Judy Wexler

Vocalist Judy Wexler has gobbled up life from the beginning.  She majored in psychology and theater in college and immediately on graduating, formed her own theater company. From there, she moved to San Francisco and became a street juggler and--with three girlfriends, who, in Judy’s words were also on the short side--formed a performing group with the fetching name of “Caught In The Act, A Theater Collective of Four Short Women.”

In a jazz world that often focusses on vocal acrobatics, Judy is a refreshingly straight-forward interpreter of song, using her acting experience and soulful focus to bring out the meaning she finds in her favorite music.  Judy’s latest CD, Crowded Heart, showcases this attitude.

Randy Waldman

Pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor, Randy Waldman’s arrangement of the "Spiderman Theme" on his Superheroes album garnered the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals at the 61st Grammy Awards. Randy talks about this CD and his lifelong love for Superheroes and his work as Music Director for Barbra Streisand (a bit of a superhero herself) for over thirty years.

Alan Pasqua

Pianist Alan Pasqua’s career is wide and varied, from his present post as Professor of Jazz Studies at USC, to his early stints with Bob Dylan and Santana, to recording with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Elton John and Queen Latifah, to multiple collaborations with legendary jazz musicians.  He’s equally comfortable in all these worlds and feels each has contributed to his musical development.  

Alan Pasqua feels that his CD, a passion project called Soliloquy, reflects his multiple influences and most captures who he is musically today.  

Hyung-Ki Joo

The biography page for the classical music comedy team of Igudesman and Joo starts with, “Millions of YouTube viewers can’t be wrong.  Well they can, but in this case, they aren’t.” 

This gives a clue to the humor and irreverence of violinist, Aleksey Igudesman and pianist, Hyung-ki Joo, who joined forces--after years of touring individually--to become a YouTube sensation combining virtuosic classical music, slapstick comedy, humorous compositions and unexpected guest appearances, as shown recently at Carnegie Hall, with the celebrated classical pianist, Yuja Wang.  In the company of Igudesman and Joo, Yuja added singing, rapping, dancing and acting to her virtuosic playing. Judy and Joo discuss the evolution in Joo’s career to include comedy in his presentations and why he thinks that brings a broader audience to classical music.

Mark Winkler

Singer/songwriter, Mark Winkler is a happy guy and wants to spread that attitude around.  He loves a good ballad but entertaining with a sense of fun is a high priority.  Mark considers himself a jazz singer in the tradition of cool sophisticates like Bobby Troup and Hoagy Carmichael, and also loves Barbra Streisand and Laura Nyro. 

His latest CD, Eastern Standard Time, brings together Mark’s wide musical focus and pairs him with his favorite musical partner, Cheryl Bentyne.

Spencer Day

Singer/songwriter, Spencer Day grew up in a small town in rural Arizona dreaming of the glamorous, sunny, Hollywood life and the noir New York equivalent he saw in the movies.  This fantasy informed his writing, along with his love for jazz, musical theater, cabaret, soul and pop music.  With his latest CD, Angel City, Spencer explores thoughts on love, fame and narcissism, and how an artist can maintain integrity and authenticity in a world that so often values neither. 

Eugene Marlow

Composer/arranger/educator/author/film and music producer.   Dr. Eugene Marlow embraces all of these activities with a passion a man half his age would envy.  Between teaching courses in media and culture at Baruch College, composing and arranging in multiple styles of music, Marlow managed to make multiple trips to China to research his latest book, Jazz in China: From Dancehall Music to Individual Freedom of Expression, which discusses how the popularity and promotion of jazz in China has evolved over the years and how it’s increased popularity today reflects the culture, politics and economics of the country.

Diane Schuur

Two-time Grammy winner, jazz vocalist Diane Schuur, carries on the tradition of the powerful women singers who inspired her, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington.  Her latest CD focuses on two great men who have inspired her, Stan Getz and Frank Sinatra.  Her CD, I Remember You (With Love To Stan and Frank) commemorates the support--musical and otherwise--she’s gotten from both of these towering figures.

Chris Hopkins

Jazz pianist and saxophonist, Chris Hopkins was born in the U.S. but moved with his family to Germany while he was still a child.  He studied classical music, originally on the harpsichord, but switched to jazz when a friend enticed him in that direction and, like many jazz musicians, started gigging in his teens. Now in his mid-forties, Chris has gathered a stellar list of musical associations and maintains a busy touring schedule in Europe, with his own band, Echoes of Swing, and with many of the top players on the scene today.

Kate Reid

Vocalist/pianist Kate Reid brings her experience as a gigging jazz musician and L.A. studio singer to her work as associate professor of jazz voice in the Studio Music and Jazz department at the University of Miami.  The performance aspect of her career is featured on her latest CD, The Heart Already Knows, which explores the creative possibilities of working in a duo format, pairing her with some of the greatest musicians working today, including guitarist Larry Koonse and pianist Fred Hersch. 

John DiMartino

Pianist/arranger, John di Martino is equally at home playing jazz, Cuban or Brazilian music, making him a favorite band mate and accompanist in multiple genres.  Jon Hendricks, Keely Smith and Freddy Cole have collaborated with him and pianist, Benny Green says John’s music is “an honest outpouring of light.”   I’ve worked with John, so I’m yet another musician who loves making music with him!

Dave Tull Two

Drummer Dave Tull has provided rhythm for everyone from Chuck Magione and Michael Buble, to Jack Sheldon and Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane. While Dave has also occasionally sung a tune or two with these groups and others, he has recently focused on performing his own beautiful melodies and often hilarious lyrics. Dave is a favorite among jazz musicians, who relish his spot on laments of the often ridiculous challenges jazz musicians face. 

This is Dave’s second appearance on Jazz Inspired.  Here he discusses his latest CD of originals, Texting and Driving.

Huey Coleman

Documentary filmmaker, Huey Coleman, often focuses his lens on older artists, and Judy talks to him about his film, In Good Time, about the life and music of Marian McPartland.

Marian McPartland

The late Marian McPartland’s long running NPR show, Piano Jazz, aired for 33 years. It was a thrill for me to be a guest on Piano Jazz early in my career and fun to turn the tables on Marian in 2004 and have her on Jazz Inspired.

Neville Dickie

British stride pianist, Neville Dickie celebrated his 81st birthday this year and is still going strong and is as busy as ever.  Judy talks with Neville about his first performance in the States in Manhattan in 1983 at a popular piano room called Hanratty’s, that featured what was then called two-handed piano players, those who loved playing solo and sounded great doing so.  Tommy Flanagan, Sammy Price, Ralph Sutton, Art Hodes and many others played a week or two run in this celebrated room throughout the year.  Neville discusses that special time in jazz and some of his earlier inspiration.

Dan Block

Dan Block is one of those rare individuals who plays multiple instruments in multiple styles and is equally passionate and artistic in each direction.   Judy talks to him about his first CD with his guitarist brother, Rob, and how he’s combined his equal love for jazz and classical music to become the musician he is today.

Robert Fairchild

Tony Award nominee and former New York City Ballet Principal dancer, Robert Fairchild, starred as Jerry Mulligan on Broadway in An American Paris, the most awarded musical of the 2015/16 season. 

Robert first saw Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain when he was in fourth grade, which inspired his ambition to sing and dance on screen.  He studied jazz and tap growing up, but at 15, his older sister, Megan Fairchild—presently a Principal dancer with New York City Ballet—encouraged him to attend a summer camp at the School of American Ballet to polish up his classical technique.  To everyone’s surprise, he fell in love with ballet, and eventually joined his sister at New York City Ballet.

Now, after starring in An American in Paris in Paris, NY and London, Robert has set his sights on a broader career path that includes acting and singing and movies, bringing him back to his initial dream of being a modern day Gene Kelly.

Darmon Meader

Vocalist/saxophonist Darmon Meader talks about leading New York Voices, his solo projects and his new NY Voices CD with the Bob Mintzer Big Band, Meeting of Minds.

Shirley Crabbe

Vocalist Shirley Crabbe discusses her new CD, Bridges and her inspirations from Abbot and Costello to Ethel Waters!

Chris Brubeck

Multi-instrumentalist/composer, Chris Brubeck is influenced by classical, rock, funk, New Orleans, swing and everything in between.  The influence of his father, pianist/composer Dave Brubeck, and the lyric writing of his mother, Iola, have also inspired him and continue to inform everything he pursues in his constantly evolving musical life. 

Chris discusses his long career and his latest Brubeck Brothers CD, TimeLine, a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s historic State Department tour.