Songs & Stories

This episode of Backstage Jazz features an interview with Koki Renwick of Moon.unit. We discussed their music and upcoming performance at Dazzle on Saturday, January 6.

Moon.unit is an emerging project out of Boston, a brainchild of three current New England Conservatory students. It features Denver’s own Koki Renwick on trumpet, synth, and electronics, Jake Walters on piano, synth bass, and vocals, and Dominic Vance on drums, electronics, percussion, and moon.unit combines the styles of modern jazz, free and noise music, hip-hop, and pop genres into a unique listening experience. 

This episode of Backstage Jazz features an interview with Denver guitarist, composer, and teacher J.J. Murphy. We discussed his upcoming performance at Dazzle on Saturday, December 16.

As a composer and a guitarist, J.J. Murphy brings a soulful vitality to contemporary music. His sound is an effortless blend of folk, blues, rock, and jazz, with covers from Thelonious Monk to Radiohead.

“JJ is an inspiring guitarist well versed in many styles, but he made me fall in love with blues and slide guitar all over again,” said Dave Abear (Melvin Seals and JGB). Nashville-based producer Ryan Connors defines Murphy's style as “the blues-inspired rawness of Eric Clapton with the jazz vocabulary and sensitivity of Bill Frisell.”

JJ Murphy, Nate Miller, Kirwan Brown, and Braxton Kahn will perform on Saturday, December 16, at 9 p.m. (doors open at 8:30). The material will be rooted in funk, but it can go any direction at any moment. The band will draw on original material from each member and some songs the audience knows. The music will make you want to move.

In this episode of Backstage Jazz, we spoke with Laurena Frihauf, a rising star in the music industry whose talent has been recognized on prestigious platforms. 

She discussed her upcoming solo album and performance at Dazzle on December 7th.

Her music carries an indie singer-songwriter essence, infused with folk and neo-soul elements, creating a captivating and unique sonic landscape. Surprisingly, Lauren's urban vibe starkly contrasts the rural farm where she lives and creates, adding an intriguing dimension to her artistry. 

More info: https://laurenfrihaufmusic.com/

This episode features an interview with Grammy-nominated musician Art Lande and jazz sax player Sam Williams. We discussed tracks from their current album Portals, and the duo’s upcoming show at Dazzle on November 26.

Sam Williams is a saxophonist and music educator, currently residing in Boulder, CO. Experienced in various music styles, Sam performs regularly in jazz venues and concert halls throughout northern Colorado and beyond.

Grammy-nominated Art Lande is an internationally known pianist, composer, improviser, drummer, and educator who has performed with a long list of the Who's Who in jazz, including Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Steve Swallow, Charlie Haden, Kenny Wheeler, Sheila Jordan, Mark Isham, Paul McCandless, Jan Garbarek, and many others.

This episode of Backstage Jazz features an interview with the legendary jazz/funk organist Ronnie Foster. We discussed his latest album, Reboot, and his upcoming shows at Dazzle.

Ronnie Foster’s return to Blue Note Records is an event of synergistic quintessence, completeness, and coolness. The organ great’s dynamic new album, Reboot, arrives upon the 50th anniversary of his 1972 Blue Note debut, Two Headed Freap, which is also being reissued this year as part of the label’s Classic Vinyl Series...

Justin Adams is a versatile, first-call Denver jazz pianist and educator. Justin has performed with jazz greats Claudio Roditi, J.P. Torres, Chris Calloway, Candido Camaro, and Claudio Slon and has played at many national jazz festivals and appeared numerous times at Nocturne with the Derek Banach Quintet. 

In this episode, we discussed the value of music education and listened to a few tracks with his band, Medianoche Honrado.

Theon Cross is an award-winning tuba player and composer. He is a key component of London’s thriving jazz scene, and his unique sound has been described as ‘innovative’ and hailed for ‘reinventing the tuba.’

His debut EP ‘Aspirations’ brought him international attention and garnered him a Jazz FM nomination for Best Jazz Newcomer in 2016. In 2019, he released his debut album ‘Fyah’ which was met with critical acclaim worldwide, charting at # 1 on the UK official Jazz & Blues charts, # 23 on the US Jazz Billboard, and garnered high praise from major publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Pitchfork, The New York Times, The Guardian and NPR leading him to tour extensively throughout Europe, North America and South America.

This episode features an interview with musician, bandleader, and composer Reid Poole. We discussed and played a few tracks from his catalog and talked about his upcoming show at Dazzle on November 8.

Reid's proficiency knows no bounds, whether it's the raw emotion of the blues, the timeless notes of traditional New Orleans brass bands, or the intricate rhythms of bebop.

This episode features an interview with jazz guitarist Steve Langemo. We discussed tracks from his album Up From The Outside and talked about his upcoming show at Dazzle on November 24.

As a solo artist, Steve has released three full-length albums of original jazz/funk/fusion material: Out Loud in 2008, There to Here in 2018, and Up From The Outside in 2022.

This episode of Backstage Jazz features an interview with jazz pianist Harold López-Nussa. Ewe discussed his new album, Timba a la Americana, and his upcoming show at Dazzle on November 18.

Cuban-born pianist and composer HAROLD LÓPEZ-NUSSA begins an exciting new chapter of his fascinating career with his Blue Note debut, Timba a la Americana, a vibrant album teeming with joy and pathos that was inspired by the pianist’s recent decision to leave his Cuban homeland and begin a new life in France. Produced by Snarky Puppy bandleader Michael League, Timba a la Americana unveils a brand-new sound across ten dynamic original compositions performed by a tight-knit band featuring harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret, Luques Curtis on bass, Bárbaro “Machito” Crespo on congas, and Harold’s brother Ruy Adrián López-Nussa on drums.