his imagination are jazz, tango, classical, and other Argentinian folkloric music which all cohesively co-exist in this exciting musical offering.

What does it mean to embrace a new beginning? For Chicago alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson, it means answering the call of faith. Inspired by the prophet Isaiah's famous directive to "forget the former things; do not dwell on the past," Simpson's 2024 release, New Beginnings, is a stirring, soulful journey. With pianist Julius Tucker, bassist Runere Brooks, and drummer Samuel Jewell, this quartet masterfully blends the spiritual depth of the Black Church experience with the soaring improvisation of modern jazz. Join us as we explore Lenard Simpson's musical testament.

In the early 1900s, James Weldon Johnson explored the complex life of a bi-racial man who chose to disappear into white society in The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. Now, saxophonist Mark Turner uses this powerful novel as the foundation for his latest project. Join us as we listen to and discuss Turner's powerful compositions—a musical meditation on race, anonymity, and heritage—performed by his stellar quintet featuring Jason Palmer, David Virelles, Matt Brewer, and Nasheet Waits. Discover how this music forces the listener to confront the novel's enduring questions about identity and the American experience.

What if the patterns you see in the night sky weren't just constellations, but a musical score? Vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, an avid astronomer, has looked to the stars as the blueprint for her ambitious new record, Of The Near And Far, out October 24th on Pyroclastic Records. To bring this cosmic vision down to earth, Brennan enlisted a ten-piece ensemble featuring pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, guitarist Miles Okazaki, and a full string quartet. In this episode of LINER NOTES, we explore how one of the most innovative composers in creative music is turning celestial geometry into sound.

Créole Renaissance is the latest offering from pianist Aruán Ortiz on Intakt Records. This solo piano record draws its inspiration from the Négritude movement that originated in Paris in the early part of the 20th century that was established to counteract the anti-colonialism attitudes that many black artists in Paris faced as they worked in their various disciplines. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Aruán describes the inspiration that he was able to draw from this movement and reflects on the parallels he encounters as a Cuban-American living in New York City in 2025.

For nearly forty years, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli has been a fixture on the New York City jazz scene, gracing the bandstands of icons like Brother Jack McDuff, Lionel Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Harry Connick Jr. While playing with these legends, he continued to hone his skills in a variety of small groups, both as a sideman and a leader. His latest work, Concord, is a testament to that unyielding drive. The title, a word defined as "agreement or harmony between people or groups," is a fitting reflection of the music on this album. This new recording, his third for the SteepleChase label, finds Magnarelli in a quartet setting, featuring  pianist Victor Gould, bassist Paul Sikivie, and drummer Rodney Green.

Ten years after his release Flip-Flop, John Yao returns with Points of Time, a new recording that showcases his significant growth as both a composer and improviser. The album draws inspiration from deeply personal experiences, specifically his wife's battle with cancer and the subsequent birth of their son after her recovery. Yao has brought together an exceptional group of some of New York City's top musicians, who not only perform his intricate compositions flawlessly but also contribute highly individualized and compelling solos to the project.