Rhythm Changes Podcast

John Lee joins the show between his two nights at Frankie's Jazz Club at the end of February. He talks about playing organ, how he developed a personal language on multiple instruments, the positions of learning music in different generations, and hosting educational drop-in sessions in his home city of Victoria. John grew up in Nanaimo and is known for his prowess on four rhythm-section instruments in jazz: drums, keys, bass, and guitar.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Ron Samworth talks about "fearless" artistry and "playing for the song", drawing on a lifetime of creativity, improvisation, hangs, and initiatives. Ron is a guitarist who has played on the Vancouver scene since 1979. He is known for playing in many groups from Talking Pictures (going back through the 90s) to Electric Miles (active today), his long tenure in John Korsrud's Hard Rubber Orchestra, and his work for the NOW Society and the Barking Sphinx Performance Society. He was an instructor at Capilano University's jazz program for 28 years, retiring in 2024.Ron's audiovisual project The Etiquette of Dying, featuring his music in collaboration with filmmaker Melissa Hubert, is available to watch in full on Vimeo and as an audio release on the Infidels Jazz label.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Jason Winikoff talks about Broadway songs, Zambian music, and more. Jason is a percussionist and ethnomusicologist known for playing in trad-jazz scenes and other music traditions. He first came to Vancouver from the U.S. in 2018 but moved back stateside earlier this year. Jason recently played the annual Rocky Horror Music Show and has upcoming shows while in town at Guilt & Co. on Wednesday, Nov. 5 with his Hot Five; and Zameen Art House on Saturday, Nov. 8 with his Broadway Jazz Revue.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Bill Coon talks about his solo guitar album Standard Elegance releasing on Cellar Music October 3rd, the nature of music education, learning from Jim Hall, playing at O'Doul's, and what it means to be happy but not satisfied with your artistic work. Bill is one of our scene's long-tenured and treasured guitarists, known for his playing in groups like Triology with Miles Black and Jodi Proznick, who also released an album on Cellar this year, The Slow Road featuring Scott Hamilton; Two Much Guitar, with Oliver Gannon; and his own trios. Bill was previously a guest on the show alongside Laura Crema for episode 63, hosted by Will Chernoff in 2022.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Trent Otter talks about his busy session playing lifestyle, bandleading, the battle of music labour versus streaming, gear, moving from teaching lessons toward full-time playing, and the nuances of how you start to enjoy playing when you're young. Trent is a drummer with an unmatched work ethic in our generation on the scene. Some bands he plays in are Bungalow, Meridian, John Korsrud's Absolute Unit, MissingNo., and his own trio.Trent performs at Guilt & Co. in the ten-piece funk band Melgar on Friday, August 8th, starting at 10pm. missingNo. plays Tyrant Studios on August 15th.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Jessica Hawkes talks about the Nashville songwriting scene and her perspective on that world coming from a jazz background. Jess is a vocalist, songwriter, producer, and engineer who goes way back with me to formative years at CapU. Originally from Lake Country, BC, she has split her time between Vancouver, New York City, and Nashville.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Biboye Onanuga talks about his latest of what is now several trips to Vancouver from Edmonton, and the different flavours inspiring him as he goes about his creative life today, from the literally food-based to the musical. He played two Infidels Jazz shows this weekend: one at the VIFF Centre playing the music of Thelonious Monk, and the other at Frankie's After Dark with his quartet, billed as "Low and Slow". He'll return to play around jazzfest time this year (with me in the group). This is Biboye's second appearance on the show, the previous one being episode 95 hosted by Will Chernoff.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Ben Frost talks about the nature of composition, some anonymized tales of difficulty on the bandstand, and being a side musician versus a leader. This is Ben's second appearance on the show, the previous one having been hosted back in December 2022 by Will Chernoff.Ben and I will play together as a duo at Is That French? next Thursday, March 27; at the UNIT/PITT Society with Miles Wong on drums on March 28; and in Karl Silveira's band at Tyrant Studios on April 18.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Jacob Wutzke talks about his new album You Better Bet, which showcases his compositions alongside several Tony Williams tunes, and his first tour as a bandleader surrounding the album. After two performances here in Vancouver, Jacob continues on to Portland, Oregon and then to Edmonton and his native Calgary (tour date info here on his website). He studied drums at Humber in Toronto for his undergraduate education, went to McGill for grad studies, and is on the cusp of moving to New York City. He has worked with Caity Gyorgy, Lucas Dubovik, and Jocelyn Gould to name a few.Jacob is performing at Jazz at the Bolt 2025 and You Better Bet is available now on Cellar Music (disclosure: Jazz at the Bolt and Cellar are clients of Will's Chernoff Music services company).Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Jodi Proznick talks about becoming the Director of Jazz Studies at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music and her work there spanning more than a decade, her values as an educator, and her musical history where she has been one of Canada's most prominent jazz bassists since the 2000s. Jodi's current ensembles include the Ostara Project, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson and sGaanaGwa, O Come All Ye Soulful, Raagaverse, and Noah Franche-Nolan's trio.The Ostara Project will release their second album Roots on April 11, with the first single coming soon on February 7.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

Chelsea McBride & Thomas Houlden talk about their experiences in grad school, the multitudes of musical identity, and developing a unique compositional style. We also discuss our favourite underrated Christmas songs. Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Will Chernoff. A Chernoff Music podcast. Theme music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

John Gross talks about his origins in music, including the first time he heard Charlie Parker, and his long career playing with Shelly Manne, Oliver Nelson, Clare Fischer: just the tip of the iceberg. John is a saxophonist originally from Los Angeles who lived in Portland, Oregon from 1990 to 2016, after which he moved to Vancouver. He shares his thoughts on the artistic process, the duty you have in being a member of a musical community, and how he thinks he’ll “never get it right”. Special thanks to Sapalo Shafooli for taking and contributing the photo for this episode (June 24, 2022 - Jimi James Fraser trio ft. John Gross at Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Frankie's After Dark).Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Credits: Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Justin Gorrie. Produced by Will Chernoff. Music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.

David Lavoie & Carson Tworow talk about their jazz- and beat-influenced music as well as the effect of internet forces on artists' lives. David and Carson released their second album with Inner Ocean Records, Teardown, on Sep. 27, 2024. This is their second appearance on the show, the previous one being episode 14; they are the first returning guests. David plays guitar, bass, and trumpet among other instruments while Carson, a drummer by trade from when they met at Capilano University, leads the electronic elements.Teardown is out on Calgary's Inner Ocean Records.Carson's latest piece for Rhythm Changes is "'Big Things Coming': recovery from the pressure to create".Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gig list, plus artists, events, or recordings for you to enjoy and share. Sent every Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM Pacific Time.Credits: Hosted by Chris Fraser. Edited and mixed by Justin Gorrie. Produced by Will Chernoff. Music: "Lutin" by William Chernoff.