Improv Exchange Podcast

About Improv Exchange Podcast

Keeping up with the Jazz world, Leander Young, carries out authentic conversions with and about musicians. Make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rating. Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @improvexchange #improvexchange www.improvexchange.com

Publisher

Leander Young

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Apr 2020

Latest episode

21 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

185 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Episode #185: Zohar and Adam

   Brothers Zohar & Adam Cabo are fast becoming one of the most talked about new acts in Jazz. With Zohar on keyboards and Adam on drums, these rising young stars bring a lifetime of musical experiences and influences to bear on their eclectic, genre-bending duo performances. Born to musician parents Richard Cabo (former Latin big band leader) and Dassi Rosenkrantz (bassist, record producer, and educator) the two brothers, together with their sister Noga were veteran performers before they reached their teens, even recording an album as a family band at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis. The pandemic found the two high schoolers quarantined at home, and out of this isolation, a new creative direction was born. On their debut album Osmosis, Zohar & Adam weave the diverse strands of their musical upbringing into a unique blend of progressive Jazz, Latin rhythms, hip hop, and world music sensibilities, bringing to mind such legends as Chick Corea and Weather Report, and performed with the kind of telepathic synchronicity that only a lifetime of playing together can bring. Among the first to recognize their talent was bass legend Christian McBride, founder of the jazz education program Jazz House Kids. JHK and McBride’s mentorship have been an integral part of their musical development over the years. McBride makes a guest appearance on Osmosis, alongside renowned saxophonist Steve Wilson. Other notable guests include bassist Hadrien Feraud and Julian Pollack, aka J3PO.

2. 

   14 Sept 2026

   Episode #184: Mark Isham

   Mark Isham is an electronic music innovator, jazz artist and prolific film composer.  Isham’s ability to create unforgettable melodies, combined with his willingness to experiment with innovative musical palettes, has earned him accolades including Grammy and Emmy awards, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Isham’s inimitable musical voice is evident in his memorable scores for award-winning features including the Oscar-winning Judas and the Black Messiah, Crash and A River Runs Through It (Oscar nomination) along with Golden Globe winning Bobby, and Nell (Golden Globe nomination). For The Black Dahlia, Isham was awarded “Best Score” by the International Film Music Critics Association. He has collaborated with top directors and artists including Robert Redford, Robert Altman, Sting, Jodie Foster, Shaka King, Lynn Shelton, Swizz Beatz, George Tillman, Forest Whitaker, Tom Cruise, Brian De Palma, Chick Corea, Will.i.am, Sidney Lumet, and Mick Jagger. Most notably, Mark has scored films such as The Cooler (2003), Blade (1998) and Miracle (2004), as well as TV shows such as Hulu’s limited series Little Fires Everywhere for which he garnered his sixth Emmy nomination, EPIX series The Godfather of Harlem, and the long-running hit show Once Upon a Time. In 2020, Isham made Cannes Film Festival history as the first film composer to perform a live in-studio concert of some of his most beloved scores, for the inaugural film music summit of the Cannes Film Market, the business counterpart of the prestigious festival.

3. 

   8 Jun 2026

   Episode #183: Jeff Lederer

   Jeff Lederer is a Saxophonist/clarinetist/composer who has been included in the Downbeat Critics’ and Readers’ poll each year since 2014.  He leads ensembles including the “Shakers n’ Bakers”, “Sunwatcher Quartet,” and “Brooklyn Blowhards” and is the founder and director of the Visionary Youth Orchestra.  Mr. Lederer also plays in the groups of Matt Wilson, Bobby Sanabria, Allison Miller, Jimmy Bosch, and many others.  Lederer was named as a “Musician to Watch in 2017” by JazzWise magazine in London and has appeared in the North Sea, Molde, Monterey, Chicago, Earshot Seattle, Azores, and Guimaraes Jazz festivals, where he was the 2017 artist-in-residence.  Lederer is currently serving as Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Long Island University. Jeff’s cross-stylistic composition/arranging projects include “Los Sazones”, a salsa reimagining of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” which was commissioned by the Ravinia Festival for the Chicago Symphony and has been performed by many major orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. As an educator, Jeff is currently Director of Jazz Studies and MTEP (Music Technology, Entrepreneurship and Production) at Long Island University Post Campus.  Jeff has worked with Jazz At Lincoln Center Education programs and is the founder of the Visionary Youth Orchestra for the Vision Festival. He has taught workshops and residencies in jazz and saxophone at the University of Miami, New England Conservatory, Dartmouth College, SUNY Binghamton, University of Northern Iowa, and many other leading jazz departments.

Who has been a guest on Improv Exchange Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Charlie Rosen
• Gabriela Martina
• Maxim Lubarsky

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

568

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

4.3 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 63 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

70

Social presence

0

YouTube

64

Engagement

77

Contact Improv Exchange Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.