Mike Jeffers Audio Experience

Marquis Hill - Chicago Jazz Magazine Feature Interview October 2018

Chicago Jazz Magazine's feature interview for the October 2018 digital issue is with trumpeter Marquis Hill.

He is dropping a new recording entitled "Modern Flows Vol II" which he talks in length with the founder of Chicago Jazz Magazine Mike Jeffers. In addition they focus on Marquis and his music, his influences, growing up in Chicago, winning the Thelonious Monk competition, his touring and of course his composing and recording.

Get more information and read the full digital issue at http://www.chicagojazzmagazine.com

Chicago Jazz Magazine Feature Interview September 2018 - Kobie Watkins

TALKING JAZZ with Mike Jeffers

The September 2018 Issue of Chicago Jazz Magazine features an indepth interview with drummer Kobie Watkins.

ABOUT KOBIE WATKINS

Growing up in Chicago Kobie was first influenced by watching his father (Alious C. Watkins) play drums in the church. Of course this lead him to get curious about drumming himself and he quickly graduated from playing pots and pans as a toddler to practicing rudiments on a snare drum. With guidance from his father, Kobie continued to grow as a musician and when it came time to decide on what to do after high school he decided to give Vandercook College of Music a try instead of enlisting in the army which was the original plan.

At Vandercook Kobie studied all forms and genres of the percussion family with Marc “Max” Jacoby (vibraphonist/ mallet) and Kevin Lepper (percussionist). While learning percussion and all other instruments, Kobie’s extra curricular time was spent playing jazz standards and trading solo's with alto saxophonist Dennis Winslett which helped to expand his playing and concepts on how drums interacted with other instruments.

Graduating from Vandercook with a Bachelors of Music Education in 1999, Kobie became a public school band / music teacher by day, by night he played gigs around the Chicago land area and throughout the United States. Kobie eventually became known as the “Swing Master”of Chicago. He was depicted in a front-page article in the Joliet, Illinois Herald titled “Teacher has Alter Ego as Jazz Musician.”

He decided to continue his education at Northwestern University where in 2003 he received a Masters of Music in Jazz Pedagogy while continuously performing on the Chicago jazz scene. It was around that time that he began performing with guitarist Bobby Broom in his trio which served as a major turning point in his playing career. Broom who had moved to Chicago from New York is an internationally known guitarist and had a weekly steady with his trio that provided Watkins the platform to hone his musical concepts and skills and take his playing to the next level. A few years later, again thanks to Broom who was Sonny Rollins guitarist at the time, Watkins was able to audition for the jazz legend which lead to him touring and recording with Rollins up until recently.

In addition Watkins has performed and recorded with musicians such as Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Curtis Fuller, Bob Mintzer, Jim Hall, John Patitucci, Arturo Sandoval, George Coleman, Ira Sullivan, Sonny Fortune, Roy Haynes, Roy Hargrove, Kurt Elling, Fred Anderson, Chrstian McBride, Bobby Broom, Orbert Davis, Ken Chaney, Ron Perrillo, Bethany Pickens, Ryan Cohan and many others.

In this interview Watkins talks about growing up in Chicago, how he got started playing drums, what he has learned from the different performance opportunities he has had over the years and much more.

 

Visit www.chicagojazzmagazine.com to read the full September 2018 Issue

 

Talking Jazz with Guest Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

On this Episode of the Talking Jazz Podcast, Mike Jeffers talks with the founding member of Tower of Power, Emilio Castillo in advance of the bands performances at City Winery in Chicago. Emilio talks about his influences and how that helped him develop the concept behind the Tower of Power Sound. As they embark on their 50th Anniversary year they also just release a brand new recording callled "Soul Side of Town". Emilio talks about how the band keeps things fresh and creative and moving forward even after 50 years!

Visit www.TowerofPower.com for info on tour dates and the new recording.

Talking Jazz with Guest Boney James

On this Episode Mike Jeffers (founder of Chicago Jazz Magazine) talks by phone with four-time GRAMMY nominee and multi-platinum-selling musician Boney James ahead of his performance on July 20, 2018 at the Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN.

They talk about how get got started playing saxophone, his influences, the new release "Honestly" and his performance with special guest Avery Sunshine on July 20, 2018.

Talking Jazz 001: Interview with the Sabertooth Quartet

Talking Jazz with Mike Jeffers (founder of ChicagoJazz.com)

On this Episode Mike sits down with Pat Mallinger and Cameron Pfiffner the co-founders of the Sabertooth Quartet which has called the Green Mill home every Saturday night for the past 25 years.

It was great talking with them about how each one of them got their starts in jazz, how they broke onto the Chicago Jazz scene, their concepts on exploring new music for the group and much more. Both Pat and Cameron talk about how they came from very different musical beginnings but ended up meeting at the Get Me High Lounge in Chicago. There is some really great inside Chicago Jazz memories that I think everyone will enjoy. Get more info on the Chicago Jazz Scene at www.ChicagoJazz.com