If you’re looking for a fresh take on a familiar tune, Anna Laura Quinn has the song for you. Each recording on her debut album Open the Door is a delightful surprise. “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” is reinvented as a bluesy, groove track. “Open the Door,” is cloaked in beautiful, ethereal sound. And “Love for Sale” gets the dark, mysterious makeover its lyrics have been waiting for. Anna Laura is a stunning vocalist, but she’s also a genius arranger.
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Leonor Falcón is no stranger to the violin or viola — she’s been studying it since her childhood placement in a Venezuelan music charter school. Every morning, she attended traditional academic classes, while her afternoons were filled with orchestra and small ensemble rehearsals. The central focus was mastering the instrument to reach the top level of orchestra. And though her school days were filled with classical music — her home was filled with the sounds of rock, jazz, and pop. Eventually, these genres called her to New York to study jazz and improvisation.
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Spencer Day credits his mother and the local video store for igniting his love of musicals. He grew up in a small, conservative town that didn’t have much in the way of live musical theater performances. But there was a video store that carried G-rated movies — and classic films.
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Jim Caruso was living and performing in Dallas, Texas, when his manager asked if a young vocal trio from Houston could sing a few songs before one of his shows. That trio was Sharon Montgomery, Rebecca Plant — and — Billy Stritch. Jim thought “Oh sure, give these kids a break.” Their performance blew everyone away, including Jim, who said “They were one of the best vocal groups I’d ever heard, I wanted to kill myself. In lieu of that, we became best friends.”
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“Never compare your season to someone else’s.” Jean and Marcus Baylor have experienced many different seasons during their lives. Jean found success in the 90s as half of the duo Zhane. Marcus rose to prominence in the early 2000s as the drummer for the Yellowjackets. And now they’re in a new season of musical creation — together this time — as The Baylor Project.
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Christiane is all too familiar with the calamities of conflict. But nothing could have prepared her for the pain inflicted by the August 2020 explosion in Beirut. It wasn’t just another newscast about a place a world away — those were Christiane’s family and friends. When the shock subsided and the tears finally flowed, it was her music that brought healing and peace.
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Deanna Witkowski was first drawn to the pianist Mary Lou Williams in 2000 when she was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Mary Lou Williams Festival. Of course she said yes, but she also realized that she was unfamiliar with Mary Lou’s music. That initial listening dive sparked a 20-year exploration of Mary Lou Williams’ life and music, now showcased in a book, Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul, and an album, Force of Nature.
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Everybody has heard solo piano concerts and solo guitar gigs. But how often do you listen to solo trombone music? After listening to Nick Finzer’s latest album Out of Focus, you’ll think about listening to solo trombone more often.
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Drummer Charles Goold has been playing gigs for a long time — since he was 11, in fact. It started with sitting on his father’s gigs at Small’s Jazz Club.
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Highlights of Bite-Size Jazz in 2021 THANK YOU listeners for supporting Bite-Size Jazz and these amazing artists! Thanks for joining the Bite-Size Jazz community and…
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