There are times when you get a sense that you’re talking with an old friend that you’ve actually never met. There are shared times and memories that travelled on parallel lines but somehow never managed to intersect. That’s the best way that I can describe the conversation I had with Shelly Berg. From places lived and mutual friends, to times spent working with Jazz Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, our off-mic discussion created “allegría,” the Spanish word for joy, which is not only the name of his new album, but the foundation of his perspective on life.

Shelly feels that the more an audience feels included in the music, the better time everybody has, the more opportunity there is for the music to reach - and move - them. That’s the foundation of ‘Allegría,’ a collaborative album of Berg originals, plus fresh takes on classics from Leonard Bernstein and The Beatles, performed with longtime friends, bassist Carlitos Del Puerto, drummer Dafnis Prieto and special guest, Melvin Butler.

Shelly draws inspiration not only from his experiences as a leader in higher education as dean of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music since 2007 - and before that as a professor at USC’s Thornton School for 16 years - but also as a collaborator with jazz legendary international artists, including Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, Steve Miller, and Pharrell Williams, among others.

All of that rich backstory is brought into ‘Allegría,’ creating an understanding of joy, and all its co-existing chambers — sorrow, longing, faith, peace, reflection. Shelly describes it as, “A big narrative made up of smaller ones,” that allows listeners to feel “connected to the music and the arc of the album.”

That’s where our joyful conversation begins.

From an early age, acclaimed and accomplished vocalist, Alexis Cole, not only knew what she wanted to do in life, but also how she was going to do it - her way.

Both Alexis’ father and maternal grandmother were pianists and singers, and her business-minded mother helped Alexis learn how to carve her way through the financial side of show business. Thanks to their guidance, Alexis not only succeeded in honing her professional career, she also followed a serious educational path, gaining a Bachelor of Music degree that led her to global life experiences including a year as an Americorp volunteer and studying music in Mumbai, India. Alexis also worked the cruise ship circuit as an entertainer, and that was followed by years of travelling extensively through Europe.

Deciding to continue her education, Alexis earned a Masters of Music degree which resulted in her moving in and out of the higher education world as a jazz voice professor.

But then things really began to change for Alexis. First, she took a year's long music gig in Tokyo, Japan. Then, in 2009, she enlisted in the U.S. Army to become the lead singer for the West Point Jazz Knights Big Band.

Our conversation covers all this and much more, including how - and why - she came to make her new album, ‘Jazz Republic: Taiwan, the United States, and The Freedom of Swing’ with the Taipei Jazz Orchestra.

The style of the undeniably talented bassist and composer, Ben Wolfe, is truly unique.

His approach to music and performance has led to a path of development and success that can be attributed to collaborations with the likes of Harry Connick JR, Diana Krall and Wynton Marsalis. Ben also distinguished himself through a significant catalogue of original music, including well over a hundred songs across ten albums as a leader.

With his 11th release titled “The Understated”, Ben presents a collection of new original compositions paired with the re-imaginings of some of his classic material. This album, with a particular emphasis on the ballad song-form, is a reflection of his philosophy that music is all about the sound of the band as ensemble players.

In this episode, our conversation explores Ben’s musical journey, from a serendipitous experience of becoming a member of his school band playing tuba and trombone, to being a current faculty member at The Juilliard School of Music, an award-winning composer and critically acclaimed musician.