In this inspiring episode, I talk with South African rebel singer Thandiswa Mazwai, discussing her upbringing in Soweto, South Africa, during the Apartheid era. Her memories of the violence that took place are vivid. She recalls experiencin...

Derrick Banks is the owner and operator of Freshly Faded Barber + Shop in North Park, San Diego. Coming up, he was mentored by local barbers such as those at Gentry’s, part of the San Diego scene for over sixty years. In this conversation we st...

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Rux Revue, the groundbreaking debut album by Carl Hancock Rux. Not long ago, we sat down for an in-depth discussion about his hands-on involvement in its making, from bringing in his own backgrou...

In this latest episode, I talk with South African saxophonist and composer Linda Sikhakhane, who honors and pays homage to the great elders and master musicians, including Brian Thusi. Sikhakhane, who was raised in Umlazi township, talks about ...

After seeing Grammy-winning pianist and composer Kris Davis, live at the Village Vanguard, I knew I wanted to sit down with her and dive into jazz. Here we discuss her philosophy of improvisation and her energy and passion for performing live. ...

In my first-ever interview with an audience, I sat down with Lynel Allen III for the third installment of “The seat of my soul.” We revisited topics from our prior conversations (Episodes 79 and 81) while discussing his childhood in greater dep...

To celebrate the 100th episode of this podcast, a podcast inspired by the concept of roots, I offer you a tribute to Highland Park. In San Diego, when I was young, this park was Mecca—the place where kids met every day after school and for enti...

Azikiwee Anderson founded his San Francisco bakery, Rize Up, as a way to heal. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Anderson began channeling his feelings one loaf at a time in his home kitchen; from there he became a household name in the cit...

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Corcoran Holt before his performance with the Kenny Garrett group, at the world-famous Blue Note. The jazz bassist, composer, and educator discussed the early influences of African drum and dance ...

In 1984, Bishop Cornelius Bowser experienced a major transition: he decided to leave gang- and street-life behind and turn his life over to Christ. In this episode, we talk about the years that preceded and the years that followed that momentou...

In this episode, I talk with DJ Nu-Mark, world-renowned producer, turntablist, and member of the legendary hip-hop group Jurassic 5. He has a brand-new cookbook/memoir out, called Amu Nu. In describing the book, he offers some stories ...

Prior to her performance at Dizzy's Club, I had the pleasure of talking with Lebanese-Canadian drummer, composer, producer, and educator Sanah Kadoura. This week's episode encompasses that conversation. We discuss the Arabic and popular America...

In this episode, I sat down with Brooklyn’s own Tayo and Cynthia Giwa, the husband and wife filmmaking team and creators of Black-Owned Brooklyn. Their current documentary, “The Sun Rises in The East,” is streaming now on Amazon Prime. We talke...

In this episode, we celebrate the legendary Los Angeles community leader, mentor, jazz pianist, and composer Horace Tapscott. Among my guests are former members of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, founded by Tapscott in 1961, and others who ap...

For this episode, I sat down with a former Hoover High basketball backcourt teammate. Back then, he went by Keith Williams; later in life, he changed his last name to Barksdale, in recognition of his biological father. Together we reminisced ab...

While traveling on the East Coast, I stopped by the Jersey City apartment/studio of jazz drummer and composer Nic Cacioppo, to discuss his jazz journey. In this interview, he talks about the influence of his parents, both classically trained mu...

Myka 9 is one of the most prolific MCs of all time. In this interview, he talks in depth about the components of thought and influence that shape his rhyme style. His entire approach is inflected with jazz, with random sounds sparking melodies ...

Dr. T. Ford is a venerable elder in San Diego. As part of my series dedicated to documenting elders, we sat down together to discuss her upbringing—how her parents showed her at an early age what black excellence looked like, and how she carrie...

For this episode, I sat down with two incredible ultra-runners: Hannibal Smith, who has appeared on this podcast before and is a trainer and co-owner of NXPT Fitness; and Regina Peters, who is also a trainer at NXPT and, like Hannibal, has comp...

In this episode, I sat down with Layli Long Soldier in her Albuquerque studio to talk about her upbringing. I spoke with the Oglala Lakota poet, writer, artist, and activist about some of the history of broken treaties experienced by Native peo...

In this episode, I talk with John Williams about his unique approach to coaching, training, and mentoring athletes. At the core of his teaching is the Hippocratic oath. He discusses how he adapts and adjusts to various athletes from different a...

Tongo Eisen-Martin is the current Poet Laureate of San Francisco, his hometown. He's also an educator and an activist. We talk about the influence of his activist mother and the role she played in his life. Tongo discusses major issues in the c...

To mark the release of his new album, THIS, I sit down with tenor saxophonist and composer JD Allen. We talk extensively about what went into making the album, the musicians he chose for the project, and the meanings behind some of its track ti...

In this episode, I talk with Tamar Greene, who plays George Washington in the current Broadway production of "Hamilton." We discuss his upbringing in Rochester, NY, and—thanks to his parents—his early exposure to the arts. His Jamaican-born fat...

For this episode, I sat down with the Jazzcat himself, LeRoy Downs, to talk about all things jazz. Born and raised in LA, listening to KDAY, it wasn't until he saw artists like Roy Hargrove and Terence Blanchard that he was pulled into the musi...