In this episode, I talk with the talented trumpeter, composer, and arranger Milena Casado. Born and raised in Spain, she’s a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, where she honed her skills working with amazing teachers. She shares about growing up in a small village town, looking different from other members of that community; about meeting her father for the first time; about getting in touch with her Dominican roots; and about her acceptance to Berklee. We also discuss the major influence of her mentor, drummer extraordinaire Terri Lyne Carrington, and dive into her album Reflection of Another Self, a stunning debut that's a deeply personal journey of self-discovery and resilience.

https://www.milenacasado.com

In this episode, I talk with Ankh West, a science advocate who focuses on scientific literacy within the African-American community. Science, he explains, can be a tool for promoting rigorous academic standards within institutions. He talks about the importance of peer-reviewed scholarship, archaeological data, and linguistic research. Among his primary focuses of research are ancient Egypt, Nubia, and Nile Valley civilizations. He discusses in some depth the work of Charles Darwin and other major figures in the field, as well as Africa’s early influence on what we now recognize as modern science. Lastly, Ankh shares some of the books that shaped his thought and why he considers those books to be still valid and important today.

I had the pleasure of recording this episode inside the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, in L.A., hometown of the talented Wren T. Brown. Wren is an actor, film producer, and theater director, who cofounded the Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT). We talk in-depth about what that company has meant to him and how it has affected an entire community in a positive way. Influenced by the likes of his great uncle Lester Young, black excellence shaped his life and is the subject of his new book, The Family Business: Four Generations of One Black Family's Artistic Odyssey. (Friend and jazz giant Wynton Marsalis wrote the foreword.)

https://thefamilybusinessbook.com