Anthony Braxton on his six decades in music: ‘It’s about the hope of the future’
Life is an experience, a human experience, that can, as it mounts over time, bewilder even the “friendly experiencer.”...
Category: Interviews
How music defines D.C.’s history of ‘resistance and resilience,’ according to historian Maurice Jackson
To riff on Fred Moten, the history of Blackness in D.C. is testament to the fact that a sound...
Meet Sequoia ‘REDWOOD’ Snyder, the DMX-covering rising pianist from D.C.
Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder has long been regarded as a rising star on the local scene; now, she is settling...
‘Can I make this register in your body?’ Samora Pinderhughes on how music can reflect an ethic of care
Samora Pinderhughes has always been tuned in. In 2016 the vocalist and composer released The Transformations Suite, which housed...
André 3000 opens up about his flute experiments: ‘What you’re hearing is me discovering a thing’
We all know the story by now, but here’s a synopsis: In the early ’90s, two young Atlanta rappers...
Clarinet conclave: Don Byron dishes to Todd Marcus about the ‘white-centric’ history of their instrument, the genius of Joe Henderson and touring post-pandemic
Clarinetist, saxophonist and composer Don Byron has been a trailblazer in music since his first albums came out in...
John Patitucci on upholding the legacy of Wayne Shorter
During the 20-year lifespan of the Wayne Shorter Quartet, the group stood as one of the most ecstatic in music, let...
Nasheet Waits remembers his relationship with Max Roach, and talks centennial edition of ‘Freedom Now Suite’
The cover art of Max Roach’s We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, from 1960, references the sit-in movement, which had...
Cecily taps the healing power of joy on ‘Awakening Pt. II’
According to the late Black feminist scholar bell hooks, love is a verb — an action we choose every...
‘Don’t write an opera, tell a story:’ Terence Blanchard’s path to ‘Fire Shut Up in My Bones’
New Orleanian musician Terence Blanchard is known for many things. Recently named a 2024 National Endowment for the Arts...