The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park presents Talkin' Jazz with Fred Kasten: In Concert with Martin & Steve Masakowski on Tuesday, September 20th at 1:00 PM CDT.
Talkin' Jazz with Fred Kasten: In Concert is a captivating blend of interesting talk and great music featuring top jazz artists in New Orleans, hosted monthly by award-winning radio producer and interviewer Fred Kasten. Sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
This event will consist of a 40-minute interview & a 50-minute performance.
This program takes place inside our third-floor Performance Center, listening room. Admission is free and open to the public, seating is limited and offered first come, first serve. Learn more about our program admission policy.
Enjoy live music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for daily virtual concerts, in which dynamic jazz musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum! Tune in on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.
Fred Kasten
Fred Kasten is an independent contributing radio producer/host at WWNO. After working at WWNO for over 20 years as an on-air talent, producer, and program director, Fred retired from full-time work in May of 2007. Fred is a native of Mobile, Alabama, a graduate of the University of Alabama, and a long-time resident of New Orleans. In addition to his work at WWNO, Fred develops independent audio projects from a home studio, producing radio features, commercials and podcasts. Fred also does marketing and media consulting for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Martin Masakowski
Bassist and luthier Martin Masakowski was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. The son of a musical family, Martin's immersion in the arts began from a young age. He spent his youth studying visual arts and transitioned into music at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts high school. Martin went on to study jazz at the University of New Orleans before moving to The Netherlands to finish his bachelor’s in music at the Rotterdam Conservatory. He spent the following years touring with an Eastern European folk band, the Balcony Players.
As a result of his travels and the influence of his family and his city, Martin’s musical styles span across jazz, folk, classical, electronic, experimental, Eastern European and Indian genres. Inspired by years on the road with an upright bass, Martin's most recent endeavor was the design and building of his own custom travel bass, with future plans to produce his own line of instruments to meet the need of traveling musicians. In 2019, Martin received a Masters in Jazz Performance from the University of New Orleans. He is currently back home in New Orleans, performing regularly at clubs such as Snug Harbor and The Spotted Cat while continuing to develop and push the rhythmic and harmonic boundaries of the double bass.
Steve Masakowski
Steve Masakowski has long been regarded as one of the top Jazz artists from New Orleans. Born and raised in New Orleans, Steve Masakowski has played guitar with most of the city’s greatest musicians including Alvin “Red” Tyler, Ellis Marsalis, Danny Barker, Earl Turbinton, and James Black. He has also performed with Grammy Award-winning artists Bobby McFerrin, Nicholas Payton, Allen Toussaint, Dianne Reeves, and others at major festivals around the world. As a recording artist, he has released numerous CDs including two on the prestigious Blue Note Records label. He has been an active member of, and composer for the award-winning New Orleans jazz group, Astral Project.
He has twice been voted “Best Guitarist,” and won “Best Contemporary Jazz Group” three times by Gambit and Offbeat magazines in their annual reader’s polls. He has published lessons in Guitar Player magazine and authored the book, Jazz Ear Training – Learning to Hear Your Way Through Music for Mel Bay Publications. He is frequently recognized by Down Beat magazine as Talent Deserving Wider Recognition. Steve has participated in numerous Jazz concerts and workshops at major universities including Princeton, the University of Chicago, and the University of Indiana. Steve is currently on the faculty at the University of New Orleans where he holds the position of Coca-Cola Endowed Chair of Jazz Studies.