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We open the vault to launch "The Blind Pig," a new ongoing series featuring rare, unreleased bootleg recordings of legendary live performances. To kick things off, we go back exactly 22 years to June 25, 2004, at the Village Vanguard for the JVC Jazz Festival. The featured recording captures Uri Caine’s "Blue Wail" project, featuring Greg Osby, Drew Gress, and Ben Perowsky. We explore the context of the 2004 jazz scene while listening to the MiniDisc audio capture, and reflect on the era.
Note: Please go find and enjoy the music of Uri Caine, Greg Osby, Drew Gress, and Ben Perowsky. A few clips of their music were reposted in this episode. Birch Grove Media does not claim ownership of these performances or musical works, and is not monetizing this episode. This is shared purely for educational and archival appreciation.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Launching the Blind Pig bootleg series
01:17 - Traveling back 22 years to June 25, 2004
01:46 - Uri Caine's Blue Wail at the JVC Jazz Festival
03:35 - Cheesy Vanguard marketing and Uri Caine's legendary week-long run
07:40 - The impressive audio quality of 2000s MiniDisc recorders
10:08 - Disclaimer: Birch Grove Media makes zero money on these recordings
10:36 - Listening to the trio swing and Ben Perowsky’s deep feel
18:22 - Where Uri Caine, Greg Osby, and Drew Gress were in 2004
21:04 - Alan reflects on his sophomore year at William Paterson
27:43 - Giving bass players generous solos and listening to Drew Gress
32:03 - Listening to Greg Osby's original composition "Equalatogram"
33:57 - Playing Osby charts in James Weidman's ensemble
36:09 - Outro
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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This week we take a step back to reintroduce the mission of Birch Grove Media and provide a behind the scenes tour of the studio driving the podcast. They detail their decade of experience in the industry, explaining the technical workflow of their sister company, Podfuel. The conversation transitions into a critique of AI editing tools, detailing why algorithmic cuts destroy conversational nuance and why human editors remain essential for quality short-form content. They also explore the podcast's role as a scene-building tool to support upcoming record releases and avant-garde musicians.
Timestamps:00:00 - Reintroducing Birch Grove Media and Podfuel
02:04 - A decade of podcasting experience turning into a business
02:50 - Behind the scenes of the studio and camera setup
04:34 - Timecode syncing and the technical workflow
05:40 - Why Riverside beats Zoom for remote podcast recording
06:53 - Using a teleprompter setup for direct eye contact
07:27 - The documentary style of the show and skipping cheesy intros
08:58 - Why AI ruins podcast edits and short-form content
11:32 - Using AI strictly as an administrative tool for audio cleanup
13:41 - A tour of the control room and audio gear
14:45 - The human-led quality assurance process for Podfuel
16:24 - Using the podcast to build the Birch Grove Media community
18:33 - Calling for future guest recommendations
Podcast Footer:
BIRCH GROVE MEDIAWeb: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Keyboardist and producer Carlos Homs sits down with Lindsay to trace his journey from the highly intellectual avant-garde jazz scene back to his roots in hip-hop production. Carlos shares stories from his time in the NJPAC Jazz for Teens program, watching a young Tyshawn Sorey play out-of-this-world piano, and cutting his teeth with heavyweights like Peter Evans and Steve Lehman. The conversation unpacks how Lehman’s Sélébéyone project and the psychotic work ethic of super-producer Cirkut pushed Carlos to team up with bassist Brady Watt and eventually work out of DJ Premier’s studio. They also tackle the debt traps of jazz education, the esoteric nature of channeling music, the 440Hz conspiracies behind his 2020 trio album, and the realities of collaborating with his wife, vocalist Jamie Homs.
Please go find and enjoy the music of Aaron Burnett, Brady Watt and Steve Lehman. A few clips of their music was reposted in this episode, Birch Grove Media does not claim ownership of these performances or musical works.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Couples working together & transitioning to hip-hop
00:49 - Growing up on 90s hip-hop and discovering sampling
02:03 - Entering the NJ jazz scene and meeting Tyshawn Sorey & Alan Bjorklund
04:51 - The intense contrast between playing with Peter Evans and Steve Lehman
06:26 - How Steve Lehman’s Sélébéyone brought Carlos back to hip-hop
09:27 - Classical piano lessons and the unique New Jersey jazz ecosystem
11:12 - NJPAC Jazz for Teens and Tyshawn Sorey's lunchtime concerts
15:33 - Berklee dropouts, the problem with jazz education, and college debt
22:57 - The Berklee networker who never paid tuition
24:12 - Reconnecting with Brady Watt and working out of DJ Premier’s studio
27:49 - Learning a "psychotic work ethic" from super-producer Cirkut
34:07 - Treating music like entrepreneurship and overcoming the fear of failure
37:22 - Is improvisation creating or channeling?
45:21 - The Theory Conspiracy: Lizard people, 440Hz, and spontaneous studio albums
52:39 - Navigating the industry and keeping collaborations organic with his wife, Jamie Homs
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Drummer and composer Danny Sher sits down to discuss the tug-of-war between highly intellectualized composition and raw emotion. Danny breaks down his desire to dodge "accounting jazz" and write music that forces the audience to feel the rhythm before they can analyze it. Tracing his wild musical evolution, Danny shares hilarious early memories of acting as a "Dog Star Commander" mascot for Manchild, getting humbled at early sessions, and watching a young Tyshawn Sorey casually drum in 15. Danny explains his strategy for writing "jazz disguised as rock" with Horse Torso, navigating the brutal polyrhythms of Atomic Pigeons, and pivoting from insane technical compositions to the catchy verse-chorus songs that got Crippling Alcoholism signed to The Flenser.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Feeling the rhythm before judging the music
00:38 - The "Dog Star Commander" mascot in Manchild
05:10 - A humbling session
07:06 - Sitting behind a young Tyshawn Sorey playing in 15
08:48 - Forming Horse Torso and blending dissonance with relatable grooves
13:42 - Discovering the Mathcore Index Podcast and playing Saint Vitus
17:15 - Pivoting from insane technical music to catchy verse-chorus songs
20:39 - Getting signed to The Flenser with Crippling Alcoholism
24:42 - Dodging "accounting jazz" and focusing on emotion
26:10 - Navigating the otherworldly polyrhythms of Atomic Pigeons & Shardik
28:07 - Recording with legendary no-wave producer Martin Bisi
30:33 - Peter Apfelbaum's early funk days with Les Claypool
32:36 - Disguising jazz as rock: Writing for Travis Reuter and Andrew Smiley
38:51 - Writing cliches head-on for the hardcore band Unsee
40:04 - Outro: Keeping up with @HorseTorso
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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In this Special Edition episode, Lindsay and Alan tackle the massive disruption of Artificial Intelligence in music. They break down the controversy surrounding the first AI-generated Billboard charting artist, the fierce pushback from working musicians, and the surreal "uncanny valley" of algorithmic audio. Shifting to the jazz ecosystem, they analyze new tech like Neural Audio Synthesis and Stefon Harris’s Harmony Cloud, before subjecting themselves to some truly horrific Suno AI generations attempting to mimic modern jazz artists.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Going in blind on AI
01:13 - Meet Xania Monet: The first AI artist on the Billboard R&B charts
05:11 - Alan reacts to the cookie-cutter AI pop track in real-time
09:45 - The Gayle King interview and the ethics of "putting in the work"
16:18 - Kehlani’s backlash: AI stealing the spotlight from real musicians
24:00 - The "Uncanny Valley" effect of perfectly tuned AI audio
25:26 - Transitioning to the reality of AI in the Jazz ecosystem
27:22 - Neural Audio Synthesis and improvising live with AI models
31:40 - Stefon Harris’s Harmony Cloud ear-training app
36:39 - Suno AI Experiments: Prompting an Eric Dolphy jazz standard
43:24 - Forcing AI to simulate Tyshawn Sorey drumming for Steve Lehman
46:30 - Why jazz audiences won't tolerate fake, algorithm-generated music
49:09 - The Gen-Z analog revival and getting away from technology
50:09 - Birch Grove Media's official anti-AI label stance
51:04 - Outro: Podfuel and supporting human-made music
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Guitarist and composer Josh Lopes opens up about the intersection of classical chamber music discipline and underground experimentation. He walks through the collaborative history of Dither, the psychology of working directly under John Zorn, translating Laurie Spiegel’s planetary orbit tracking data to fretted instruments, and how an iPad mechanical failure turned a performance at the Stone into a living nightmare.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:25 - From Rhode Island to the Avant-Garde Scene
01:46 - Euphoniums, Marching Band, and Transferring Schools
03:44 - William Paterson University and the "Bossa Nova" Trap
05:44 - Unlearning Jazz Robot Habits and Developing Soft Skills
06:39 - Getting Academic Probation for Breaking Into Shea
09:25 - The Difference Between Chamber Musicians and Jazz Players
11:47 - Forming the Electric Guitar Quartet
14:22 - The Intensity of Performing John Zorn's Game Pieces
18:39 - A Shattered iPad During a Solo Bagatelle
20:09 - A Weird Mother's Day Encounter with John Zorn
22:23 - Playing "Rugby" at The Kitchen
23:22 - Translating Laurie Spiegel's Electronic Scores
26:50 - The Pretentious Venice Biennale Concert
28:37 - Blasting White Noise for Sensory Deprivation Music
33:03 - The $100 Vintage Japanese Guitar Project
35:15 - Learning Tuvan Throat Singing in a Trader Joe's Milk Cooler
37:37 - Discovering "Genghis Blues" and Ham Radio Harmonics
41:56 - Teaching Music in Newark to Kids Who Don't Listen to Music
44:29 - Replacing Standard Notation with YouTube QR Codes
49:49 - Why Good Guitarists Secretly Have Mental Disorders
51:13 - Missing the Grit of the Old Stone
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Drummer Sam Ospovat discusses his technical evolution and the historical weight of performing with masters like Cecil Taylor. He breaks down the differences between the New York and Nordic music communities, the creation of his project Blight Music in a Brooklyn warehouse, and the discipline required to maintain a creative voice across different continents.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: The difficulty of moving to New York01:13 - Formative years at UC Santa Cruz04:16 - Mills College: An incubator for the avant-garde05:32 - Two weeks with Cecil Taylor: Focus and improvisation08:12 - Moving to NYC and the influence of mentors11:46 - Relocating to Finland and the Nordic scene19:07 - Classical music as a Finnish national identity26:19 - Rhythmic ratios: Composing with prime numbers29:39 - Virtuosity and the feeling of total abandon32:11 - The "Blight Music" concept and the warehouse scene39:51 - Writing for non-specialists in complex structures44:19 - Timbre and the intellectual component of music50:13 - The Brooklyn warehouse and the Blight Music festival56:10 - Identifying the true originals in the current era1:03:59 - How to find Sam Ospovat’s musicBIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Alan and Lindsay Bjorklund explore the decade-long journey of the album Not Your Grandfather’s Jazz featuring Tyshawn Sorey, Matt Mitchell, Jeremy Viner, Travis Reuter, and Kim Cass. They break down the band history of Smirk, the process of recording world-class improvisers at GSI Studios, and why they chose to build an independent platform for creative music.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Reflecting on the label’s first release
01:00 - The origins of Smirk (2011 at Ibeam)
02:00 - Smirk vs. Face: Electric and Acoustic quintets
04:14 - Expanding to a sextet with Matt Mitchell
09:29 - Personnel rotations and sub-players
11:44 - Writing specifically for the 5-string electric bass
12:04 - Bass chemistry with Tyshawn Sorey
15:28 - Meeting Tyshawn Sorey and early collaborations
19:51 - Inside the 2017 GSI recording session
22:38 - The decision to fund a project and start a label
25:58 - Interconnectedness: The Merry Poppins session
30:05 - The Nublu release gig and the live energy
31:14 - Tyshawn’s perfectly timed stick drop
32:39 - Nostalgia for the 55 Bar and intimate spaces
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Bassist Kevin Scott shares lessons from the road and the technical secrets of playing "out" while keeping the pocket. From touring with Gov't Mule to the manifestation stories that led to playing with his idols, Kevin discusses the necessity of artistic sacrifice and the "Dancing Poodle" analogy that defines the industry landscape.
Timestamps:
00:00 - The reality of the professional music environment
00:26 - Touring with a "Raccoon Ambassador"
03:49 - Tour Hacks: Bus etiquette and sideman logistics
08:34 - Maintaining health and gym routines on the road
09:53 - Resonant Paths: Hiring Greg Osby and Ryan Clackner
13:42 - Manifestation: Joining Warren Haynes’ solo band
20:46 - Handling nerves when playing when being a “fanboy”
28:09 - The 55 Bar legacy and the 2026 NYC scene
35:36 - Building collaborative communities through sacrifice
44:19 - Playing "out" while maintaining the pocket
49:31 - The "Abusive Partner" analogy: Double Bass vs. Electric
53:14 - Electric Bass: The history of the "Ultimate Bastard" instrument
56:26 - The Mythic Pursuit: Col. Bruce Hampton and moving to Atlanta
01:06:16 - The Dancing Poodle Analogy: Why it always wins
01:10:19 - Upcoming records with Matt Chamberlain and Ryan Clackner
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Alan and Lindsay Bjorklund join Matt Scollante to explore the intensive process of recording the new Bear Skinner album, Unobtainium. They discuss the technical challenge of live tracking during a snowstorm, the discipline of creating original audio patches, and the infrastructure required to document high-level creative music.
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Keyboardist Trevor Lagrange joins the show to discuss the evolution of his creative voice and the necessity of visual entertainment in live music. He breaks down the history of the Brooklyn loft scene, the influence of his classical training, and the mental tools he uses to master the advanced rhythms of the Bear Skinner project.
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet the Record: Shop our current 180g LP and digital releases on our website at birchgrove.io Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Matt Scollante interviews Alan Bjorklund on the technical and philosophical evolution of the producer's role in creative music. Alan breaks down the high-level vision for Birch Grove Media, his specific audio choices for the band Smirk, and the expansive influences that shape the label's identity.
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Alan & Lindsay Bjorklund and Ryan Clackner gather in Knoxville to review a weekend of live performance. They discuss the importance of "play" in improvised sets, the local venues that support the scene, and the long-awaited reunion duo of Ryan Clackner and Tyshawn Sorey.
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Bassist Nick Jost joins Lindsay to discuss his "prepped-for-anything" mindset and the reality of the creative music scene. He breaks down his roots in St. Louis, his technical tools for learning odd meters, and why the best music comes from leaving your ego at the door.
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Alan and Lindsay break down the move from New York City to their new headquarters in Blairstown, NJ. They discuss the "obsessive" process of building a professional-grade home studio, the difficulty of booking bands in the city post-2022, and the local history of the Delaware Water Gap.
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaGet 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.
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Guitarist Ryan Clackner joins the show to discuss why jazz guitar often fails to harness the true power of the electric instrument. From the "incestuous" habits of guitar players to the soul-crushing influence of academia, Ryan breaks down what’s wrong with the scene today—and why he had to move to the "Bermuda Triangle of Appalachia" to find his own voice.
Timestamps:
01:30 - The "Sound Riddle": From Holdsworth to Scofield
03:49 - The hurdle of "straight-ahead" proficiency
11:10 - How the "classical sickness" infected jazz
16:46 - From eighth-grade Metallica to jazz band
22:03 - The cultural importance of the Garwood Crossroads scene
28:31 - Why Nashville actually "hates musicians"
37:43 - Details on the upcoming Big Ears Festival duo performance
BIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch the episodes: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaSupport the music: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Visit our site to shop our latest physical media and vinyl releases.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the debut episode, founders Alan and Lindsay discuss why they decided to "choose themselves" and launch Birch Grove Media. They break down the importance of physical media, the roles of a creative director versus a label manager, and why their podcast won't sound like your typical "soothing" NPR jazz show.
Timestamps:
01:15 - Looking back at the first release: Smirk 02:37 - What makes a Birch Grove Media project? 09:00 - The philosophy of independent publishing 10:47 - Why we insist on 180g vinyl and gatefold packaging 14:45 - Building a label from scratch (literally, including the fonts) 20:54 - Introducing the quartet: Bear SkinnerBIRCH GROVE MEDIA
Web: birchgrove.ioFollow us: @birch.grove.media on Instagram.Watch the episodes: youtube.com/@BirchGroveMediaSupport the music: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Visit our site to shop our latest physical media and vinyl releases.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
