The Late Set

The gayageum is a plucked Korean zither with a history that stretches to the sixth century. Its first and finest exponent in avant-garde jazz is DoYeon Kim, whose spellbinding debut, Wellspring, reveals a fiercely original voice (in more than one sense). Before a recent show presented by Ars Nova Workshop and the Doris Duke Foundation, Kim joined us to talk about tradition, translation, and the power of self-expression. She even graced us with a solo improvisation on her instrument, which has fast become a vital part of the experimental scene.



Chapters:



00:00 – Intro: South Korean jazz and the gayageum

02:15 – Meet DoYeon Kim and her groundbreaking approach

05:12 – Live from Solar Myth: Welcome and birthday surprise

06:25 – The success of Wellspring and finding a larger purpose

09:10 – Discovering the gayageum and falling in love with its sound

13:05 – Dance, movement, and Korean concepts of rhythm

16:25 – Growing up in Korea and discovering cultural identity in Canada

20:00 – Joe Morris and finding her artistic voice

23:45 – Beyond "exotic": Becoming DoYeon Kim, not just a gayageum player

27:15 – Finding her voice—literally—through improvisation

31:05 – Building Wellspring with Tyshawn Sorey, Matt Maneri & Henry Fraser

34:05 – The symbolism and history of the gayageum

36:45 – Exclusive live solo improvisation

38:35 – Post-interview reflections on Wellspring and the Solar Myth performance

41:15 – This I Dig: Josh's Provence wine recommendation

44:05 – This I Dig: Ben Goldberg's ambitious "8 by 8" album project

47:15 – Closing credits




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Steven Bernstein is a known wildcard in the modern jazz game. He's a wily slide trumpeter, and the whip-smart bandleader behind both Millennial Territory Orchestra, a pugnacious little big band, and Sexmob, a go-anywhere four-piece band. So in some respects, Bernstein's latest is striking for its directness.


ResoNation Trio finds him strictly on valve trumpet and flugelhorn, with a lean-and-limber rhythm team of Scott Colley on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. True to form, Bernstein added a further twist — inviting maverick producer Scotty Hard to reconstitute the trio's recordings for the companion album Ultra Resonance, a kaleidoscopic refraction evoking both dub and electronic collage.


Bernstein dropped by our studio before a recent show to talk about the jazz tradition, his drive for connection, and why this project had to happen now.


Watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/n3IwFJe5AiE


Chapters:

00:00 – Intro: Josh & Nate catch up, remember Steven during the pandemic

03:42 – Introducing the new records: ResoNation Trio & Ultra Resonance

06:08 – Interview begins: welcoming Steven Bernstein

07:02 – Steven as "the ultimate band guy" — why it had to be Colley & Waits

08:30 – Bay Area roots: coming up around Andrew Hill, Rahsaan, the AACM

11:00 – "Spontaneous composition" and the making of ResoNation Trio

14:04 – Why now: readiness, aging, and finding his own voice

20:48 – Sequencing the album & introducing Ultra Resonance

22:33 – Dub roots: Garvey's Ghost, Scotty Hard's remix process

29:41 – Magical realism as the concept linking both albums

31:25 – Live performance: Steven plays flugelhorn ("Rotary") + the horn's history

38:55 – Learning from Levon Helm — melody, blues, and "spiritual jazz"

42:21 – Jazz education, rhythm, and drummers as the root of the music

50:20 – On legacy, influence, and Sex Mob's lasting impact

1:00:07 – Debrief + "This I Dig"


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Mana, the new album by Kalia Vandever, takes its name from a Native Hawaiian term for spiritual energy or sacred power. It’s an intentional gesture from an artist who has long possessed the instinct of a shape-shifter.




In addition to trombone, Vandever works with electronics and synthesizers on the album, as well as vocals — a first, inspired in part by their experiences with Haley Heynderickx, Japanese Breakfast and Harry Styles.




Before a mesmerizing solo performance at Solar Myth, Vandever joined Nate Chinen for a conversation about myth and mystique, collaboration and solitude, and what it means to open up in new ways as an improvising artist.



Chapters


00:00 — Intro: Entering the World of Mana

05:11 — Interview Begins: Hawaiian Ancestry, Spirituality & Inspiration

13:20 — Touring with Harry Styles and Finding a Performance Voice

20:21 — Singing, Songwriting & Emotional Honesty on Mana

29:07 — International Anthem, Genre and the Evolution of Kalia's Music

35:43 — Interview Wrap-Up

37:09 — “This I Dig”: Micah Thomas's Lucid & Emily Wilson's The Odyssey

42:20 — Producer's Picks: Henry Solomon, Louis Armstrong & Laurent Benedict

49:06 — Credits




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Emmet Cohen makes music for the people. That isn’t to say he panders or dumbs it down. Cohen is simply a pianist who puts connection at the center of his performance ethic, whether he’s burning down the bandstand, lighting up a livestream or laying it down in the studio.




He has also made a point of seeking out his jazz elders and welcoming younger fans into the fold, all with a spirit of upbeat discovery. There’s a reason DownBeat’s July cover story bears the headline “Emmet Cohen: Messenger of Joy.”




Cohen recently came through Philadelphia with his tour Miles and Coltrane at 100 and stopped by WRTI for a lively chat. Along with saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, he also performed the title suite from his new album, Universal Truth.




Watch the performance of the “Universal Truth” suite:

youtu.be/3O-9LYjxj88





Watch our interview with Emmet Cohen:

youtu.be/N-Cps3TDKvI




Chapters


00:00 — Intro

02:05 — Miles & Coltrane at 100

05:12 — The Rise of Emmet's Place

12:10 — Building a Worldwide Jazz Community

16:25 — Reaching New Audiences

22:08 — Emmet Cohen on AI

24:22 — Why Young People Are Finding Jazz

29:50 — The Meaning of Universal Truth

33:00 — Live Piano Performance: “Eternal Glimpse”

34:10 — Writing Music Inspired by Miles & Coltrane

37:40 — Legacy, Mentorship and What Lasts

40:35 — Becoming the “Vibe Provider”

42:42 — Josh & Nate React

44:44 — “This I Dig”

50:47 — Credits





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When Chris Speed formed Yeah No in the late 1990s, there was no lane for its hybrid style, which drew from both post-punk and post-bop, with shoegaze and Balkan klezmer folded into the mix. Speed, a multi-reedist, had intrepid partners in trumpeter Cuong Vu, bassist Skúli Sverrisson and drummer Jim Black — each a sonic visionary, and all committed to a shared band ideal.




Since then, the musicians have pursued other projects in far-flung locales. So it felt momentous this spring when Yeah No kicked off a reunion tour at Solar Myth under the auspices of Ars Nova Workshop, whose inaugural show the band played more than 25 years ago.




Before the performance, Speed and Black sat down for an onstage interview with Nate Chinen, whose history with the band stretches back to that era.



Chapters


00:00 — Intro

07:00 — Interview with Chris Speed and Jim Black

42:30 — “This I Dig”




Special thanks to Beau Gordon, Mark Christman and the folks at Ars Nova Workshop and Solar Myth.




Want to support The Late Set?
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