Paul Holdengräber is joined by the brilliant Melvin Gibbs on this episode of The Quarantine Tapes. They discuss the release of Melvin’s latest EP, 4 + 1 equals 5 for May 25, five tracks created in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Paul and Melvin dig into Melvin’s experience visiting the site of George Floyd’s death and the incredible statement he wrote to accompany the album.

Melvin and Paul go on to dig deep into Melvin’s career and the many amazing musicians he’s worked with and been inspired by over the years. They talk about Body Meπa, his latest collaboration with Greg Fox, Grey McMurray, and previous Quarantine Tapes guest Sasha Frere-Jones. In a fascinating episode, their conversation touches on the history of jazz, the connection between protest and music, and Melvin’s tentative hopes for the future.

Melvin Gibbs is a Grammy nominated composer, musician, artist, and writer, born, raised, and currently based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He has been called "the greatest bassist in the world" by Time Out New York magazine and was the 2019 winner of JazzTimes Magazine's Critics Poll in the category: Electric Bass.

Paul Holdengräber is an interviewer and curator of public curiosity. He is the Founder and Director of Onassis LA (OLA), a center for dialogue. Previously he was the Founder and Director of LIVE from the NYPL, a cultural series at the New York Public Library, where he hosted over 600 events, holding conversations with everyone from Patti Smith to Zadie Smith, Ricky Jay to Jay-Z, Errol Morris to Jan Morris, Wes Anderson to Helen Mirren, Christopher Hitchens to Mike Tyson. He is the host of "A Phone Call From Paul," a podcast for The Literary Hub. 

Credits:

Paul Holdengraber - Co-Creator, Host, OLA Director
Anthony Audi - Co-Creator, Researcher, OLA Director
Alejandro Cohen - Co-Creator, Producer, Composer
Christian Pitt - Production Coordinator 
Erin Cooney - Copy, Production
Dublab Team