Today's guest is Jay Brown: owner, operator, band leader, lead vocalist, tenor saxist, washboard-ist, and tenor banjoist of the swingin' RVA vintage jazz band Grace Street Seven! You might have seen him and his bandmates perform at The Verdant Lady or perhaps at a local wedding or two. You also might have seen him perform in the other band he manages: Triple Crossing Jazz Project.

The best part about both of these bands, in our opinion, is that they truly cultivate an experience through their music, fashion, and theatrics that puts you back in time and truly makes you feel like you're in the 1920s. They go all out on their theme!

Jay goes into detail about how he fell in love with Jazz in the 3rd grade (The Pink Panther theme song), how he found himself in Richmond, his passion for World War II history, dance styles of the 1920/30s and much more. He talks about the history of Jazz in RVA specifically on Grace Street in the 1920s. He also talks about how his band survived the "roaring 2020" when the pandemic hit by playing concerts in his front yard for his neighbors.

Other topics include instrument malfunctions, poor fashion choices, the best Jazz singers of all time, Frankenstein, gout, and hippie hair. You also get an exclusive listen to the GS7 performing the song "And Furthermore." You don't want to miss it!

Catch GS7 Live:

June 5th - Verdant Lady

July 8th - VA Beach Swing Dance Event

July 15th - Glen Echo Park "The Bumper Car Pavilion"

July 20th - Lewis Ginter

July 21st - Hatch Local

TBA: Gatsby Picnic

TBA: Hanger Dance

Shoutouts:

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Virginia This Morning

The Boxmasters

Art Deco Society of VA

VMFA Jazz Cafe

Ironclad Coffee

Military Aviation Museum

Airman's Preservation Society

The Tobacco Company

Halcyon Vintage

Mike's Jazz Cafe

Fred Astaire Dance Studios

Book Binders

Sidecar

Roma