Jazz musicians have always found the best way to get better is to play with as many great musicians as possible to become fluent in the language of music.
In 2023, jazz composer, arranger, and pianist Billy Childs showed just how deeply he employs that wisdom in his own career during a visit to the KNKX studio. Childs has played with hundreds, if not thousands, of musicians, and he continued to mix up his musical collaborations in Seattle.
While his newest record at the time, Winds of Change, had been recorded with a different quartet, he brought his touring quartet, trumpeter Sean Jones, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Christian Eiman, to KNKX.
"It's like an alternate reality of of what we did on the album. It's equally beautiful, but an alternate universe," Childs said.
Childs loved the vibe on the recorded version of Winds of Change, too, which assembled trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Brian Blade.
"It was just such a beautiful exchange of ideas on that session, you know, and these are, we were four people who were in conversation with each other, and I couldn't think of anybody better," Childs said.
No matter who Childs plays with, he honors his music mentors, particularly Chick Corea. He learned a lot about music and about the history of jazz from Corea.
"I felt like part of a lineage. You know, when he would tell me stories about Miles [Davis], about Stan Getz, about Return to Forever, about writing symphonic music. [It's] kind of the pillar of what makes me the musician that I am," he said.
And Billy Childs loves working with a trumpet player. At KNKX, his quartet played "The Black Angel," one of Child's favorites from trumpet legend, Freddie Hubbard, written by the great pianist, Kenny Barron.
"That was one of the first jazz songs that I heard, that I really related to. That was like, 'Wow, this is great,'" Childs said. "Kenny Barron's playing is so spectacular on that. And I don't know Kenny as well as I knew Chick, but I know Kenny and we're very friendly to each other, he's one of the giants living today."
On the heels of Winds of Change, which earned Childs a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental album, he was already full of ideas for his next projects, including collaborations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and composing saxophone and violin concertos for orchestras.
"I want to do a recording of this jazz chamber and poetry thing that I've been working on for quite some time. So there's a lot, there's and that's not even half of it," Childs said.
Childs has continued to find new ways to express himself — and new musicians to express with — since visiting KNKX in 2023. Childs has a new trio recording, Triumvate, with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig, which releases April 24.
Songs heard in this episode:
- "The End of Innocence"
- "Master of the Game"
- "The Black Angel"
