Kevin sat down with Six Count on July 29 in downtown Durham before his penultimate weekly performance at Kingfisher, where the jazz jam runs every Tuesday from 8:30 to 11:00 p.m. Tonight (Tuesday, August 5) is the bassist’s last regular gig at the bar.

During the conversation, Kevin shares about his decision to join the army’s premier big band, his aspirations for musical growth, and parting words to the Triangle’s jazz community. (Local jazz fans shouldn’t despair, however; Kevin plans to return to the area regularly for family visits and gigs throughout the year.) 

While at Kingfisher, host Xara Wilde also had the opportunity to speak with MoBetta Ledbetter, a member of the Commodores from the United States Navy Band. MoBetta reflects on his four years with the ensemble, shares insights he wishes he’d known when starting out, and describes what it’s like working as a musician in the Navy.

Music credits

This episode features live recordings of the Kingfisher jazz jam with Kevin on bass, Jeremy “Bean” Clemons on drums, and Tinashe “Blu” Thompson Jr., on sax on July 29, 2025. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app.

At age seventeen, Yuan left her hometown in China for Charlottesville, Virginia, to finish high school, a move that would eventually lead her to jazz. She earned her bachelor’s degree at William and Mary, where she studied under renowned vocalist Stephanie Nakasian (mother of Veronica Swift).

On this episode, Yuan shares about her first encounter with jazz, the mentorship she received from pianist Ed Paolantonio and vocalist Angela Bingham (a past Six Count guest), and her vision for where her music will take her next.

Music credits

This episode features the songs, “Journey to the West,” and “Blue Dress,” sung by Yuan Dong.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app.

Music credits

This episode features the songs, “Começando,” “Luz da Cançāo,” and “A Natureza Dela,” from the 2019 album Começando by Imraan Khan. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app.

Volume 2 will feature arrangements of songs composed by Miles Davis, Chick Corea, and Wynton Marsalis, as well as a few of Thrio’s original compositions. Andrew and Paul share about how Thrio has grown since the group’s first album, what went into the making of Volume 2, and what to expect from their latest work. 

Thrio is a jazz trio featuring Andrew on piano, Paul on bass, and Donovan Cheatham on drums. In addition to performances throughout the Triangle, Thrio hosts the Thursday jazz jam at Bond Brothers Eastside in Cary. The band is planning a pre-release party on March 20 at the bar and concert venue.

Six Count first interviewed Thrio at the Sharp Nine Gallery in fall 2022, following the release of their first album, Volume 1. 

Follow Thrio on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

More about the album

Volume 2 was recorded at Overdub Lane in Durham. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jason Richmon. The album art is by Andrew Berinson featuring photography by James Motter.

Music credits

This episode features the song, “Nardis,” from the 2025 album Volume 2 by Thrio, featuring Andrew Berinson on piano, Paul Creel on bass, and Donovan Cheatham on drums. Nardis was originally composed by Miles Davis.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app.

Now based in New York City, Michael leads three bands, and he frequently plays with saxophonist Kenny Garrett, a former member of Miles Davis’s band. Michael plans to release several albums this year across the groups.

Michael shares about the jump from the Triangle to New York, his cinematic approach to shows, and the relationship between spirituality and music. He also shares about the first time he saw jazz performed live (with Jon Curry and Lance Scott) as a student at Jordan High School in Durham.  

Michael studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music under the mentorship of drummer Billy Hart in Oberlin, Ohio. 

Music credits

This episode features a recording of a live performance with Michael on drums, Ernest Turner on piano, Butler Knowles on bass, Irving Aday on keys, and guest Dave Finucane on sax at Missy Lane’s on January 5. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app. 

Brandon shares about his latest work, including the release of the album Lakewood Jump by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers and his 2024 singles, “A Promise is a Comfort to a Fool” and “Little Sunflower.” The artist also talks about getting inspiration from the Afrobeats movement and his Caribbean roots in Jamaica and Grenada, and what’s coming up for him in 2025. Brandon will release music with his four piece featuring Chris Mills on bass, Brandon Shamar on piano, and Chuck Pinckney on drums.

Originally from Washington, D.C., Brandon holds a bachelor’s in percussion performance from Elon University and a master’s in jazz studies from North Carolina Central University. He teaches vibes, drums, piano, and other percussion instruments around the Triangle.

In addition to performing throughout the East Coast, Brandon has performed in Italy at the Jazzit International Music Festival in Montegrosso, the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, and by the Duomo in Florence for a show presented by the Notte Bianca festival. He’s also performed with Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, and Jon Metzger, among others.  

Music credits

This episode features the songs “A Promise is a Comfort to a Fool” and “Little Sunflower,” by Brandon Mitchell. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app.

You can hear Thomas play every Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. at Congress Social Bar in Durham. The jazz jam is hosted by Al. 

Thomas received his bachelor’s from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) with a major in business technology and a minor in music.

Music credits

This episode features a live recording of the jam at Congress Social Bar, featuring Holland Majors on keys, Al Strong on trumpet, Geoffrey Ammons on electric guitar, Thomas Owens on bass, and Larry Draughn on drums. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app.

• “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles,” by Charlie Parker and Jay McShann (1942)
• “Cherokee,” by Charlie Parker and Efferge Ware (1942 or 1943)
• “Bag’s Groove” (1953) and “Off Minor” (1947), by Bud Powell
• The Black Peril, by Soweto Kinch (2019)
  • Liberation Rag
  • Degeneration, Pt. 11 – The Disorder Within
  • Liberation’s Dawn
  • Black Friday
  • Homecoming
• “52nd Street Theme (Live),” by the Branford Marsalis Quartet (2014)
• “I Cover the Waterfront (Live),” by the Don Shirley Trio (1968)
• “All The Things You Are,” by Phineas Newborn Jr (1956)
• “I’ve Done My Work,” by Donald and Geraldine Gay (2001)
• “Sugar (Solo Piano – The Keystone Transcriptions),” by Teddy Wilson (1939-1940)
• “On a Turquoise Cloud,” by Duke Ellington (1948)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify. *Not all versions of the songs selected by Dexter are available on the music service.

The musician also shares about his debut album, New Perspective. He plans to begin recording in April. 

Dexter is a previous guest on Six Count. Listen to his episode from September 2023 on the under-appreciated influence of Don Byas on swing and bebop. 

More about the artist 

Dexter is a saxophonist, composer, and educator in Durham.

A double alumnus from North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Dexter holds a bachelor’s in jazz studies and master’s in jazz composition and arranging. On Wednesdays, he hosts Evening Jazz at WNCU 90.7 FM, the university’s jazz radio station, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Dexter teaches private lessons in saxophone, flute, and clarinet at the Russell Lacy Music school in Durham. 

(Episode art by Micah Haycraft)

Music credits

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app. The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

You can catch Larry next this Friday, January 26, at the Sharp Nine Gallery in Durham. The drummer will perform a double trio at 7:30 p.m. with Lynn Grissett on trumpet, Jason Foureman on bass, Steven Haines on bass, Devin Fuller on drums, and two special guests. Get tickets.

In addition to performing throughout the Triangle and beyond, Larry teaches at Brightwood Elementary School in Guilford County and directs the North Carolina Jazz Continuum Project. 

Larry has performed at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival (South Bend, Indiana); the Ravinia Jazz Festival (Highland Park, Illinois); Jazz Port Townsend (Townsend, Washington); Detroit Jazz Festival (Detroit, Michigan); Newport Jazz Festival (Newport, Rhode Island); and the Fiji Jazz and Blues Festival (Port Denarau, Fiji), among others.

The drummer has recorded with the NCCU Jazz Ensemble, vocalist Lenora Helm Hammonds, Steve Haines, and Mondre Moffett, and he’s shared the stage with Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, and Nneena Freelon, to name a few. In 2012, his music was featured in ESPN’s “Free to Be” commercials in 2012 during the network’s Black History Month campaign.

The drummer holds a bachelor’s in classical percussion from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and a master’s in jazz studies from North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Larry is an alumnus (’07) of Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead, a two-week jazz residency performance and composition project administered through the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He’s also studied at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute in Highland Park, Illinois. 

You can follow Larry on Instagram and YouTube. 

Music credits

A live recording of “Koko,” by the North Carolina Jazz Continuum, featuring Larry Q. Draughn on drums, Thomas Linger on piano, Lynn Grissett on trumpet, Kenny Phelps-McKeown on bass, and Dave Finucane on sax. The performance took place on March 25, 2016 at the Sharp Nine Gallery in Durham. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app. The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Miss Lane’s plans to put on three seasons of live programming per year, with each announced at least sixty days in advance. The venue also offers club memberships to receive early access to tickets, preferred seating, members-only events, and a “personalized hospitality concierge.”

The venue has partnered with Weldon Mills Distillery, Little Waves Coffee Roasters and Ninth Street Bakery, Duke Arts, and C7 Yoga. Missy Lane’s will serve as a coffee house and meeting space by day, serving java from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 

On Fridays and Saturdays, Missy Lane’s will host Office Hours from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. with a house DJ, Professor X. The DJ will play jazz, Afro beats, improv, and more, and the event will feature a percussion jam session.

Missy Lane’s is located on 310 E Main St, Suite 100. Free parking is available on weekends in a lot adjacent to the building, or in nearby decks.

Music credits

This episode features live recordings from Missy Lane’s opening night on January 13, 2024. That evening’s performances featured Lois Deloatch Gomes on vocals, Ernest Turner on piano, Butler Knowles on bass, and Donovan Cheatham on drums. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app. The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Al is the co-founder of the Art of Cool Project, a nonprofit that hosts a jazz education summer camp and the Art of Cool Music Festival. 

The Washington, D.C. native is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, the only public high school in the Capitol that provides dual curriculum in college-preparatory academics and pre-professional arts training.

Al holds a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from North Carolina Central University, where he leads the program’s trumpet studio, and a master’s in jazz performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. 

The musician has performed internationally at the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada, the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, and the Peru Jazz Festival in Lima, among others. His shows have headlined the Blue Note Jazz Festival and Winter Fest in New York City, as well as D.C.’s Blues Alley Jazz Festival.

Al’s career has included performances and recordings with Aretha Franklin, the Count Basie Orchestra, and the Hamiltones. He has also served as music director for the rapper Rakim, and performed with former rapper Eric Roberson (also known as Erro) and hip hop duo the Foreign Exchange.

Al and Six Count host and producer Xara Wilde were invited to speak at a class about jazz in the Triangle. The course’s instructor, Peter Burke, manages the local jazz blog Locavore Jazz. Thank you, Peter, for the opportunity! 

Music credits

This episode features a live recording of Al Strong performing with the Rebecca Kleinmann Latin Jazz Quintet at Beyu Caffee on January 7, 2023. The performers that evening included Rebecca Kleinmann on flutes and vocals, Stephen Anderson on keys, Andy Kleindienst on bass, Gastón Reggio on drums, and Brevan Hampden on congas and other percussion. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app. The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

• interviewed twenty-three musicians for seventeen episodes
• partnered with an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina (taintradio.org)
• upgraded  our equipment 
• had first interview with a live audience
• collaborated with blogger Peter Burke of Locavore Jazz to co-host an episode

Thank you to our guests for joining the show and to our listeners! 

2022–2023 Six Count guests: 

• Andrew Berinson
• Paul Creel
• Donovan Cheatham
• Ellis Dyson
• Michael Pelz-Sherman
• Hal Goodtree
• Ittai Korman
• Theous Jones
• Joe MacPhail
• Rebecca Kleinmann
• Frankie Alexander
• Christian Tamburr
• Mark Wells
• Brad Linde
• Taha Arif
• Laura Windley
• Keenan McKenzie
• Angela Bingham
• Ernest Turner
• Gregg Gelb
• Kai Lance
• Dexter Moses

What will the next year bring? Let us know who you want to hear from on the Six Count podcast in 2024!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count for GivingTuesday, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Music credit

This episode features a live recording of the song “Find Your Way,” by Thrio. The group performed at the Sharp 9 Gallery on September 23, 2022. We chose this song because Six Count’s first episode in North Carolina featured the group! We interviewed pianist Andrew Berinson, bassist Paul Creel, and drummer Donovan Cheatham before their show that evening. 

On this episode, Joseph shares the story of when Jean-Jacques “Babik” Reinhardt, son of Django Reinhardt, performed with the Hot Club of North Carolina during a U.S. tour from France with the François Vola Group. 

François Vola, a French guitarist and composer, is the godson of Louis Vola, the bassist in Django Reinhardt’s original Quintette du Hot Club de France. François once lived in North Carolina before returning to France in the late nineties.

Griffin saw the François Vola Group with Babik play in Hickory and invited them to perform with his group. They accepted the invitation, performing at the Paisley Pineapple (now Natty Greene’s) in Greensboro for the Hot Club of North Carolina’s Monday night gig. 

For further reading, check out this 1997 review by the Washington Post on Vola and Reinhardt’s album “Old World New World.”

Early years

Joseph was born in Greensboro and grew up in rural Madison (Rockingham County, North Carolina) among tobacco farms. 

At five years old, Joseph’s grandfather gave him a three-quarter-size acoustic guitar from a thrift store, and he’s been playing ever since.

Joseph began learning the bass, and later the guitar, when he was eleven years old from Rex Griffin, founder of the Hot Club of North Carolina. Quickly advancing under Griffin’s mentorship, the musician picked up a Washburn guitar (also gifted by his grandfather), beginning his jazz manouche journey. 

When Joseph was fifteen, Griffin booked him for his first gig at Madison Dry Goods and Country Store on Murphy Street downtown. Just a year later, he was regularly subbing for Griffin’s rhythm guitarist in the Hot Club of North Carolina for their weekly gig at Tate Street Coffee House in Greensboro. 

While with the group, Joseph performed with Frank Vignola in the summer of 2009 for a tour that included stops in Greensboro, Raleigh, and Madison.

Griffin passed in 2021. 

Forming the Hot Club of Raleigh

After serving as a full-time band member for several years, Joseph established the Hot Club of Raleigh in 2018. 

The original members included Joseph, Steven Ray (who passed in 2018; may he rest in peace), Matt York on woodwinds, and Andy Powell on bass. The group now comprises Joseph and Andy, Devin Frazier on guitar, and previous Six Count guest Dexter Moses on woodwinds.

You can also find Joseph playing with Gallus Mag, a noise rock band, as well as with Hunter MacDermut at Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro, on the last Sunday of each month. The duo will play next on November 26. 

Joseph holds a bachelor’s from North Carolina State University and a master’s from the University of Illinois, with both degrees in electrical engineering. 

If you’re interested in playing at a weekly jazz manouche jam, get in touch with organizer Richard Badu.

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Limehouse Blues” and “Troublant Bolero” by the Hot Club of Raleigh.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

Aaron accepted a position as an assistant professor at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. The musician will serve as director of big bands and applied saxophone in the university’s School of Music. 

On this episode, Aaron reflects on his many musical collaborations in the Triangle since moving to the area in 2007, including with pianist and bandleader Eric Hirsh; the Mint Julep Jazz Band (led by past Six Count guest Laura Windley); trumpeter, bandleader, and educator Jim Ketch; colleagues at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, and many others. He also shares about the jazz scene in Hawaii, where he lived for nearly a decade. 

The saxophonist has performed internationally in Canada, France, Germany, Greece, and Sweden, among others, as well as domestically in forty-eight states. He’s shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis, and Joey Calderazzo, among many others.

The Washington native holds a master’s degree in jazz studies and jazz performance and composition from NCCU, as well as a doctorate of musical arts in saxophone performance from UNC Greensboro. In addition to teaching at NCCU, he has taught at N.C. State, UNC–Chapel Hill, UNC Pembroke, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. 

Aaron joined the show a day before his farewell concert at Magnetic Sound Studios in Durham with the Eric Hirsh Quartet. 

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Somehow It Seems to Help” and “To Comfort a Shadow” from the album Distillation (2018), by Eric Hirsh featuring Aaron Hill.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebookand Instagram @thexarawilde.

In addition to his own group, the Dexter Moses Quartet/Quintet, the musician has performed and recorded with Branford Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Joey Calderazzo, and Nneena Freelon, among others.

A double alumnus from North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Dexter holds a bachelor’s in jazz studies and master’s in jazz composition and arranging. On Wednesdays, he hosts Evening Jazz at WNCU 90.7 FM, the university’s jazz radio station, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.

On this episode, Dexter shares about: 

• the life and legacy of the legendary saxophonist Dexter Gordon (to whom he dedicated his August show at the Sharp 9 Gallery in Durham);
• how listening to a bootleg recording of saxophonist Don Byas and bassist Slam Stewart inspired his master’s thesis at NCCU, which argued that Byas should be named among the founding fathers of bebop alongside saxophonist Charlie Parker;
• and negotiating the complexities of performing historic swing music today as a Black musician within the context of race and racism in the United States.

Further reading: Dexter mentions the longest musicians’ strike and recording ban in entertainment history, which took place from 1942 to 1944. Learn more about “The Day the Music Stopped.”

Dexter joined Six Count the day after being a featured artist of the Wednesday jazz jam hosted by drummer Taha Arif at Hayti Collective Kitchen and Cocktails in Durham. You can find out more about the weekly event, which takes place from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., by listening to Taha’s episode (published in April 2023). 

Dexter teaches private lessons in saxophone, flute, and clarinet at the Russell Lacy Music school in Durham (and he’s accepting new students!).

Episode art credit: Micah Haycraft

Music credits

This episode features a live recording of “The Change,” by the Dexter Moses Quartet.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

Six Count airs on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Music credits

This episode features the song “Forged in Rhythm” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram@thexarawilde.

Kai will perform with the Mark Tipton Trio at the Sharp 9 Gallery in Durham on Saturday, August 19. The lineup: 

• Mark Tipton, trumpet
• Kai Lance, guitar
• George MacLaurin, piano
• Aaron Gross, bass
• Donovan Cheatham, drums 

Buy tickets for the show. 

Mark is a trumpeter, composer, and educator. The musician is pursuing a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he is a teaching fellow. Mark earned his bachelor’s from the Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio, and a MM (Master of Music) from the Mannes College of Music in New York City. 

Kai, also a student at the conservatory, shares about what to expect at the August show, as well as a never-going-to-be-the-same-again moment at a high school jazz camp in Louisville, Kentucky; his mentors from the Triangle’s jazz scene; and his aspirations as a musician. 

Follow Kai

• Instagram
• YouTube
• Bandcamp
• SoundCloud
• Facebook

Music credit

This episode features the songs “Seresta,” by Paquito D’Rivera (performed by Kai Lance) and “Lost Cause,” by Kai Lance.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebookand Instagram @thexarawilde.

On this episode, the musician shares about his latest work with La Fiesta Latin Jazz Quintet, “The Latin Jazz Dance Suite,” which his group debuted at Magnetic Sound Studios in Durham on June 23. The quintet comprises Ramon Ortiz and Beverly Botsford on percussion, Steve Anderson on keys, and Andy Kleindienst on bass. 

Since moving to Raleigh in 1979, Gregg has collaborated with and formed an array of groups, including Group Sax, the Gregg Gelb Swing Band, the Second Line Stompers, and others.

An arranger and composer, he’s has written more than 250 charts for his eight-piece band and 50 charts for his big band. 

Gregg also mentors advanced student musicians as the director of the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble in Raleigh. Under his leadership the ensemble has been selected seven times to the finals of the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

In addition to teaching in public schools, Gregg has served as an interim assistant professor of jazz at Francis Marion University, UNC Greensboro, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and institutions in the North Carolina Community Colleges System. 

The musician is now an adjunct jazz and classical music professor at Central Carolina Community College, and he teaches private lessons.

Follow Gregg: 

• Spotify
• Facebook
• Instagram

Music credit

This episode features the songs “New Normal,” from the album The Latin Jazz Pandemic Suite (2022) by La Fiesta Latin Jazz Quintet, and “Four D” from the album Road Trip (2016) by the Gregg Gelb Jazz Quartet, featuring Christopher Gelb on drums, Thomas Linger on piano, Charlton Provatas on bass, and Gregg Gelb on tenor sax. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

Ernest began learning the piano at the age of four from his mother. Since launching his professional career more than twenty years ago, the musician has performed with three of the Marsalis brothers (Delfeayo, Branford, and Jason), R&B artist John Legend, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, saxophonist Stephen Riley and the late saxophonist Brian Horton, and many others in the Triangle.

The pianist shares about his conversational approach to performances to engage with and educate audiences, his philosophy on improvisation, incorporating spirituality into his music, reflections on fatherhood and his career, and more. 

He also offers his thoughts on the use of the word “jazz,” versus terms like “Black American Music” or “BAM,” as the jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton has promoted since at least the early 2010s.

Ernest earned his bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from Loyola University and a master’s in jazz performance from the University of New Orleans. 

The pianist is an adjunct instructor at UNC Greensboro and a former faculty member in jazz piano at Eastern Carolina University (2006–2010). 

Follow Ernest:

• Facebook
• Spotify
• Apple Music
• Amazon
• YouTube
• Instagram

Ernest released the album Original Mind with saxophonist Stephen Riley in 2021 and My Americana in 2019.

Music credit

This episode features the songs “Return of Thanos,” from the album My Americana (2019), by Ernest Turner, and “Blessed Assurance” from the album Original Mind by Stephen Riley and Ernest Turner (2021).

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

You can catch her next with the Jim Ketch Quintet on Friday, June 9, at the Sharp 9 Gallery in Durham. The show, entitled “There’s Lyrics for That,” will feature songs by Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Jon Hendricks, and Thelonious Monk, among others. Buy tickets.

Who’s on:

• Angela Bingham, voice
• Jim Ketch, trumpet
• Andrew Berinson, piano*
• Kenny Phelps-McKeown, bass
• Donovan Cheatham, drums*
• Dexter Moses, saxophone

*Previous Six Count guest

This summer, Angela is leading jazz vocal performance workshops through the Durham Jazz Workshop (housed at the Sharp 9). The next workshop begins July 31. She also teaches private lessons for students and adults.

More about Angela 

Angela has lived in North Carolina since 2011, performing regularly at the Pimiento Tea Room in Holly Springs, the Umstead Hotel and Bond Brothers Eastside in Cary, and the O.Henry Hotel in Greensboro, to name a few. 

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she studied jazz under Roger Letson at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. The vocalist launched her professional jazz career in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the late nineties.

Outside of music, Angela is a voiceover artist specializing in e-learning, corporate narration, and commercial projects. A movie buff, she also co-hosts the movie-focused podcast Put Your Books Down with Natalie Sanderson. 

Music credit

This episode features the songs “Honeysuckle Rose” and “P.S. I Love You,” from the album The Night We Called It a Day, by Angela Bingham and David Halliday (2016), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

On this episode, Keenan shares about an upcoming recording project for his band, The Riffers, to produce the historic jazz group’s first full-length album. The Riffers will record at Magnetic Sound Studios, a new studio in the Lakewood neighborhood of Durham that specializes in acoustic music and vintage equipment. 

In addition to his own band, Keenan regularly travels throughout the United States for swing dance events with The Mint Julep Jazz Band featuring vocalist Laura Windley (a past Six Count guest), Michael Gamble & The Rhythm Serenaders, and The Jonathan Stout Orchestra. The musician has also performed in Italy, South Korea, Slovenia, and France. 

Around the Triangle, he also performs with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra and with The Shakedown, a dance band for weddings and parties.

Keenan is the adjunct saxophone teacher at North Carolina State University. He received a bachelor of music in jazz studies from UNC Greensboro, followed by a master of music from North Carolina Central University. 

Finally, as a transcriber for Heritage Sounds, he’s worked to revive the repertoire of Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford, and Lionel Hampton. 

You can follow Keenan on Instagram and Facebook @keenanmckenziemusic, and you can find his music on Spotify, Bandcamp, and YouTube.

Run for the Roses event this May with Keenan, Xara at Raleigh’s premiere speakeasy

Join Keenan and Xara this spring at Watts & Ward’s Kentucky Derby party on Saturday, May 6! The show (from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.) by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers will feature Laura on vocals and dance performances by Xara. 

In addition to a viewing party of the 149th horse race, the Raleigh-based event will include craft cocktails, social dancing, and costume competitions. Derby attire required. 

Photo credit

Funderburg Films

Music credits

This episode features the songs “One O’Clock Jump” and “Yacht Club Swing,” from the album Forged in Rhythm (2017) by Keenan McKenzie.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

Laura shares about the recording process for the historic jazz band, converting the album into vinyl, and what’s next for the vocalist and bandleader. 

The event, hosted by Xara on February 18, was attended by area jazz musicians, Lindy Hop and Balboa dancers, and friends of Six Count before a swing dance through the Triangle Swing Dance Society. Thank you to Micah Haycraft for taking film photos throughout the evening and to everyone who came!

Specializing in jazz music from the 1920s–1940s, Mint Julep Jazz Band tours throughout the country for swing dances. Listen to Watch the Birdie on Bandcamp or Spotify.

You can follow Laura on Instagram or Facebook at @mintjulepjazzband and view upcoming shows on her website.

Run for the Roses event this May with Laura, Xara at Raleigh’s premiere speakeasy

Join Laura and Xara this spring at Watts & Ward’s Kentucky Derby party on Saturday, May 6! The show (from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.) by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers will feature Laura on vocals and dance performances by Xara. 

In addition to a viewing party of the 149th horse race, the Raleigh-based event will include craft cocktails and costume competitions. Derby attire required. 

Photo credit

Funderburg Films

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Watch the Birdie” and “Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet,” from the album Watch the Birdie (2022) by the Mint Julep Jazz Band.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! The series also airs on taintradio.org, an online jazz radio station based in North Carolina, on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox orVenmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

Six Count will air on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Thank you to Bob Rogers and Ben Boddie of taintradio for the opportunity! 

Music credits

This episode features the song “Forged in Rhythm” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo@thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

Weekly jazz jams in the Triangle 

Mondays

• Halo Trio at The Cave in Chapel Hill. 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. 

Tuesdays

• Drummer Bean Clemmons at KingFisher in downtown Durham. 9:00 to 11:30 p.m. 

Wednesdays

• Taha Arif and featured artists at Hayti Collective Kitchen and Cocktails in Durham. 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Thursdays

• Thrio at Bond Brothers Eastside in Cary. 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. 
• Patrick McGrew Trio at Pour Taproom in Durham. 8:00 to 10 p.m.
• Dorian Dotson, Kenny Phelps, and Andy Blair at Queeny’s in downtown Durham. 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. 

Know of another jam? Let us know. 

Fun fact about the Hayti Collective Kitchen and Cocktails: From Thursdays through Sundays, the restaurant turns into The Dankery, a late-night diner with wings, chicken tenders, shrimp, and fries. 

Music credits

This episode features a live recording of the jazz jam on March 1 with Taha Arif on drums, Chris Mills on bass, and Carlos Garcia on keys.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” byKeenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

The North Carolina native regularly performs at the Sharp Nine Gallery, the Cave, and other venues in the Triangle. 

Brad spoke with host Xara Wilde and guest co-host Peter Burke of Locavore Jazz in Carrboro a few hours before his performance at the Cave in Chapel Hill. The quartette (featuring Danny Grewen on trombone, Casey Toll on bass, and TJ Maiani on drums) paid tribute to Eli “Lucky” Thompson (1924–2005), a tenor and soprano saxophonist known for incorporating swing and bebop elements into his music. 

The interview also took place during the 46th Carolina Jazz Festival and 17th North Carolina Regional Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Festival (February 16–18, 2023) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Brad had just returned from the Elon Jazz Festival with Georgetown Day School, where he’s the director of jazz and creative music. 

Brad is the founder of the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece big band. He studied music at Elon University and UNC–Chapel Hill for his bachelor’s, and he earned a Master of Music from the University of Maryland, College Park. 

(Episode photo by Joe Crocetta)

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Just One Of Those Things,” by the Brad Linde Ensemble with Lee Konitz (BRADLEE, 2021), and “Ball Poppin,’” by Brad Linde’s Team Players (Just the Tip: Swinging Songs by Team Players, 2022). 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” byKeenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app! 

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde. Follow Six Count on Instagram at @sixcountpodcast and Xara Wilde on Facebook and Instagram @thexarawilde.

Mark shares about the Benny Goodman Small Groups, the King of Swing’s original trio and quartet from the early 1940s. The pianist played a tribute performance at the Sharp Nine Gallery on February 4 led by clarinetist Keenan McKenzie, along with vibraphonist Brandon Mitchell, guitarist Chip Newton, bassist Butler Knowles, and drummer Daniel Faust. 

The musician also talks about the start of his career as a student at UNC–Chapel Hill, getting into the Lindy Hop scene through gigs along the east coast, and co-founding Peter Lamb & the Wolves. In addition to jazz, Mark is a principal class pianist for the Carolina Ballet.

You can often find Mark at the Pimiento Tea Room in Holly Springs for the restaurant’s live jazz series on Saturday evenings, with the Jim Ketch Swingtet, and with the Asheville-based band Queen Bee and the Honeylovers.

You can follow Mark on Instagram @mark.wells.music and Peter Lamb & the Wolves on Instagram @peterlambandthewolves or on Spotify. 

Mark graduated in 1998 from Carolina with a degree in psychology.

Photo credit

Funderburg Films

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Basin Street Blues,” by Peter Lamb & the Wolves (Carolina Tiger Milk, 2016) and “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” by Peter Lamb & the Wolves (Live at Bond Brothers Eastside, Vol. 1, 2021). 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

• Thursday, March 9, 2023: Swingin’ into Spring, with Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz, and the Christian Tamburr Quartet
• Thursday, April 13, 2023: The Sirens of Song, with Shana Tucker and the Christian Tamburr Trio

You can also catch Christian with the Keith Ganz Quartet at the Sharp Nine Gallery in Durham on Friday, February 24. Get tickets.

Christian has performed in more than 65 countries and at prestigious venues including the Lincoln Center in New York City; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.; and the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

A creative development consultant, Christina is also the CEO of Sonic Leadership, a company that helps corporate teams incorporate music into leadership and training presentations, and the artistic curator of The Acoustic Confidential, a boutique concert series for intimate venues worldwide.

Christian has worked as musical director and pianist for Julio Iglesias, Cirque du Soleil in Macau, China, Landau Eugene Murphy, and Penn & Teller, and he’s served as the the musical director, pianist, and arranger for Clint Holmes (a 2018 Grammy nominee) and Modern Warrior. 

Follow Christian on Spotify and Instagram.

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Norwegian Wood,” by Christian Tamburr, Takana Miyamoto, and Keita Ogawa (People Talk, 2020), and “Jazz Dreams,” by Christian Tamburr and Dominick Farinacci (The Awakening, 2020). 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

You can purchase tickets ($25 for seating, $12 for standing) on the venue’s website. 

This message features live music by flutist Rebecca Kleinmann from her shows at Beyu on January 7. Al sat in with Rebecca during the performances. You can listen to her Six Count episode from earlier this month here.

Al is a trumpet player, composer, and recording artist, as well as the director of the Community Artists in the Public Schools (CAPS) program through the Durham Arts Council. Learn more about his music.

Photo credit

Funderburg Films

Music credits

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

Yusuf moved to Durham in the 1970s to escape Baltimore’s drug scene at the time. Following his conversion to Islam, he became the founder and owner of the Salaam Cultural Center, a jazz club in Durham that offered workshops to musicians, and he also hosted the segment, “Yusuf & Friends,” on PBS North Carolina. The pianist passed in 2008. Learn more about Yusuf.

Bus was the co-founder of the Harlem Highlanders, an African American singing and dancing troupe known for performing in kilts throughout the United States and Europe. The singer formed the group with his younger brother, “Baby Lawrence,” a tap dancer. Learn more about Bus through the Digital NC. 

Frankie has been associated with the vocalists Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn, Sarah Vaughan, Abbey Lincoln, and Betty Carter. She’s performed at the venues Irregardless in Raleigh; the Sharp Nine Gallery, Nasher Café (in Duke University’s Nasher Museum), Guglhupf, and Vin Rouge in Durham; and Weaver Street Market and Akai Hana in Carrboro, among others. 

Her CD, “Mad About the Words” (2007), is available at her performances. You can learn more about Frankie on her personal website. For upcoming events and to listen to some of her music online, head to Frankie’s ReverbNation page.

Frankie received her bachelor’s in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1975. Prior to retirement, she served as a research administrator for the Duke University Medical Center. 

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Once I Loved” and “Teach Me Tonight,” by Frankie Alexander.

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

The internationally renowned musician joined Six Count to share about her first year in North Carolina after a busy year splitting time between both coasts. Her first 12 months included selling out her Durham debut show at the Sharp Nine Gallery; joining the women-led Brazilian band, Também; founding her own local Choro band, Noites Carolinas; reconnecting with her friend and colleague, Rahsaan Barber, a saxophonist and an assistant professor at the UNC Music Department; and her other collaborations with area musicians so far. (Rebecca and Rahsaan studied together in college under David Baker, a jazz trombonist and cellist who founded the jazz studies program at Indiana University.) 

The flutist also shares about spontaneously launching her next recording project at the Festival Choro Jazz in Jericoacoara, Ceará, Brazil. 

You can find Rebecca next at the Beyu Caffé in downtown Durham on Saturday, January 7, 20223 (the two shows are at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.). The musician is participating in the cafe’s winter live music series, curated by trumpet player Al Strong. Get tickets.

Rebecca received her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as the first alumna to graduate from the jazz flute program. In addition to flute, Rebecca sings, composes, teaches, and paints. She’s also recently partnered with the Duke University Dance Program as an accompanist. 

To connect with or learn more about Rebecca, visit her website.

Follow Rebecca on 

• Spotify
• Facebook
• Instagram

Music credits

This episode features the songs, “Crows Dance” by Rafael Amarante and performed live by Quarteto Jacaré in 2020, featuring Rebecca Kleinmann, and “Um Tom para Jobim,” from the album Intuição Verdadeira (2018) by Rebecca Kleinmann. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

You can find DreamRoot next at the Sharp Nine Gallery in Durham on Saturday, January 28, 2023.

Follow DreamRoot: 

• Spotify
• Instagram
• YouTube

Disclaimer: Listeners are likely to hear the sounds of a small animal (a 15-year-old Shih Tzu, to be exact) walking around in the background during the first part of the interview. 

Music credits

This episode features the songs, “Yeah,” and “Desiree,” from the album Leaf (2022) by DreamRoot. 

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist. 

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

• Ellis Dyson (banjo, vocals)
• Hunter Burgamy (guitar)
• Norbert Farkas (upright bass)
• Danny Abrams (saxophones, clarinet)
• Zach Lange (trumpet)

Stream music by Ellis Dyson and The Shambles: 

• Spotify
• Apple Music
• Tidal
• YouTube

You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook. 

Music credits

This season features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist.

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

You can catch Thrio next at the Bond Brothers Eastside in Cary, North Carolina, every Thursday this October. 

Stream Volume 1: 

Bandcamp
Spotify
Apple Music

Follow Thrio on the socials: 
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

About the venue

The Durham Jazz Workshop (DJW) is a nonprofit dedicated to keeping jazz alive in North Carolina through educational programs and live performances. The DJW operates more than 50 concerts per year at the gallery, featuring local artists and regional and national performers. 

Music credits

This episode features the songs “Forged in Rhythm” and “Callous & Kind” by Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers (2017), used by Six Count with permission from the artist.  

Special thanks

We’re grateful to our episode guests; to Keenan McKenzie for contributing music to the show; to Dave Finucane, co-founder and director of the Durham Jazz Workshop, for helping make this interview happen at the Sharp Nine Gallery; to Peter Burke of Locavore Jazz for keeping the jazz community connected and informed; and to our listeners and supporters.   

Photo credit for episode art: Amanda Rudd of Vertex Theory

How to listen

You can find Six Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other listening app!

Support the show

If you’d like to support Six Count, you can make a gift on DonorBox or Venmo @thexarawilde.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the series.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can

find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

After dropping out of college, Ferrone went on to lead a long-standing dance career in NYC. He eventually partnered up with Joe Orrach, a boxer-turned-tap-dancer.

On a park bench outside of McGeary’s Irish Pub in downtown Albany, Ferrone shares some of their most memorable performances, including a two-hour act where Gregory Hines made a surprise appearance.

Ferrone has danced with Jimmy Slyde, also known as the “King of Slides” and Charles “Chuck” Green, and was mentored by Henry LeTang.

Special thanks to jazz guitarist Joe Finn (featured in Season 1, Episode 7!) for introducing host Xara Wilde to Rod Ferrone. They shared the floor last fall at the Speakeasy 518 for Wilde’s weekly performance at the jazz joint.

Music: “Yellow Dog Blues,” by Skip Parsons and the Riverboat Jazz Band and “Come Rain or Come Shine,” by Colleen Pratt and the Empire Jazz Orchestra.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the series.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

As a reporter for Albany's Times Union, Kennedy interviewed Louis Armstrong at the Kenmore Hotel. He shares about this conversation with Satchmo as well as his other run-ins with jazz greats including Frank Sinatra at Carnegie Hall and Duke Ellington at a prom in Upstate N.Y.

The author also details these experiences in "Riding the Yellow Trolley Car," a collection of essays and interviews published in 1993.

In addition to his novels, Kennedy is renown for co-writing the "The Cotton Club," a 1984 movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film focuses on a famous Harlem jazz club during the 1920s and 1930s.

Kennedy is the founder and former director of the New York State Writers Institute located at the University at Albany, SUNY.

Music: "Mama's Gone Goodbye" and "When the Saints Go Marchin' In," by Skip Parsons and the Riverboat Jazz Band.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the series.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

Originally from Kansas City, Hawkins now plays in a variety of jazz styles around the Capital Region as well as composes and arranges music for films, commercials and recording artists. In showbiz, he’s collaborated with the movie stars Bruce Lee and Kristin Chenoweth, among others. 

Learn more about Hawkins’ work. 

Music: “My Man’s Gone Now” and “Everything I Love,” by Wayne Hawkins. 

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the series.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

The historical thriller, “A Penny Struck by Lightning,” takes the reader into the world of jazz in New York City at the height of the Great Depression and on the cusp of World War II. The protagonist, a Pullman porter, is an undercover FBI agent whose investigation leads him into the city’s speakeasies and nightclubs (where he eventually bumps into Billie Holiday at the Café Society).

Bailey is the author of the Lizzie Stuart mystery series as well as of several police procedural novels that feature detective Hannah McCabe. She is also a professor of criminal justice at the University at Albany, SUNY.

Learn more about Bailey’s work.

Music: "The Best Thing for You," by Colleen Pratt with the Empire Jazz Orchestra.

Photo credit: "Portrait of Billie Holiday and Mister, Downbeat, New York, N.Y., ca. June 1946," by William P. Gottlieb. Source: The Library of Congress

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the series.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

Syracuse, who plays the string and electric bass, has been a mainstay in the area’s jazz scene for more than three decades. He began his jazz career at the age of 13 in New York City and received his bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

After moving to Upstate New York in the 1980s, Syracuse played regularly with Nick Brignola, a baritone saxophonist from Troy, N.Y., and Lee Shaw, a pianist and composer who was nicknamed the “First Lady of Jazz,” among many others.

Syracuse shares about his long-standing friendship with Lee, who was inducted into Oklahoma's Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993, and the documentary that featured her life and career.

Syracuse teaches string and electric bass studies at Skidmore College and The Hotchkiss School, and is a bass professor and ensemble coach at SUNY New Paltz.

Learn more about Syracuse.

Music: “Evie’s Theme” and “When You Were There,” by Jeff "Siege" Siegel and Rich Syracuse.

Note from the host: Special thanks to Caffè Lena for the help in facilitating this interview. The listening room, located in downtown Saratoga Springs, is widely known as the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. Both the Library of Congress and The GRAMMY Foundation have recognized Caffè Lena for its contributions to the development and preservation of American music.

Learn more about the venue’s history.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

Peterson, based in Johannesburg, shares what it was like to grow up around South Africa's jazz greats, how music was used as a political force during apartheid and where the scene is headed now.

Siegel is a veteran of the jazz world in New York. He's performed with Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Frank Foster, Shiela Jordan, Helen Merrill and Mose Allison, among other legendary artists throughout his career. Learn more about Siegel.

The musician was also a long-standing colleague of Lee Shaw (1926-2015), a jazz pianist and composer who was nicknamed the "First Lady of Jazz."

Music credit: "Erica's Bag," by Jeff Siegel. 

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

Francis shares about his years working with Texas-based pianist Doc Watkins, including a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City, how he balances teaching responsibilities with a busy gig schedule and other personal projects, and his transition to the Upstate New York jazz scene.

He received his bachelor’s degree in honors music education from the University of Western Ontario, a master’s in percussion performance from Southern Methodist University and a doctoral degree in musical arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Francis teaches as an adjunct professor of percussion at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, The College of Saint Rose, Hartwick College and (soon at) SUNY Oneonta.

Learn more about Francis' work.

Music: "Sweet Georgia Brown," performed by Graeme Francis and Doc Watkins.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

She is the daughter of musicians Helen and Norman Pratt and the niece of renowned jazz pianist and trombonist Bobby Pratt. Her uncle played with some of the biggest swing bands of the 1940s, regularly performing with Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Sid Catlett and Roy Eldridge.

Pratt shares about spending summers going to jazz clubs in Manhattan, her experience as the opening act for comedian Bob Newhart at Proctor’s Theater and her take on the current jazz scene.

You’ll often find Pratt playing with pianist Peg Delaney (who you’ll hear from in an upcoming episode!) and bassist Doc Scanlon. You can visit her website to find her upcoming gigs.

Music: “I Got the World on a String,” by the Empire Jazz Orchestra, and “Pennies from Heaven” (from the album “Ain’t Misbehavin” by Colleen Pratt & Friends), sung by Colleen and Helen Pratt.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

Coakley is also the president of A Place for Jazz, a fall concert series in the Capital Region, and host of the Tim Coakley Jazz Show (Saturdays from 11 p.m. to midnight) on WAMC Northeast Public Radio. The radio personality has also had a long-standing career as a copy editor for Schenectady’s Daily Gazette newspaper.

Coakley was the 2013 recipient of the “Jazz Hero” award from the Jazz Journalists Association.

The music for this episode is from the Riverboat Jazz Band’s album, “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In.” 

This interview took place in Washington Park in Albany, N.Y. 

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York. 

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast. 

Finn, who received his bachelor's in music from SUNY Plattsburgh, has played and studied with Roy Burns, James Spaulding, Jim Miller, Billy Hawkins and Kirk Nurock. 

If you're interested in hearing Finn play live, you can catch him in Schenectady, N.Y. this Friday with the Phil Allen Concert Band. The event, on Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m., is part of the "A Place for Jazz" fall concert series. You can also see him perform at the Speakeasy 518 this Saturday. Finn gigs at the joint with a varying cast of characters the first Saturday of every month. 

Visit his website for more information on his upcoming gigs.

This interview was conducted on (a not-so-quiet) Lark Street in downtown Albany, N.Y. 

Music: "Lowdown" and "Mo' Better Blues" by Joe Finn (Generational Dynamics, 2019).

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

The station, based in Lancashire, England, will begin airing the show starting next Wednesday, Oct. 23. Episodes will broadcast on Wednesdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. EST (4:30 p.m. UK time).

GOJR has an international audience and brings you the best in classic jazz, playing tracks from the 1940s through the 1970s. Support the station.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project that seeks to promote and preserve jazz history from the Capital Region of New York. If you like what you’ve been hearing so far, you can contribute to show through a donation.

Have a comment or question about the series? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

Photo credit: Patrick Dodson

You can find Giroux's upcoming gigs on his website.

Giroux comes from a long line of musicians. His grandfather, George Giroux, was a renowned local jazz pianist, and his great grandfather was known for his fiddle playing at square dances in Plattsburgh in the 1940s.

In addition to his performing career, Giroux is a private instructor for trombone, euphonium, piano, jazz theory and improvisation. He earned a bachelor's degree in music education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and a master's degree in jazz performance from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Music: "Turbulence," written and played by Tyler Giroux. 

This interview was conducted at 3Fish Cafe in Albany (you may have heard the sound of the coffee shop's patio fountain in the background during this episode!).

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

The luthier and rhythm guitarist is also the founder of the Gypsy Jazz Jam, a free and open event that takes place on the third Tuesday of every month at the Ale House in Troy. Jam nights are from 7-9 p.m. (or until everyone is kicked out). All are welcome to participate or to simply enjoy the music.

Fisher is a band member of the C.C. Vagabonds, along with guitarist Zack Cohen, violinist Colin McCoy and bassist Mike Jenkins. You can find the vagabonds at the Troy Farmers Market on River Street the first Saturday of every month from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

On this episode, Ouderkirk shares how she came to pursue life as a professional jazz singer while in college, how she battles nerves before performing and what working as a vocalist is like near the home of the Saratoga Race Course.

Ouderkirk received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Ouderkirk has also been a private music instructor for over 15 years, and teaches woodwinds (flute, clarinet and saxophone), piano and voice.

Find Ouderkirk’s upcoming gigs.

Songs included in the episode: “Route 66” and “Georgia on My Mind” by Jeanine Ouderkirk, Shaun McCarthy and Bobby Kendall.

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.
 

On this episode, Cohen shares how he and clarinetist Jonathan Greene got the band started, what it was like to play with internationally-renowned guitarist Stephane Wrembel at WAMC’s The Linda, and about life as a professional musician in Upstate New York.

Follow Le Bēt on Facebook.

Gigs:

• Thursday evenings with Mike Jenkins (bassist) and The Fat Ties for Swing Night at the Speakeasy 518 in Albany
• Third Tuesday of the month at the Gypsy Jazz Jam at the Ale House in Troy
• First Saturday of the month at the Troy Farmers Market with the C.C. Vagabonds
• First Sunday of the month at the Daily Grind (Troy location)

The photo accompanying this episode was taken at one of Collar City Guitar's monthly gypsy jazz jams in Troy, N.Y. 

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.

On this episode, Parsons shares stories from being the main band for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., his decades-long stint at The Fountain (an Albany-based eatery and longtime haunt for area jazz lovers), gigging with legendary trumpeter Doc Cheatham, and what it was like to have a surprise visit from Tony Bennett at a friend’s funeral.

You can find the Riverboat Jazz Band at McGeary’s in Albany every second Monday of the month (7-9 p.m.).

For the latest information on upcoming gigs, visit Parsons’ website.

The music for this episode is from the Riverboat Jazz Band’s album, “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In.”

Special thanks to Patrick Dodson of Albany Proper for showcasing Six Count's launch with an article featuring photos of The River Boat Jazz Band at McGeary's: "New Podcast Highlights Capital Region's Vibrant Jazz Scene." 

Thank you for listening to Six Count. This show, hosted and produced by Xara Wilde, seeks to promote and preserve the jazz and swing scene in the Capital Region of New York.

Six Count is a listener-supported, independent project. Contribute to the pilot season.

Have a comment, question or suggestion for who to feature next? Contact Six Count by email at sixcountpodcast@gmail.com or you can find the show on Twitter @SixCountPodcast.