Josh Jackson

When Chris Speed formed Yeah No in the late 1990s, there was no lane for its hybrid style, which drew from both post-punk and post-bop, with shoegaze and Balkan klezmer folded in. Speed, a multi-reedist, had intrepid partners in trumpeter Cuong Vu, bassist Skúli Sverrisson, and drummer Jim Black — each one a sonic visionary, and all of them committed to a band ideal. They’ve since pursued other projects, in far-flung locales.

We’ve rarely seen a centennial celebration like the one that coalesced around Miles Davis: cover stories, deluxe reissues, luxury brand partnerships, tributes of every form.

When we declare music a “universal language,” what space do we save for regional dialects and local customs? How has jazz evolved from a uniquely American export to a music that truly knows no borders? These and other questions hang in the air as we get ready to celebrate International Jazz Day, at a moment of roiling global tensions. It feels like a great time to connect with Kresten Osgood — a Danish drummer, composer and commentator, host of the podcast Dangerous Sounds.