The innovative jazz pianist talks about her label, Pyroclastic Records, gender justice for composers, her connections to New York's improvisors scene, and recording an album at the Village Vanguard.
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The Spotlight shines On Grammy-winning pianist and composer Kris Davis.
Kris joined us in the wake of the September 2023 release of her album Live at the Village Vanguard, out on her own Pyroclastic Records label.
Live at the Village Vanguard is the second release from her band Diatom Ribbons, an adventurous quintet featuring drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, turntablist and electronic musician Val Jeanty, bassist Trevor Dunn – and new addition guitarist Julian Lage.
In addition to talking about that band and album, Kris guides us through her musical path and development while hipping us to her important work at the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice.
(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Live at the Village Vanguard by Kris Davis and Diatom Ribbons)
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00:08 Introduction and Request for Support
00:46 Introduction to the Guest: Chris Davis
01:49 Chris Davis's Musical Journey and Influences
04:10 Exploring the World of Jazz and Improvised Music
05:21 Chris Davis's Unique Approach to Music
06:30 Chris Davis's Experience with Classical Music
07:54 The Impact of Exposure and Surroundings on Musical Growth
08:58 Chris Davis's Work at the Berkeley Institute for Jazz and Gender Justice
10:35 The Struggle for Space and Attention in the Jazz World
12:27 The Role of the Berkeley Institute in Jazz and Gender Justice
18:57 Commercial Break and Return
19:19 Chris Davis's Evolution in the New York Music Scene
20:38 Chris Davis's Experience with Free Improvisation and Composition
22:30 Chris Davis's Early Days in New York
24:48 Working with Bagatelle's Project and Sotic Label
26:04 Discovering Ronald Shannon Jackson's Music
29:30 Incorporation of Electronics in Music
34:00 Exploring the Use of Synthesizer
37:57 Reflections on Past Recordings
39:42 Revisiting Old Music
41:47 The Journey of Starting a Record Label
46:41 Closing Remarks and Appreciation
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Listen to Live at the Village Vanguard by Kris Davis and Diatom Ribbons on Bandcamp → https://krisdavis.bandcamp.com/album/diatom-ribbons-live-at-the-village-vanguard
or your streaming platform of choice → https://songwhip.com/krisdavis/diatom-ribbons-live-at-the-village-vanguard
Visit Kris Davis at https://krisdavis.net
Visit Pyroclastic Records at https://pyroclasticrecords.com
Follow Kris Davis on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/krisdavismusic/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/krisdavismusic
and Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/krisdavismusic
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