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The Major Scale – Hillary Donnell and How Feminism is Shaping Jazz’s Future

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PFT Media Podcast NetworkA large chunk of the work that goes into producing The Major Scale is research – lots of it. The majority of our time is spent reading, seeking new channels, and taking leads from faithful hardworking artist management and PR. This episode is a nod to these tireless efforts.

The always anticipated Winter Jazz Festival is coming, and while reading about past years’ events we came across an op-ed in Jazz Right Now titled “A Feminist Urge Is Driving the Shape of Jazz to Come,” written by Hillary Donnell. The piece was so impressive and eye opening, looking at both the social roots of the music and towards the future that lay ahead, that we decided to book her for an interview on it. You might recognize Donnell, music journalist and DJ, from previous episodes of The Major Scale, and hopefully again in future broadcasts. In this episode, we discuss her op-ed in detail. She also picked out all the music to go along with it: from Geri Allen, Emma Jean Thackray, David Murray, Alice Coltrane, Nubya Garcia, Yazz Ahmed, and many more. Donnell knows her stuff, so don’t sleep on this one!Continue Reading …

The Major Scale – Sarathy Korwar and Steve Kuhn

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PFT Media Podcast NetworkWe love doing the Major Scale because it’s a great opportunity to work with brilliant artists of today and tomorrow, as well as the some of our heroes from the past. In this episode we get both: Sarathy Korwar and Steve Kuhn.

There’s a renaissance happening in jazz worldwide, and drummer Sarathy Korwar is one of the leading voices in the UK. Within a year he’s offered us two brilliant releases in My East Is Your West and More Arriving. The first, as the title suggests, is an Eastern take on a selection of overlooked Western tunes by the likes of Joe Henderson, Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim, Don Cherry, plus more. The second will make you stop in your tracks – a song cycle of nu-skool jazz plugged through the outlet of dance electronica and a collection of poets, griots, and MCs from India’s growing music scene. The result is a joyful and socially aware noise.Continue Reading …

The Major Scale – African-American Art in the 20th Century in the Sunshine State

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PFT Media Podcast Network

The Major Scale is proud to present a three-part special for Cornell Fine Arts Museum’s exhibit African American Art in the 20th Century, on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It’s a bounty of bold and brilliant masterworks that showcases paintings and sculptures from 32 African American artists. In our special series, we delve into the stories that tie together the exhibit’s themes, including jazz and civil rights, as well as the music with the show’s curator, Virginia Mecklenburg.

Part 3:

Among the many amazing artists in the exhibit is Purvis Young, a native to Florida. We thought it apt since the exhibit since both Cornell Fine Arts Museum and the Major Scale are based in Central Florida that we take the time to explore some of the regional roots. Young, the term “Outsider Art”, and the legendary Highwaymen are on the table for conversation as well as some of the Sunshine State’s – Slim Galliard, Fats Navarro, Charles Tolliver, Gigi Gryce, Pee-Wee Ellis, Archie Shepp, and more.

This special series is a must for curious eardrums.Continue Reading …

The Major Scale – African-American Art in the 20th Century – Civil Rights, the African-American Experience, and Rallying Cry

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PFT Media Podcast Network

The Major Scale is proud to present a three-part special for Cornell Fine Arts Museum’s exhibit African American Art in the 20th Century, on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It’s a bounty of bold and brilliant masterworks that showcases paintings and sculptures from 32 African American artists. In our special series, we delve into the stories that tie together the exhibit’s themes, including jazz and civil rights, as well as the music with the show’s curator, Virginia Mecklenburg.

Part 2: In the post WW II era the pace of the Civil Rights Movement picks up at a rapid pace. African-American life is flux, the demand for change and equality is everywhere. There is tragedy concurrent with hope as leaders and legislation move forward. The music moves right along with it. The art’s come into their own, uncompromising talents like Bo Diddley, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Ornette Colman, Amiri Baraka, and countless others begin to make their voices heard, and we’ll hear them in this episode.Continue Reading …