Kidd Speaks

Saxophone legend Kidd Jordan reflects with good humor and energy about Coltrane, New Orleans, improvisation and his life in music.

Benjamin Lyons of Valid Records brought improvisatory saxophone legend Kidd Jordan and percussionist Hamid Drake together in Piety Street Recording for a session with a small audience in November, 2011. This November, Lyons will release a recording of the evening, appropriately titled A Night in November.

As a part of the evening, Jordan answered questions from the audience while the tape was running. He spoke with nuts and bolts clarity and enthusiastic humor about John Coltrane, Alvin Batiste, Fred Anderson, improvisation, practice, education and more. "That's what messes people up - they think they're gifted," he says, laughing. "I practice my instrument. I practice scales. I practice hearing. I get somebody to make some noise for to see if I can play it."

The album A Night in November will be released November 5.