For more than a few musicians based in New York City, the path to Cuba has been facilitated by one extraordinary human, saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman. Trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, who appears with Coleman's Five Elements at the Village Vanguard through Sunday, is among the artists to partake in such a pilgrimage.
Finlayson, originally from Oakland, California, joined Five Elements when we was just 18. In this "My Music" podcast, courtesy of The Checkout, the trumpeter shares the Cuban inspiration behind "Folk Song," a composition from his acclaimed album Moving Still.
Released on Pi Recordings last fall, Moving Still features Finlayson at the helm of Sicilian Defense, a band featuring Miles Okazaki on guitar, Matt Mitchell on piano, Craig Weinrib on drums and John Hébert on bass. This conversation was recorded at the 2017 NYC Winter Jazzfest.
Assistant producer: Sarah Geledi
