Bite-Size Jazz – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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!

If you love Brazilian music, you’ll love Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini's most recent album, Auburn Whisper.

Auburn Whisper showcases their myriad of talents. Not only are they exceptional on their individual instruments (trombone and guitar), but they are also tasteful lyricists and songwriters. Together they weave the story of disappointment, acceptance, and resilience in the face of a worldwide pandemic — all with the wonderful flavor of Brazil. Their original songs carry the longing for loved ones in another country, hope in the midst of darkness, and tales of Brazilian goddesses.

Tune in to learn more! They talk about how they met, the lyricist they teamed up with, their unique recording process, and of course, the inspiration behind their original music. Get to know Natalie Cressman, Ian Faquini, and their latest album, Auburn Whisper in less than 10 minutes in this episode of Bite-Size Jazz.

Resources

Learn more about Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini on their social media pages. You can find Auburn Whisper wherever you stream music. It’s also available for purchase from Amazon Music or Bandcamp.

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!

At 19 years old, Grace Fox is already a force to be reckoned with.

She’s already formed her own big band, recorded her first album, and performed as a trumpeter and bandleader at one of the most respected jazz clubs in NYC, Birdland.

We don’t want to give too many details away, but in this episode of Bite-Size Jazz, Grace dives into the mishaps of recording — like when singers back out of recordings at the last minute — and the inspiration behind her original songs, including procrastinated homework assignments that later became killer big band charts. She also opens up about the struggles of starting a music degree and trying to launch a career during a worldwide pandemic. Tune in to get to know Grace Fox and her debut album, Eleven O’ Seven.

Resources: 

Learn more about Grace Fox on her social media. You can stream Eleven O' Seven on Spotify or Apple Music, it's also available for purchase on Amazon Music, Bandcamp, and iTunes. 

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!

You’ve heard of piano-vocal duos and guitar-vocal duos. But what about trombone-vocal duos?

Vanessa Perea and husband Robert Edwards are trendsetting this unique instrumentation. They first showcased it on their album Home Life in 2021, which was a purely vocal and trombone album. Now their latest album, It Had To Be You, brings that same playful interaction — and adds guitarist Tony Davis and bassist Dylan Shamat.

Vanessa and Robert first met during their undergrad years at New Jersey City University. A move across the river into New York City proved fruitful to both of their careers. Calls were coming in and their schedules stayed busy. That is, until the pandemic hit. With nothing but time to kill, Vanessa and Robert started exploring the idea of playing with what they had — a voice and a trombone — and spent hours working out arrangements (much to the chagrin of their downstairs neighbors). When social distancing restrictions were lifted, they were happy to add a few more band members to their project. It Had To Be You is a delightful offering of musicians pushing the boundaries of traditional instrumentation.

Listen to this Bite-Size Jazz episode featuring Vanessa Perea to get to know a vocalist with a style all her own. She talks about learning to coordinate vocal-trombone performing, the process of recording the album, and her musical background.

Resources:

Learn more about Vanessa Perea on her website, Instagram, or Facebook. You can find It Had To Be You anywhere you stream music. It's also available for purchase on Amazon Music or Bandcamp.

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!

Loneliness. Heartache. Emptiness. Isolation. Everything that describes film noir also describes the pandemic. 

When Melissa Errico first fell down the YouTube rabbit hole of film noir, she didn't expect to find a new passion. After watching hours of tragic femme fatale actresses fall trap to their fate and lonely heroes become disillusioned with society — she realized that the themes of the 1940s weren't so far away after all. A collaboration with the French Institue Alliance Francaise for a film festival further cemented this love for film noir, and most especially for the music these movies featured. 

Out the Dark presents 17 tracks arranged with the very heart of film noir. Songs like "Laura," "On Vit, On Aime," and "Silent Partner" capture the mystery and intrigue of those classic films. "Farewell My Lovely" showcases a beautiful lyrical setting to the tune of "Marlo's Theme," originally written by David Shire for the movie Farewell My Lovely. And, Melissa gets to star in her very own novella in the music video for "Angel Eyes" — a seven-minute watch that you don't want to miss.  

Listen to the full episode to hear the stories behind each track on Out of the Dark. Melissa Errico shares how her collaboration with the French Institute began, her vision for the album, and the intriguing tale behind her brand new music video. 

Resources

Learn more about Melissa Errico on her website and about Out of the Dark on The Film Noir Project website. You can find Out of the Dark anywhere you stream music. It's also available for purchase on Amazon Music. 

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!

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.

When her visual art career didn’t provide the fulfillment she’d imagined, Anna Laura took a leap of faith — all the way to New Orleans. Step by step she’s grown into the confident band leader she is today. From a master's program at UNO, to jam sessions, to her debut album, Anna Laura has been on a journey to discover her sound — and invites you to listen on Open the Door.

Listen to this Bite-Size Jazz episode featuring Anna Laura Quinn to get to know an incredible young vocalist. She talks about her musical journey, the creativity behind each arrangement, and why she loves New Orleans.

Resources

Learn more about Anna Laura Quinn on her website. You can find her album Open the Door anywhere you stream music. It’s also available for purchase on Amazon Music.

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!

Leonor Falcón is no stranger to the violin or viola — she’s been studying them 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 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.

While in New York, Leonor discovered a love for all types of improvisation — not just jazz. She found the Avant-Garde scene and other unique sounds that defy typical genre placement. Leonor also realized that learning to improvise was almost like learning a different instrument. Rather than focusing on correct notes and rhythms, she learned to let expression lead her technique. Leonor learned to accept herself and the sounds she produced in each moment.

Listen to this Bite-Size Jazz episode to learn more about Leonor Falcón and the stories behind each song on her new album, Imaga Mondo Vol. II. She talks about the fables that influenced her preceding album, Imaga Mondo Vol. I, the images that inspired songs like “Nita” and “The Monks,” and how to improvise freely within a group.

Resources

Learn more about Leonor Falcó on her website. You can find her album Imaga Mondo Vol. II anywhere you stream music.

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!

“If it was on VHS I got to see it”

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. The music from shows like Oklahoma, Singin’ in the Rain, and South Pacific planted big dreams of traveling the world inside his young heart. However, it took some time before he realized that singing would be his ticket around the globe.

Now Spencer Day is a #1 Billboard jazz/pop singer and songwriter that has played in venues like the Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl and London’s West End. He’s been praised by Time Out New York, Washington Post, New York Public Radio, and SF Chronicle. But it certainly wasn’t a straight trajectory getting to this point. Between a joke audition for Star Search that actually landed him on the show, playing in piano bars, signing and getting dropped by labels, there’s been many twists and turns on his path to success. He laughs about performing in the Hollywood Bowl in the same week he played for six people in a blizzard in Ohio. The artist’s life is never easy — but it’s worth it.

Listen to the full interview to get to know Spencer Day and his music! He talks about the ups and downs of building a music career, why sacrifices of an artist’s lifestyle is worth it, and the creative process behind his latest album Broadway by Day.

Resources

Learn more about Spencer Day on his website. You can find his album Broadway by Day anywhere you stream music. It’s also available for purchase on Amazon Music.

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!

Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch’s friendship began almost 40 years ago, way before they ever set foot in New York City. Jim 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.”

Now, Jim and Billy spend every Monday night together at the Birdland Theater in New York hosting “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party” — one of the best open mics in the city. Every week for 18 years they’ve brought people on stage to share their talents with the audience. The best part? You never know who might walk in the door

But you can’t make it to New York to hang out with Jim and Billy, you can bring them into your home every day with their album The Sunday Set. It opens up with a sunny medley of “Whistle While You Work” and “Give a Little Whistle,” and is followed by a 60s swingin’ arrangement of “You Are My Sunshine.” You’ll be laughing while they sing “What Did You Do To Your Face?” and grabbing for a beer during their “Sinatra Saloon Medley”

Listen to the full interview with Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch to hear all the details of their newest album, The Sunday Set. They laugh about the crazy adventures of hosting an open mic night, explain how their album came together, and describe the process of arranging tunes for The Sunday Set.

Resources

Learn more about Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch on their websites. You can find their album The Sunday Set anywhere you stream music. It’s also available for purchase on Amazon Music.

Enjoying Bite-Size Jazz? You can support the podcast by Buying Me a Coffee! You can also leave a review, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We’d love to connect with you!