Farewell episode: Saxophonist Aaron Hill on leaving the Triangle, heading to Washington State University to serve as director of big bands and applied saxophone

Six Count

English - October 06, 2023 09:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MB - ★★★★★ - 12 ratings
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Previous Episode: Dexter Moses, saxophonist, on the underappreciated influence of Don Byas (1913–1972) on swing and bebop

Next Episode: Joseph Silvers, founder of the Hot Club of Raleigh, on the legacy of guitarist Rex Griffin on North Carolina’s jazz manouche scene, and the story of when Django Reinhardt’s son performed in Greensboro

Saxophonist Aaron Hill spoke with Six Count before moving back to the West Coast this past August.

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.