Tyler was a part of IU Straight No Chaser for all four years of college, serving as the group's Musical Director for three years. He graduated in 2007, which makes him the youngest member. After college, he sang on two cruise ships with the a cappella group "Oceans F"ur." He joined Straight No Chaser in 2009 and was a part of SNC's first PBS special, "Live in "New York." He says he's been very blessed to do this for a living and can't thank the fans enough for their support.

Straight No Chaser is back on tour, serving up an all-you-can-eat buffet of holiday music (with none of the calories) as they cross the U.S. from October through December.

Thanks for listening, and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase their music so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke, and inspire.

Jack Dunlevie is a Denver-based pianist, mandolinist, vocalist, and composer. He graduated in 2015 from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, winning composition and recital performance awards. Performing full-time around Colorado and touring nationally, he can be heard playing Jazz, Classical, Salsa, and Bluegrass with various bands both as a side man and as a leader.

Thanks for listening, and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase their music so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke, and inspire.

A Djembist, Composer, Producer, and Folklorist of the highest caliber, Braimah has an almost insatiable knack for drawing entire audiences into his groove, zigzagging through Africa on a breathtaking rhythmic roller coaster. His sound is the new voice of Djembe Music around the world.

Born in Ghana and raised in East St. Louis with deep roots in New Orleans, he was first introduced to West African culture and drumming and began performing at the age of 2.

In this episode, we'll speak with saxophonist/flutist Joe Anderies. He discusses his music career and latest release Resonance.

Joe’s past performance and recording experiences include the international group IMAGES that he helped form as well as collaborations with Rob Mullins, Ron Miles, Chuck Lamb, Eric Gunnison, Hugh Ragin, Paul Romaine, and Nestor Torres. Joe continues to lead groups and produce jazz concerts in the Denver area primarily at the jazz venue Dazzle.

This episode features an interview with composer and saxophonist Wil Swindler. We discuss his current release Space Bugs.

Swindler resides near Denver, CO, where he leads Wil Swindler's Elevenet, the modern bop quintet GoodRattle, and the Wil Swindler Quartet.  In addition to his own bands, he is an active performer with the Peter Sommer Septet, Al Hood’s H2 Big Band, the Colorado Symphony, the Ben Markley Big Band, the Colorado Jazz Orchestra, the Adam Bartzcak Republic, and many more.  

In addition to receiving IAJE's Gil Evans Fellowship in 2008, Wil has completed numerous commissions from jazz ensembles, military bands, and symphony orchestras worldwide.  Wil has three CDs available under his own name, Universe B (OA2 Records 2010), the Right Riot (2014) with GoodRqattle, and Chamber Jazz Ensemble (NohJoh Music 2006), and can be heard on numerous other albums, including Ingrid Michaelson’s Songs for the Season, Steve Owen's Stand Up Eight, Peter Sommer’s Happy-Go-Lucky-Locals, Al Hood/Dave Hansen's You're It, Bob Washut’s Journey to Knowhere, and David Caffey’s Enter Autumn and All in One.

Thanks for listening, and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase their music so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke, and inspire.

Taylor Clay was born in Brooklyn, NY, and began his musical journeys at the age of 13 and went on to study at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY. After completing his degree in Music Performance in 2012, he moved to Colorado to attend the University of Northern Colorado as a graduate student and teaching assistant. Taylor lives in Denver, Colorado, and works as a freelance musician.

Upcoming Shows

The Taylor Clay Quartet will begin their weekly residency at Nocturne’s Jazz/Supper Club on Sunday, October 1. There will be two sets: 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

In this episode of Backstage Jazz, musician Matt Smiley shares a few tracks with us from his upcoming double CD.

Matt Smiley is a bassist, composer, and educator who has performed in various musical settings over the last fifteen years. He has a bachelor’s degree in music industry with a jazz studies minor from James Madison University and a Master of Music in jazz studies from the University of Northern Colorado.

 An avid and enthusiastic musician, Smiley has performed nationally and internationally at universities nationwide and the Montreux, North Sea, and Montreal Jazz Festivals. 

Currently, Matt resides in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he plays jazz weekly with the Subterraneans at Ace Gillett’s. He has recently performed with legendary jazz musicians Terrell Stafford and Greg Osby and worked with composer Alvin Lucier. Matt has assisted Dr. Paul Elwood with the University of Northern Colorado’s Open Space Music Festival for the last five years and worked with festival artists Stephen Drury, Christian Wolff, and Jean-Claude Risset. 

Matt released Quartet Art on the Dazzle label in 2011, featuring David Pope on saxophone. Peaceful Contact Proved Elusive, with guitarist Alex Nauman, followed in 2014 as a limited-edition vinyl. Matt is featured on several Dazzle releases by artists Josh Quinlan, Annie Booth, and Ryan Fourt. 

This episode of Backstage Jazz features an interview with legendary jazz pianist and former Denver Public Schools Music Educator, Neil Bridge. Joining him is his wife and Muse, Vocalist/Collaborator, Karen Lee Bridge.

Neil Bridge is a legendary Jazz Piano player, composer, arranger, band leader, musical director, and former DPS music educator. Throughout his illustrious career, he has accompanied Mel Torme, Anita O’Day, Nancy Wilson, Dakota Staton, Johnny Smith, The Mills Brothers, Clark Terry, Sonny Stitt, and many more. He is well known for accompanying Johnny Smith (legendary world-class guitar player) for 30 years.

Karen Lee is currently fulfilling her passion for singing. Her dreams came true, and she finally fulfilled her lifetime wishes of singing professionally. Karen explains, “ I have been enrolled in the “N.B.A.O.M.,” for 30 glorious years. It’s the “Neil Bridge Academy Of Music!”

The music featured in the shows includes “Grooving’ in the City” and “Come Back To Me.” Both tracks can be found on the new album In The Key of Music (Neil Bridge & The Pride

Featuring Karen Lee Bridge), which can be purchased here: https://neilbridgemusic.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-key-of-music.

The Bridges will perform with Quintessence: Wayne Wilkinson Guitar), Mark Simon (Bass), and Todd Reid (Drums) at Dazzle on Friday, October 6, 2023, for a 7 p.m. show. Tickets are available here: https://www.dazzledenver.com. 

For more info on The bridges, please visit: https://www.neilbridgemusic.com

Thanks for listening, and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase their music so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke, and inspire

For over 30 years, Purnell Steen and the Five Points Ambassadors have been dedicated to preserving and playing the Jazz and Blues music of Denver's legendary Five Points neighborhood. In the special edition of Backstage Jazz, Steen pays tribute to music icon Charles “Charlie” Burrell in preparation for his 103rd birthday.

Burrell is a classical and jazz bass player and best known for being the first African American to be signed to a full-time contract in a major symphony orchestra in the United States. He is often called "the Jackie Robinson of Classical Music for this accomplishment.

He also performed with the San Francisco Symphony and later became a prominent figure in the Five Points jazz scene of Denver, sharing stages with the likes of Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, and Duke Ellington.

Thanks for listening, and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase their music so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke and inspire.

Jazz trumpeter Greg Gisbert’s eclectic career is in its 5th decade. His resume includes recordings, tours, multiple television performances/movie and TV soundtracks with such icons as Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Horace Silver, Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath, Buddy Rich, Clark Terry, Sarah Vaughn, Mel Torme, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, Maria Schneider, Dizzy Gillespie all stars w/ John Lee, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Chie Imaizumi (producer ) & more. Gisbert has held professorships & artist in residence as well as a highly respected featured guest artist for dozens of colleges & conservatories, most notably Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, U of Miami, and CU Boulder & he is currently a faculty member for the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz arts. 

Thanks for listening, and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. You can find Backstage Jazz on all podcast platforms and TAVN Radio.