We sit down with trumpeter Kenny Warren to explore the boundless possibilities of modern improvisation and the magic of trusting your instincts on the bandstand. Kenny opens up about his deep connection to free improvisation, describing it as a childlike state of uninhibited play, and details how he turns off his "inner critic" during esoteric sessions. We reflect on his formative years in the Denver scene with the legendary Ron Miles, his "jazz prog rock" roots with JP Schlegelmilch, and the collaborative strength of their current project, Slow Tiger. Kenny also shares his thoughts on the process of mixing and editing albums—comparing psychedelic post-production to a David Lynch film—and discusses how he adapts his compositions when writing for his Sweet World trio.

Note: Birch Grove Media does not own the recordings featured in this episode.

Catch the Slow Tiger album release gig at Three's Brewing on September 27th.

Timestamps:

00:30 - Forming the Sweet World trio and adjusting to unique instrumentation

02:34 - The slippery slope of editing and mixing your own albums

07:59 - The "David Lynch" moments of psychedelic editing in jazz

08:37 - Taking inspiration from cellist Hank Roberts

09:29 - The magic of pure improvisation vs. playing written music on tour

17:32 - Navigating uninspired moments on the bandstand

19:57 - Trusting the process and turning off the "inner critic"

26:21 - Growing up in the Denver jazz scene with Ron Miles

30:35 - How to compose for specific musicians and adapting to line-up changes

42:09 - The history of Slow Tiger and taking inspiration from Sonic Youth

46:13 - Balancing the writing duties in a collective band

51:34 - Outro: Making new music with Tyler Gilmore and Carlo Costa

BIRCH GROVE MEDIA

Web: birchgrove.io

Follow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMedia

Get the Record: Shop our current 180g LP and digital releases on our website. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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We open the vault for another installment of our Blind Pig series, traveling back 20 years to September 15, 2006, for a rare bootleg of the Ralph Alessi Quartet live at Layla Lounge. In this episode, we revisit a nostalgic set at the Williamsburg Jazz Festival featuring Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Brad Shepik on guitar, Scott Colley on bass, and a 26-year-old Tyshawn Sorey on drums. We reflect on the vibrant, pre-condo Brooklyn loft scene of the mid-2000s, exploring the history of lost venues and the grassroots origins of the Williamsburg Jazz Festival. We also unpack what these heavyweight musicians were up to in 2006, from Alessi’s School for Improvisational Music (SIM) to Brad Shepik’s Balkan folk-jazz integrations, while listening to the quartet's intense interplay over the ambient sounds of a Brooklyn hookah bar. Note: Birch Grove Media does not own the recordings featured in this episode.

Timestamps:

00:25 - Introducing the Ralph Alessi Quartet bootleg from September 15, 2006

10:41 - Tyshawn Sorey’s dynamic playing and Brad Shepik's groovy soloing

12:33 - The aesthetic of Layla Lounge and mid-2000s Williamsburg

14:43 - The history of the Williamsburg Jazz Festival and the FONT festival

17:08 - Ben Neill's Mutantrumpet and other featured festival artists

27:53 - Hookah lounge acoustics and talking during the bass solo

30:30 - What Alessi, Shepik, and Colley were recording in 2006

32:58 - A 26-year-old Tyshawn Sorey touring with Steve Coleman

45:27 - "Allesorey": The intense duo interplay between Ralph and Tyshawn

BIRCH GROVE MEDIA

Web: birchgrove.io

Follow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMedia

Get the Record: Shop our current 180g LP and digital releases on our website. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features saxophonist Aaron Burnett to explore his evolution into "Jazztronica," discussing everything from auditioning for Wynton Marsalis over the phone to building a custom digital pedalboard in Ableton. We examine his unique compositional process, which he describes as "downloading" full melodies from his dreams—a method that helped him write his upcoming swinging, nostalgic album Archangel at just 21 years old. Aaron breaks down his boundary-pushing group The Big Machine and details his use of audio-to-MIDI pitch followers to manipulate his saxophone sound. We also discuss his experiences touring with powerhouse vocalists like Esperanza Spalding and Corinne Bailey Rae, including a nightmare scenario where an airline destroyed his baritone saxophone right before a week of gigs. Packed with stories about going viral with drum and bass remixes and shouting out the next generation of killer musicians, this episode covers the cutting edge of modern improvised music

Note: Birch Grove Media does not own the recordings featured in this episode.

Chapter Timestamps:

01:01 - The culture of sitting in on gigs and finding inspiration

05:22 - The Big Machine: Fusing modern classical, hard bop, and world music

07:11 - Creating "Jazztronica" with Ableton and audio-to-MIDI modules

12:19 - Branding the music and the upcoming Quantum Breaks project

16:37 - Bringing dance music back into the modern jazz ecosystem

17:27 - Taking inspration from Tyshawn Sorey, Morton Feldman, and Steve Coleman

21:53 - Going viral on social media with a drum and bass remix of "Countdown"

25:51 - Touring with Esperanza Spalding and Corinne Bailey Rae

28:43 - "Downloading" melodies from dreams and the upcoming Archangel album

31:38 - Auditioning for Wynton Marsalis over the phone with "Cherokee"

37:25 - Shouting out the next generation of killer jazz musicians

41:07 - Aaron's best gig ever: Roulette with Craig Taborn and Tyshawn Sorey

42:17 - The worst gig ever: Playing a European tour with a broken baritone saxophone

BIRCH GROVE MEDIA

Web: birchgrove.io

Follow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMedia

Get the Record: Shop our current 180g LP and digital releases on our website. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

AARON BURNETT

https://www.instagram.com/aarondjuan/?hl=en

https://aarondburnett.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/aaron-burnett-music

https://www.youtube.com/@aaronburnett476

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.