Atlanta Jazz Notes

This week, I had the chance to interview the incredible pianist, composer, and educator Gary Motley who is one of my favorite pianists in the world. His virtuosic piano work and captivating compositions have led to numerous recordings as both a leader and a side man.  Additionally, Motley is the Director of Jazz Studies at Emory University.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our conversation, coming soon!

Welcome to Episode 7 of the Atlanta Jazz Notes Podcast where we profile the many amazing people who make up the Atlanta Jazz Scene ...I’m your host: Matt Miller.

This week, I had the chance to interview the amazing Sam Skelton. Sam is THE first call woodwind player in Atlanta and beyond. His skills on saxophone, clarinet, and flute and all-around musicianship have led to recording sessions with a diverse array of artists ranging from Elton John, trumpeter Joe Gransden, Matchbox 20, and The Ohio Players. He has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony, The Atlanta Pops, The Peachtree Pops, The Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and The Cobb Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to recordings with pop, jazz, and classical artists, Sam has been highly active in the studio recording world, recording for TV and radio and playing countless shows in the pit orchestras at venues like the Fox Theatre and many others.

Sam is currently Director of Jazz Studies and Lecturer in Saxophone at Kennesaw State University. He served as Professor of Saxophone at Georgia State University from 1991 to 2004 and was Jazz Ensemble Director at Georgia Tech from 2002-2004 and Artist-in-Residence at The University Of Georgia Jazz Department.

In this interview, Sam discusses his early years in Conyers, Ga, learning to play jazz and classical saxophone, his approach to doubling on flute and clarinet, learning on the gig, his approach to teaching at the University level, especially during the pandemic, and much more. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did putting it together.

This week, I had the chance to interview the amazing Sam Skelton. Sam is THE first call woodwind player in Atlanta and beyond. His skills on saxophone, clarinet, and flute and all-around musicianship have led to recording sessions with a diverse array of artists ranging from Elton John, trumpeter Joe Gransden, Matchbox 20, and The Ohio Players. He has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony, The Atlanta Pops, The Peachtree Pops, The Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and The Cobb Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to recordings with pop, jazz, and classical artists, Sam has been highly active in the studio recording world, recording for TV and radio and playing countless shows in the pit orchestras at venues like the Fox Theatre and many others.

Sam is currently Director of Jazz Studies and Lecturer in Saxophone at Kennesaw State University. He served as Professor of Saxophone at Georgia State University from 1991 to 2004 and was Jazz Ensemble Director at Georgia Tech from 2002-2004 and Artist-in-Residence at The University Of Georgia Jazz Department.

In this interview, Sam discusses his early years in Conyers, Ga, learning to play jazz and classical saxophone, his approach to doubling on flute and clarinet, learning on the gig, his approach to teaching at the University level, especially during the pandemic, and much more. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did putting it together.

Coming Monday, November 2nd, Episode 7 of the Atlanta Jazz Notes podcast will feature an in-depth interview with the great Sam Skelton. Here’s a preview of my interview with the woodwind specialist and educator. Please be sure to subscribe to the Atlanta Jazz Notes Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a 5 star review! Those reviews really help people to find the podcast. Thanks!

This week, I had the chance to interview the great Dave Potter, who is one of my favorite drummers. His playing is powerful, sensitive, and swinging and he has been gaining wide attention for his work both as a leader and sideman.

In addition to his role as the long time drummer of the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Dave has performed with Marcus Roberts, Ellis Marsalis, Marcus Printup, Russell Gunn, Greg Tardy, and many others. In 2017, Dave released his first album as a bandleader, You Already Know, which is an amazing album that features musicians like Jason Marsalis, Louis Heriveaux, Miguel Alvarado, Marus Roberts, and Craig Shaw among other great players. Based in Atlanta, Dave maintains a busy teaching and performing schedule.

In this interview, we discuss the pandemic and its effect on working musicians, Dave’s musical history, jam session etiquette, high-profile gigs with Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, and Marcus Roberts, an upcoming recording project, and much more.

This week, I had the chance to interview the amazing pianist Kevin Bales. Kevin is a world-class pianist known for his work as a leader and in partnership with musicians such as Bunky Green, Rene Marie, Gordon Vernick, and Marcus Printup in addition to many others. In addition to his incredible skills as a performer, Kevin is also an accomplished educator. He maintains a thriving private teaching studio in Atlanta and has taught at Georgia State University since 2005 and at the University of North Florida before that. I really hope that you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as I did! Thanks, as always, for listening.

This week, I had the chance to interview the amazing singer Tia Rix. Tia is one of the very best musicians that I have ever heard and she is a mainstay of the Atlanta jazz scene. Her ability to make a song her own and mezmerize an audience with her pitch-perfect, infectiously swinging performances is second to none. In this episode, Tia talks about her parents - both professional musicians - the ever-changing Atlanta jazz scene, her approach to singing, learning songs, and collaborating with musicians like Johnny O’Neal, Delbert Felix, and Dave Frackenpohl.

This week, I had the chance to interview the great musician, scholar, minister, composer, and educator Dr. Dwight Andrews

In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Andrews talks about growing up in the culturally-rich city of Detroit, attending and working at Yale University, collaborating with the legendary playwright August Wilson, the history of jazz music from the 19th century to the present, investigating the intersection of the sacred and secular in music and spiritual life, the Black Lives Matter movement, academia, and so much more.

Joe Gransden is a world-class trumepter, vocalist, and bandleader based in Atlanta. In this episode, Joe speaks about his life in music and shares insight into trumpet playing, becoming a vocalist, navigating the world of music business, acting, and much more. 

Joe Gransden is a mainstay of the Atlanta Jazz Scene. An extraordinary trumpeter and vocalist, Joe is one of the busiest musicians on the Atlanta Jazz Scene. Whether he's leading his 16-piece big band or playing duo with pianist Kenny Banks, Joe brings virtuosity, sensitivity, and a showman's flair to all of his performances.