Kirk Hamilton

How much do you know about Peter Martin? In this conversation with Kirk Hamilton of the Strong Songs podcast, Peter shares his musical influences and trajectory as a young jazz pianist. He brings us right back to the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s with stories of meeting Wynton Marsalis, and playing with jazz legends like Betty Carter, Roy Hargrove and Joshua Redman. Plus, he shares his take on jazz education, the marathon runner's mindset and why anyone and everyone can play music. Check out the Strong Songs podcast: https://strongsongspodcast.com/ Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi  00:00 - Introducing Today's Episode 02:50 - Peter's Strong Songs Interview 06:00 - Peter's Musical Background 08:00 - The Suzuki Method 14:30 - Nurturing Talent  16:30 - How Peter Discovered Jazz 20:30 - Meeting Wynton Marsalis 27:00 - The Midwestern Jazz Scene 33:20 - Juilliard, Roy Hargrove and the Young Lions 35:40 - Moving to New Orleans 38:30 - The Economics of Jazz in the 90s 40:00 - Playing with the Legendary Betty Carter 44:30 - Jazz Musicianship Then and Now 47:15 - Roy Hargrove and the Summer of '94 52:15 - Joining Joshua Redman 57:45 - Rethinking Jazz Education 1:02:15 - The Marathon Runner's Mindset 1:07:20 - Kenny Kirkland: Awe & Inspiration 1:15:00 - Roy Hargrove, The RH Factor and Hard Groove 1:20:00 - My Funny Valentine - Miles Davis 1:25:00 - How to Find the Recommendations in this Episode

We hand the mic to Kirk Hamilton from the Strong Songs podcast to help us break down the groovy 1973 self-titled release: Tower of Power. We unpack what makes this Oakland funk outfit a generational institution – from David Garibaldi’s precision drum fills and Rocco Prestia’s machine-gun bass lines to what may be the tightest horn section of all time. We dig into standout tracks like “What Is Hip?” and “Soul Vaccination,” spotlight Lenny Pickett’s wild ascent from TOP to SNL, and detail some funny production quirks (like why the drums are panned hard left). It’s a full-course tour through funk, soul, and brass brilliance – with a healthy side of stank face. Check out the Strong Songs podcast → https://strongsongspodcast.com/ ABOUT OPEN STUDIO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey. Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.