Pablo Held Investigates

About a year ago I saw Isabel Hagen‘s appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show became an instant fan, quickly diving into as much of her work as I could find. I love her standup and her incredible web series „Is A Violist“. The way Isabel combines comedy & music is really something else. I’ve been a fan of comedy for all my life. (I grew up watching Jerry Lewis movies) It’s so fascinating how connected these art forms (all art forms really) are. At this point I’m studying my favorite comedians with similar admiration like I have for my favorite musicians. I’m glad we all get to learn from Isabel Hagen together now. Thank you to Isabel for your time and giving us insights into your processCaroline Shaw for kindly putting me in touch with IsabelTill Kammertoens for your tireless work on the podcastmy Patreon community. With your help I’m able to pay for the running costs of the podcast and keep it going! I can’t thank you enough. Here’s a shoutout to my newest members: Jonas Lusti, Alexis Boone, Cédric Hanriot, Jude Lane, Ignacio Amil,Jake K., Nadiia Zhurba, Simão Bárcia & Parker Shper

Here’s my conversation with singer, bassist & composer Fuensanta – one of the most original artists that I know. We reflect on her life in music, her creative process, challenges and important lessons, band leading, composing methods, influences and also we relive our own musical encounter with Louis Cole and Shannon Barnett. This is episode has everything that I hope for in these conversations and much more! These days I find myself going back to many of the things that Fuensanta told me. Lots to learn here!

Legendary bassist & composer Buster Williams came on the podcast to talk about Sarah Vaughan, the role of the bass, patience in music, playing with the Miles Davis Quintet, his record ‘Something More’ … and much more! Such an honor to talk to him! I’m glad we get to learn from him together.

Blake Mills, an acclaimed musician and producer behind the album "Jelly Road," joins forces with collaborator Chris Weisman to explore their creative journey. They delve into the intricacies of songwriting and the collaborative process, sharing insights into their artistic styles. Expect fascinating anecdotes about guitar techniques, emotional connections, and the balance between audience engagement and personal expression. Their discussion also highlights the significance of memories and cultural perceptions tied to their music, resulting in a rich tapestry of musical creativity.

A conversation between Cuban pianist & composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba and German pianist Pablo Held

Guitarist & composer Ella Zirina in conversation with Pablo Held.

Producer, composer, singer, and songwriter Ethan Gruska in conversation with Pablo Held

Percy Pursglove is not only an incredible trumpet player, he’s also an adventurous composer and educator, a great musical mind, a great bassist and… he’s also my friend. I’ve been a fan of him ever since we first met during a little tour with Chris Potter in 2013. We bonded right away and a few years later we started playing together in many different musical scenarios: We’ve worked together in my Buoyancy Band, with my trio, my big ensemble GLOW, with our mutual friend Michael Gibbs, in the NDR BigBand and many more one-off situations. When we’re together we often get into deep discussions about the music and our relationship to it. I always looks forward to these conversations as much as I look forward to playing with him. I feel like we can work so well together because we are so honest with each other. This episode is basically like one of those conversations on the road together. Thanks for joining us. ( side note for context: we recorded this in 2021 during one of the covid lockdowns )

The album Portals, Vol 1: Mourning was my entry point into the wonderful music by saxophonist & composer Caroline Davis. It was exactly what the title entails: I felt transported right away! It led me to check out so many other beautiful albums, videos and articles, which impressively show Caroline’s exceptional talent and vision. My personal favorites are Portals, Alula, her live videos from Smalls on YouTube and her fascinating lecture on Jazz & Gender. I had a great time talking to Caroline about some of my favorite tunes from her, gender equity, lessons learned working with personal heroes like Geri Allen or Lee Konitz, leading a band, Mary Lou Williams, self doubt, Connie Crothers and much more.

Saxophonist Charles McPherson is a living legend, a musician of the highest order. I’ve learned a lot by listening to him play (and speak!) over the years. When I got the chance to interview him as part of the Mingus100 Festival at the Stadtgarten in Köln, I was delighted! Since this happened in between sets, time was limited. Still, we managed to talk about lots of different topics like his time with Charles Mingus, the secret behind great art, the influence of Charlie Parker and his “linear sense of logic” and what he expects from his fellow musicians. I’m so happy that this happened and that we got to do this in front of a live audience as well. Thank you Charles and thank you to my friends Denis Gäbel & Robert Landfermann for this opportunity!