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On today's show, the saxophonist and the newly-anointed bandleader of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Knoel Scott. Sun Ra is the storied musician who came out of Alabama in the 1930s, landing in Chicago in the late 1940's, writing arrangements for the legendary big band leader Fletcher Henderson. Inspired by visions life in outer space, the musician transformed from Sonny Blount to Sun Ra, sent from Saturn to bring music to our embattled Earth. He assembled his big band, known as “The Arkestra,” and Sun Ra began writing, recording, and performing his music at an astounding clip, relocating to New York for most of the 1960s and finally settling in Philadelphia by the start of the 1970s. Their live shows became the stuff of legend, a mix of psychedelic lights, costumes, chanting, dancing, and music mixing styles from across a range of 20th styles, with Ra's lecturing on ancient Egypt, space and the future while playing a dazzling selection of early mini-synths. In 1978 the band would be guests on Saturday Night Live and earlier this year were the subject of PBS' American Masters series with the documentary “Sun Ra: Do the Impossible. 

 Sun Ra would transition in 1993, John Gilmore led the band until his passing in 1995 and saxophonist Marshall Allen would vigorously lead the modern Arkestra as they expanded their profile performing and recording internationally. Marshall Allen's retirement has just been announced, stepping down at the age of 102. Now Knoel has officially taken the reins. 

 We got together to talk about the Arkestra then-forthcoming concert at the McCarter Theater September 3rd of 2026. We talk abut his early experiences growing up in a musical community in Jamaica, Queens, his first discovery with Sun Ra's music, the lure of money, fortune and fame, the brilliance of bebop and Charlie Parker, our place in the cosmos and more. Thanks to Bobbie's Bookstore in Philly's Germantown for graciously hosting the interview.

On today's show, we welcome back renowned electric bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma. This is the third time we've had Jamaaladeen at the mic, if you listen back to Fun-2-Know episodes 47 & 11 you can hear Jamaaladeen talk about growing up in North Philadelphia and playing the bands of legendary players Charles Earland and Walt Dickerson while still in his teens. But it is his experience in Ornette Coleman's ground-breaking mid-seventies band Prime Time that has been a source of endless inspiration to Tacuma, Jamaaladeen's 2010 release FOR THE LOVE OF ORNETTE would be among the last recorded appearances of the music giant. Beginning in 1983 with a string of records for the Grammavision label, Jamaaladeen has produced decades of releases for many labels including Moers Music, DIW, Jazzwerkstatt, Tzadik, P-Vine & Timeless and in recent years has put his energies into his own Jam-All Productions imprint, much of which you can find at Bandcamp. The list of musicians he's recorded and performed with is extensive, including Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Mary Halvorson, David Murray, James Blood Ulmer, The Golden Palominos, The Roots and that list goes on and on.

Since 2015, Jamaladeen has also produced and promoted The Outsiders Festival in his hometown of Philly, bringing a wonderfully diverse group of talent to town and he also owns the Redd Carpet Room, a boutique curated by Tacuma's sharp taste in fashion.

On today's show, the saxophonist, vocalist and composer Maria Grand. Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, Maria came to New York to pursue a career in music while still in her late teens. She has been releasing her own music since 2017, recordings that feature her enthralling tenor saxophone playing and vocals in service of exploratory, melodic compositions. She's performed and recorded with Vijay Iyer, Mary Halvorson, Antoine Roney and others and her latest is just out, entitled BOTH SIDES. Maria was passing through Philadelphia when we met up, the night before I caught a wonderful show with her quartet at the Black Squirrel Club. Maria brought her percussionist Shakoor Hakeem along for the conversation, they've collaborated together since meeting in a youth jazz program as teens. We'll hear Shakoor in our conversation as well, discussing his experiences making music with Maria. We talk about growing up in a musical family, struggles in high school, coming to New York to study in the jazz mecca as well as Maria's work in musical therapy.

03-23-26 Jazz w Dan Buskirk hour two with Kevin Diehl by Fun 2 Know Podcast

On today's show: drummer, percussionist, composer Chad Taylor. I first became aware of Chad's name around the turn of the 21st century, as the players in Chicago's post-rock scene, most famously including the instrumental band Tortoise, began to collaborate with players from Chicago's rich modern jazz world, where the famous creative musician's collective, the AACM was still active. Chad's playing was always distinguished by an extra sense of propulsiveness, juicing the energy and supplying an expressive net beneath his collaborators. Chad began his long musical partnership with Rob Mazurek under the name Chicago Underground, recording genre-defying improvisational songs and soundscapes that frequently featured Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker. Chad would become one of his era's most prolific drummers working his everyone from Iron & Wine to Pharoah Sanders. After becoming synonymous with Chicago jazz Chad moved east, finally landing in Philadelphia where he's spent the past decade. In this time he has appeared on some of the most critically-lauded jazz records of recent years, including projects with guitarist Marc Ribot as well as the late trumpeter Jaimie Branch and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, both former guests on Fun 2 Know. You'll get an idea of just what a genial gentleman Chad is by knowing that although we've communicated through IM's, we'd never actually met or had spoken together until just moments before the tape rolled on our interview. In abundant modesty and good humor Chad talks about his early musical motivations, his teen years, already drumming in Chicago clubs, and his moves to NYC and Philly, his studies with Blue Note drum great Joe Chambers and Chad current gig as Head of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Chad has also had success composing and leading his own groups and is celebrating the release of his latest work with his new Philly-centric Chad Taylor Quintet, SMOKE SHIFTER on the Otherly Love label.

On today's show, Sun Ra Arkestra guitarist DM Hotep. Philadelphia-born DM Hotep has been a part of the Sun Ra Arkestra for over 25 years. The musical group was originally formed in the 1950s by the keyboardist known as Sun Ra. Ra's all-encompassing imagination claimed his origins were from the planet Saturn, and with light shows, flamboyant costumes and group chants and a musical palette elaborately versed in both the earthly and celestial, the Arkestra were forerunners of the concept of “Afrofuturism,” contributing to the African diaspora's interaction with culture, technology, astronomy and sci-fi themes. “Space is the Place” was one of Sun Ra's main credos, with interstellar exploration and space reoccurring as a regular motif. Sun Ra's band the Arkestra has continued on since his passing in 1993, today led by the 101 year old longtime Arkestra saxophonist Marshall Allen. We talk to DM about his fascination with the guitar, how he got pulled into the reestablished Arkestra's orbit and how he found his musical place amongst the sometimes 20-plus conglomeration. DM's musical adventures go beyond the Arkestra, he also performs and records with his partner, Arkestra vocalist Tara Middleton in Jupiter Blue, in Kevin Diehl's collaborative Airlft while also curating the residency of Marshall Allen's Ghost Horizons, regularly bringing brave musicians from around the world to perform and be conducted by the legendary Marshall Allen. We'll hear samples of DM's work, including some of his film scoring, throughout the conversation. We also discuss DM's upcoming performance at The Rotunda in Philadelphia, 4014 Walnut Street. At 7pm on Thursday July 10th, DM will be perform a solo ambient set, followed by a screening of Jerome Bixby's THE MAN FROM EARTH, a speculative sci-fi feature, presented by Bright Bulb Screenings.

On today's show, the pianist and composer, Digba Ogunbiyi. Digba is originally from Lagos, Nigeria and came to the states to pursue his dream of a career playing jazz piano. His diligence has earned him a doctorate in musical studies and a position at Syracuse University as an instructor of jazz piano. Digba currently resides in Philadelphia, where a chance meeting at a neighborhood cafe led to our discussion  presented here.  Digba's story makes for an unusually moving episode of Fun 2 Know, telling of how his love for piano led him to jazz music, a genre that does not have much of a following in his native Nigeria. This led to his journey to the U.S., where his talent was recognized and nurtured.  Talking to Digba and listening to his music reinforces the suspicion that him and his talent are on the cusp of big things.    Stick around for the end to hear info on Digba's upcoming gigs, including one at Philly's Chris' Jazz Cafe in July.

On today's show, the saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis joins us for a spirited conversation. James Brandon Lewis has become a prominent figure in the world of modern creative music, showing himself to be prolific both as a band leader and as a player on a number of others' projects, building a thrilling body of work, and personally, some of the most-played in my collection over the past five years. His album 2021 release JESUP WAGON with the Red Lily Quintet, a tribute to George Washington Carver seemed to heighten interest in Lewis, winning the Downbeat album poll and his 2023 release FOR MAHALIA, WITH LOVE would win the Best Album from the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll. He has also recorded with his own trios and in collaboration with the D.C. rock group The Messthetics, all showing a different side of his musical personality and talent. In early June I met with James at 8:30 am, the morning after his sold out gig at Solar Myth in Philadelphia. The conversation came easy, we talked about his family and his roots in Buffalo, we talked about his extensive schooling, which took James from Buffalo to D.C., to Colorado and Los Angeles, and finally to New York City, with James just recently receiving his doctorate. We discuss his pursuit of his own sound, the community of family, musicians and teachers that inspired and supported him along the way, the film “Mr. Holland's Opus,” audience assumptions, where he's heading next and how he sees his place in the jazz firmament.

On today's show, it's the Baltimore-based pianist, composer, and bandleader Lafayette Gilchrist. Lafayette is an extravagantly-gifted instrumentalist and composer, the type of pianist often described as a “two-handed player” for the strong rhythms of his left hand and his nimble melodicism of his right. His deep understanding of the music's history find him schooled in piano styles that go back at least a century, as well as having a modern spirit that places him in conversation with the piano's contemporary improvising explorers. Born in D.C., Lafayette could be seen as an example of great tradition of the area's musical talent, players that had to be versed in the ideas and the styles of the North while containing the soulful feel of Southern sounds. Since his debut THE ART IS LIFE from 1993, Lafayette has produced over a dozen releases, playing solo, in duos, in trios and with often his septet, The New Volcanoes. He has also toured and recorded with saxophone legend David Murray and his music is heard in the HBO series', THE WIRE, THE DEUCE and TREME. His most-recent release UNDAUNTED drew wider attention to Lafayette's talent, and when I met up with him it early August in was just before a sold out show appearing at Chris Jazz Cafe in Philly. We talk about Lafayette discovery of the piano, finding mentors in area jazz greats Grachan Moncur III and saxophonist Carl Grubbs. We talk about records that inspired him, his philosophy in leading a band, his musical work with children and even our mutual love of cats. Lafayette was gracious enough to conclude the interview post-gig, so we'll get a rare pre-and-post gig conversation on this latest episode.

Here's the part where I give a brief introduction to this episode's guest, something particularly difficult with a guest as extravagantly talented as Steven Erdman. He might be best described as a one-man production company, having skills as a graphic artists with hand-illustrating skills, a songwriter and producer, an animator and filmmaker, and set designer and creator and over the last thirty odd years has worked on projects at Nickelodeon and MTV, contributed artwork to numerous publications and gave birth to the weirdo rock sounds of Lard Dog & The Band of Shy, known for their surreal theatrical performances. Erdman has rubbed shoulders and collaborated with a cavalcade of well-known talents, over the course of the episode we'll hear anecdote about everyone from James Brown, Van Morrison, Natasha Lyonne, Clarence Reid aka Blowfly, The Sun Ra Arkestra's Marshall Allen, one-time bandmate Norah Jones, and more. It all makes for a decidedly epic and entertaining conversation, as Erd discusses his many setback and drive to keep creative, or as he proclaims, to “Yam On!”

On today's show saxophonist, flautist, composer, poet, Elliott Levin. Levin is a Philadelphia-born talent, who has traveled far and wide in his career, establishing himself as an iron man of music, ubiquitous across the city of Philadelphia since the 1970s, playing countless gigs across numerous styles.  Soon after picking up the saxophone, Elliott fell under the spell galvanizing jazz pianist Cecil Taylor while Taylor taught at New Jersey's Glassboro State College. Levin first found acclaim touring around the world with Philly International giants Harold Melvin & The Blues Notes for over a decade and his career in jazz and improvised music has seen him performing and recording with The Sun Ra Arkestra's Tyrone Hill & Marshall Allen, Mother of Invention keyboardist Don Preston, Sonic Liberation Front, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, The West Philadelphia Orchestra and Odean Pope's Saxophone Choir and his poetry has been published in The L.A. Weekly.  I'd been wanting to get Elliott in front of a microphone for sometime, and our conversation didn't disappoint. When I spoke to Elliott has was just back from a tour of Mexico and earlier this month he celebrated his 70th birthday with a concert in Philadelphia, leading a band featuring 99 year-old Sun Ra Arkestra bandleader Marshall Allen. We discuss his upbringing in West Philly, college in the turbulent early seventies, touring the world with The Blue Notes, his collaborations with Marshall Allen, poetry, his friendship with hippie legend Buzzy Linhart, a saxophonist's life during quarantine and more, as well as hearing a bit of the music Elliott has recorded over his career.

On today's show, it's the second appearance of writer Mike DeCapite (previously on F2N Ep. 20), whose latest novel, JACKET WEATHER was published in late 2021 by Soft Skull Press, home to works from everyone from Dennis Cooper to Noam Chomsky. DeCapite is originally from Cleveland and the son of novelist Raymond DeCapite, a novelist whose well-reviewed work was first published in 1960. Mike DeCapite moved from Clevleand to Brooklyn in 1987 and moved in the circle around fellow Clevelanders Pere Ubu, the seminal art punk group. DeCapite's poetic fiction would be appear in various publications over the years and his naturalistic slices of life have always revealed a deep connection to music and has made fans of an impressive range artists of various backgrounds; JACKET WEATHER includes blurbs from filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, Sonic Youth bassist Lee Ranaldo and writer Lucy Sante. DeCapite's 1998 novel THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD drew raves for Mike's story of kicking around with small time gamblers in the city of Cleveland, an excerpt from Mike's unpublished follow-up RUINED FOR LIFE would appear along with his father's work in Harper's THE ITALIAN AMERICAN READER, and now JACKET WEATHER arrives, further refining DeCapite's anecdotal storytelling to a fine point. The novel centers around a relationship DeCapite begins with June, a figure of romantic interest DeCapite had known casually back in the 1980s where she was doing P.R. for Pere Ubu. Now decades later, DeCapite is taken a back by the strong attraction he feels to a woman extracting herself from a curdled relationship. With the lightest of touches across bite-sized chapters, DeCapite casts an alluring story of unsentimental optimism in the just-dimming light of middle-age. Publishers Weekly said: "Spare and lyrical . . . DeCapite has a poet’s eye for the city’s majestic details, and illustrates how his characters come to see the same things differently over the years . . . A worthwhile meditation." — from Kirkus Reviews: "So very real . . . A sad but sweet song about the uncertainty of middle age and how funny it is when time slips away." We try an keep things loose and casual of these Fun 2 Know interviews, so much so people often think I'm just interviewing friends, but here I actually AM interviewing one of my closest friends, although it has been decades since I hung with Mike after work every Monday in San Francisco, where Mike would serve some ambitious entrees and we'd talk movies, music and writing. The last time I talked to Mike was just before pandemic restrictions hit in 2020, now, three years later, Mike was in Philly to do a reading with Warhol biographer Victor Bockriss and we sat down at the kitchen table the following day to record this interview where we talk about JACKET WEATHER, seasonal memories, '90s Dylan, middle-aged love, writing about sex and divining renewed inspiration.

It is the interview I conducted with director Sean Baker that planted the seed for today's episode, which is the long-delayed fiftieth episode of Fun 2 Know. It was three years ago that Rob Burson was in pre-production for his debut film HELL OF A HEARTACHE when he stumbled across the Fun 2 Know interview with Sean Baker, whose films PRINCE OF BROADWAY and THE FLORIDA PROJECT were inspirational as examples of vivid, compelling character studies made on a strict budget. Rob “friended” me on Facebook after hearing the interview and we would occasionally discuss film on-line while I was vaguely aware he was shooting a modestly-budgeted feature with a small crew near his home in Arizona. Then almost a year ago, just before X-mas, Rob asked me if I'd like to take a look at his feature, humbly asking me to keep my expectations low. Knowing the difficulties of such a limited budget I was prepared to look at the film with a forgiving eye but instead was a bit dumbstruck at the captivating, sure-footing telling of washed-up country star Bobbie Thompson and his unexpected saddling with a thirteen year old girl who may be his daughter. While the story of this pairs' relationship is humorous and engaging enough to sustain the film, HELL OF A HEARTACHE also reverberates with other ideas and themes, including modern masculinity and the lingering effects of violence against women throughout our society. Sharing the film with friends and family I'd become convinced HELL OF A HEARTACHE was a little miracle of a film, a masterful and very affecting work that somehow seemed to arrive out of nowhere with Burson, not only writing and directing with great feeling and subtly but delivering a performance any seasoned actor would be proud of. Yet, Burson hadn't acted since high school and his turn to filmmaking didn't come until he was in his late forties. We'll unravel just how this film got made in our interview, but I should first mention that all this led to the upcoming East Coast premiere of HELL OF A HEARTACHE on Thursday, December 8th at the Rotunda, on the 40th block of Walnut Street in Philadelphia, as part of the Bright Bulb screening series. Not only will we see HELL OF A HEARTACHE, currently unavailable through your favorite streaming service, but it will be followed by a Q&A with Rob, on his first trip to the East Coast. The screening is free and included is a second feature, from Australian director Gillian Armstrong, director of MY BRILLIANT CAREER and STARSTRUCK, we'll be seeing her nearly-lost 1987 feature HIGH TIDE, starring Judy Davis which also tells the story of a performer uniting with her abandoned daughter.

On today's show: Austin, Texas musician and thereminist, Aileen Adler. I first met Aileen back in the late '80s during the halcyon days of Tower Records, when we both worked at store #173 on South Street in Philadelphia. I moved to Alaska and then San Francisco in the early '90s, around the same time when Aileen moved to another artist's hub, Austin, Texas. We lost touch with each other for a couple decades after that, finally meeting up again in the Facebook era. From there it was that sort of half-awareness you got from social media, I'd see pictures of Aileen looking striking in theatrical clothing, entertaining at events, but what it was she was actually doing was somehow lost on me. Reading that she was back in Philly for a visit, I thought it would be a perfect time to crack the mystery of Aileen Adler. Aileen was always a dynamic character, and I wasn't disappointed. We discuss her early years arriving in the Philly, her move to Austin, singing and adopting the electronic instrument the theremin, visiting Morocco, blacksmithing and collaborating of John “Drumbo” French from Capt, Beefheart's legendary Magic Band. We'll also hear some samples of Aileen's music, with the group the Temple of Ape Collective, joined by the didgeridoo from her album, THEREMIN FOR THE MASSES, which you can discover at thereminforthemasses.com as well as Aileen's theremin joined by the pianist and composer Catherine Davis.

Our guest today, guitarist Nick Millevoi. To quote his bio, “Nick Millevoi is a guitarist and composer whose music searches for the sonic cracks between jazz, rock and roll, noise, and modern composition.” Nick has performed with Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Nels Cline, Marc Ribot, and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the duo Archer Spade with trombonist Dan Blacksberg as well as making five full-length albums with the trio Many Arms. Since 2016, Nick's main vehicle is The Desertion Trio, featuring Johnny deBlase on bass and Kevin Shea on drums. Their first two records also featured Jamie Saft on organ and their third, the just-released TWILIGHT TIME on the Long Song label features guest stars Ron Stabinsky on organ and Sun Ra Arkestra vocalist Tara Middleton. It's a collection of radically reworked tunes from the oldies era and has already won notice from Rolling Stone magazine, who listed the new record's title cut as a “Song You Need to Know” in their May issue. Nick has drawn a lot of press over the years, he also writes for a number of guitar magazines, but I never really read his origin story On today's interview we talk about Millevoi's earliest music loves, playing his 8th grade graduation party, confronting the jazz curriculum in college, deflecting law school, touring with Many Arms, the music of Neil Young, Nirvana and Dick Dale, the inspirational Wildwood New Jersey, making the new record and future records he is destined to make.