Episode

Bill Anschell: unearthing jazz's improbable solutions

'The hardest working piano man in Seattle' talks about the state of jazz music, his prog-rock influences, and the tasteful fusion of electronics on his latest album.

Today, the Spotlight shines On Seattle pianist and composer Bill Anschell.

We’ve had award winners of all types on the podcast, but as far as I can remember, Bill is the first to have won an award for humor: in 2014, Bill was the winner of the inaugural Paul Desmond Award, the website All About Jazz’s celebration of the funniest jazz artists. We get to that and his satirical essay, “Careers in Jazz,” which is the all-time most-read piece on All About Jazz.

As a much younger man, Bill left Seattle to study at Oberlin College and Wesleyan University. At Wesleyan, he worked with saxophone great Bill Barron and South Indian mridangam master T Ranganathan, developing an affinity for diverse and interesting rhythms that can be heard throughout his work.

In Atlanta, Bill served as Jazz Coordinator for the Southern Arts Federation, the South’s regional arts agency. While building their jazz program, Bill made time to publish a book on grant writing and created JazzSouth, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 200 stations around the world. He also worked as a sideman around town and led his own trio. Bill is a celebrated composer, and his tunes have been heard in shows like The West Wing, NCIS: LA, The Wire, and Yellowstone.

Our talk touched on the evolution of jazz, the impact and legacy of fusion music, the integration of electronic music into jazz, Bill’s time in Atlanta, his potential upcoming projects, and more.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Bill Anschell’s album Improbable Solutions)

–

Dig Deeper

• Visit Bill Anschell at billanschell.com
• Purchase Bill Anschell's Improbable Solutions from billanschell.com or Qobuz, and listen to it on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Bill Anschell on Instagram and Facebook
• Top Five Funniest People In Jazz
• Careers In Jazz - Bill Anschell
• How to Be a Jazz Critic - Bill Anschell
• The Icon and the Upstart: On Miles Davis's Legendary Feud With Wynton Marsalis
• Aaron Parks | Jazz Pianist
• E.S.T. Music | Esbjörn Svensson Trio
• Yes, Todd Rundgren, and Carl Palmer Deliver Strong Concert Performances
• Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior (review)
• Pat Metheny Group (album)
• The experimental journey of The Dixie Dregs
• Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on the band's next chapter
• Navaratri Festival - Center for the Arts - Wesleyan University
• T. Ranganathan - Mridangam Solo, Adi Tala
• The fight to keep jazz alive in Atlanta
• Trumpeter Russell Gunn brings “Blues And Its People” to Symphony Hall stage
• Terreon Gully | Drummer
• Saxophonist David Sánchez on His Musical Influences, Why He Chose the Tenor Sax, and His Native Puerto Rico
• Nnenna Freelon | Jazz Vocalist, Composer
• Kinah Boto - Drum Solo - 03-20-15 Churchill Grounds, Atlanta, GA
• Chris Symer | Bassist
• Brian Monroney: Vibe, Ambience & Elevating the Music
• Jeff Busch | Drummer, Percussionist
• KJ Sawka | DJ, Drummer
• Ben Monder | Guitarist
• Jeff Johnson | Jazz Bassist
• D'Vonne Lewis | Drummer
• Kris Davis: defining jazz's vanguard
• Why Does Everyone Love Hanging Out at Barbershops? - Key & Peele

–

• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.