Bite-Size Jazz Bite-Size Jazz

What do Ella Fitzgerald and Patsy Cline have in common? They were both considered the epitome of their respective styles of music. They have both influenced hundreds of other musical artists. And Staci Griesbach can knock your socks off singing either woman’s music.

Some people wouldn’t put country and jazz in the same boat. But after years of listening to both genres, Staci realized they weren’t so different after all. Not only are both styles “born in America” — they have similar emotional undercurrents. A good lyric, paired with a good melody, that moves the listener every time.

If you’re not convinced yet - just give Staci Griesbach’s latest album, My George Jones Songbook, a listen. You might become a country fan just yet. Tune in for 10 minutes to hear Staci’s take on her latest album!

Resources:

Learn more about Staci Griesbach on her website or social media. You can find My George Jones Songbook anywhere you stream music, and it’s available for purchase through Amazon Music.

Stay tuned to Bite-Size Jazz in by following us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. And if you’d like to support Bite-Size Jazz and our mission to spread great stories about amazing music, you can buy me a coffee :)  Thanks for listening!

During the pandemic lockdown, when doors were shuttered and people were cut off from one another, Rowan Flack was dreaming about wide open spaces. And writing about them in her new single, “The Calling.”

“The Calling” is a dreamy tune featuring an intimate setting of voice and piano. Rowan’s poetry-inspired lyrics are a perfect pairing for the playing of Deschanel Gordon (BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020). Together they help us break free from the constraints of everyday life and find solace in the calling of the mountains.

Tune in to get to know Rowan Flack and learn more about her follow-up EP, coming soon in 2023!

Resources:

Learn more about Rowan Flack on her website or social media. You can find “The Calling” anywhere you stream music, or purchase it from Amazon music

Stay tuned to Bite-Size Jazz in by following us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. And if you’d like to support Bite-Size Jazz and our mission to spread great stories about amazing music, you can buy me a coffee :)  Thanks for listening!

This summer, Simeon Davis released the album, Of Narratives & Nocturnes. And it’s truly all about the narrative.

If you like a good story, you’ll love Simeon’s music. His music doesn’t just tell a story — the band members are acting out the narrative, role-playing their individual themes. They’re more like thespians than musicians. In his hands, a band becomes a boat rocking across the ocean, a keyboard takes on the voice of God, and a guitar whispers the beguilings of the devil.

In this episode, we dive into two tracks from the album, “Eden” and “Pleiades” whose respective inspirations come from religion and Greek mythology. Tune in to hear how Simeon paints the canvas of these ancient worlds through instruments and voice — it just takes 10 minutes.

Resources:

Learn more about Simeon on his bio or social media. You can find Of Narratives & Nocturnes anywhere you stream music, and it’s available for purchase through Amazon Music.

Stay tuned to Bite-Size Jazz in by following us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. And if you’d like to support Bite-Size Jazz and our mission to spread great stories about amazing music, you can buy me a coffee :)  Thanks for listening!

The goddess of love, beauty, and femininity. But also the goddess of war and ambition. A multi-faceted personality — simultaneously passionate and poised. Are we talking about Inanna, Aphrodite, Venus… Or pianist Connie Han?

Most audiences are familiar with more modern iterations of love goddesses, like Venus and Aphrodite. But Inanna’s history in Sumerian mythology surpasses her look-alikes. Her inexorable lust for power and conquest are juxtaposed with her extreme femininity (she is the goddess of fertility after all). Who says you can’t be both powerful and feminine?

This is exactly what drew Connie Han to Inanna’s story — and maybe because she saw a little of Inanna in herself. Dive into the world of Inanna through the lens of Connie’s latest album, “Secrets of Inanna.” Connie takes you on a breathtaking ride through ancient kingdoms, the underworld, and back again. Tune in for 10 minutes to find out more.

Resources:

Learn more about Connie on her website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter . You can find Secrets of Inanna anywhere you stream music, and it’s available for purchase through Amazon Music.

Stay tuned to Bite-Size Jazz in by following us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. And if you’d like to support Bite-Size Jazz and our mission to spread great stories about amazing music, you can buy me a coffee :)  Thanks for listening!

Les McCann and Joe Alterman started as mentor and protege, but have become close friends over the last decade. When Joe first met Les, all he wanted to do was play like him. But Les taught Joe to do just the opposite: to embrace his own experiences and create a unique sound. Instead of trying to be a #2 Les McCann – be a #1 Joe Alterman.

You may recognize Les McCann from his album with Eddie Harris, Swiss Movement, which features tunes like “Cold Duck Time” and “Compared to What.” It’s a great recording, but he’s also got some hidden gems, like the album Invitation to Openness. It’s a completely different aesthetic. 15 band members improvising on an idea, with no “shoulds” or “have-tos.” It’s incredible - and Les McCann dives into his early experiences that shaped the music.

Tune in to hear more about Les and Joe’s friendship, music, and lessons learned. Plus, they talk about a song they co-wrote that’s featured on Joe’s latest album. Tune in for 10 minutes!

Resources:

Learn more about Joe Alterman on his website. Keep listening to Joe’s album, The Upside of Down, and Les’s album, Invitation to openness.

Stay tuned to Bite-Size Jazz in by following us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. And if you’d like to support Bite-Size Jazz and our mission to spread great stories about amazing music, you can buy me a coffee :)  Thanks for listening!

Meet Joe Alterman, the boy who wanted to play Bluegrass guitar and instead became a jazz pianist. And one hell of a jazz pianist at that.

Not only will you love Joe’s playing and original compositions - he’s got some great stories about jazz masters we all know and love. From his college days at NYU, working at the Blue Note, to his continued relationship with the great Les McCann — he passes on the lessons they shared with him. Plus, you’ll get a kick out of the story behind the title of the track “Don’t Forget to Love Yourself,” co-written with Les McCann.

Tune in to hear Joe’s story and fall in love with his music. It only takes 10 minutes!

Resources: 

Learn more about Joe Alterman on his website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. You can find The Upside of Down anywhere you stream music, and it’s available for purchase through Amazon Music.

Stay tuned to Bite-Size Jazz in by following us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. And if you’d like to support Bite-Size Jazz and our mission to spread great stories about amazing music, you can buy me a coffee :)  Thanks for listening!