Simon Rentner
Voted "Best Jazz Podcast" in the JazzTimes Critics' Poll for four consecutive years, The Checkout champions the music we call jazz — along the trend lines and on its outer edges. Hosted, produced and curated by Simon Rentner, the show focuses on the compelling personal narratives behind today's most exciting artists.
All Episodes
Pianist and singer/songwriter Rachel Eckroth is a musical shapeshifter of the highest order. She speaks with The Checkout's Simon Rentner about her latest recording, 'The Garden.'
Nov 18
40 min 10 sec
Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Melanie Charles joins The Checkout to talk about 'Y'all Don't Really Care About Black Women,' her major-label debut.
Nov 9
42 min 1 sec
Drummer and composer Nate Smith taps into his unique autobiography on his latest album, Kinfolk 2: See The Birds. On this episode of The Checkout, he talks about growing up in Chesapeake, Va., with an unorthodox taste for hard rock.
Oct 29
49 min 27 sec
'Talk Memory' is BadBadNotGood's first album in five years. Bassist Chester Hansen and saxophonist Leland Whitty join The Checkout's Simon Rentner to talk about it.
Oct 23
33 min 42 sec
The Checkout catches up with trumpeter and composer Steph Richards, who unleashes our sense of sound and smell on her latest recordings Supersense and Zephyr.
Oct 13
48 min 5 sec
While the music industry was mostly dormant, Hiromi was busy collaborating with a string quartet, writing new music for her Silver Lining Suite, and performing at the Tokyo Olympics.
Oct 7
28 min 30 sec
Genevieve Artadi talks about her creative partnership with Louis Cole and Faris Ishaq proclaims he's the world's first Nay flute jazz artist.
Sep 23
49 min 17 sec
The electronic artist Mndsgn draws from crossover jazz of the 1970s and '80s on his latest album, 'Rare Pleasure.'
Sep 1
34 min 24 sec
Joe Brent (mandolin) and Sara Caswell (violin) unleash the full potential of their chamber jazz group 9 Horses on their new recording, 'Omegah'
Aug 19
49 min 12 sec
For the last 20 years, Pi Recordings has been a home and haven to the avant-garde, including first-wave members of the AACM. The Checkout catches up with label co-founders Seth Rosner and Yulun Wang, who say the mission is ongoing.
Aug 5
50 min 12 sec
The Checkout discusses 'KIMBROUGH,' an extravagant tribute to an underrated artist, who left us at the end of 2020.
Jul 23
41 min 43 sec
Bassist Paul Bender and keyboardist Simon Mavin speak with Simon Rentner on The Checkout about Hiatus Kaiyote's new album, 'Mood Valiant.'
Jul 14
37 min 46 sec
As we come to the end of Pride Month, The Checkout checks in with Michael Mayo, who talks about embracing his bisexual identity and expressing himself fully on 'Bones,' his Mack Avenue debut.
Jun 29
52 min 43 sec
Watch three improvising masters — Mark Dresser (double bass), Michael Dessen (trombone) and Myra Melford (piano) — perform a telematic concert on The Checkout Live.
Jun 3
31 min 49 sec
On The Checkout, singer and composer Jen Shyu discusses her creative process, her family heritage, and how a personal loss informed Zero Grasses: Ritual for the Losses.
May 30
1 hr
The Checkout documents jazz's first NFT drop, and poses some pressing questions about cryptocurrency in the arts space — with Greg Spero, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Oran Etkin and others.
May 25
52 min 40 sec
Shabaka Hutchings and Theon Cross stop by The Checkout to discuss Sons of Kemet's powerful new album, 'Black to the Future.'
May 13
30 min 15 sec
For International Jazz Day, The Checkout features Michael Veal and Joe Armon-Jones in a tribute to Afrobeat drumming legend Tony Allen, one year after his passing.
Apr 29
36 min 13 sec
On The Checkout, British producer, rapper and pianist Alfa Mist talks about his journey from beat-maker to jazz musician.
Apr 16
35 min 46 sec
Last March, the jazz capital of the world became a ghost town. The Checkout attempts to bring some joy as we look back on a certifiably frightening year, with highlights from Nduduzo Mahkatini, Thana Alexa, Brad Mehldau, Dan Tepfer and more.
Mar 26
1 hr 5 min