Songs & Stories

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.

One of the most well-received musicians of her generation, composer and arranger Chie Imaizumi, has won many awards as an ambitious and active voice in the jazz community. She received the Herb Pomeroy Award, The Rocky Mountain Jazz Artist of the Year, and was recognized by DownBeat Critics Poll as a "Rising Star Composer & Arranger."

Tenia Nelson performs regularly at jazz venues in the Denver metro area, including Dazzle and Nocturne. Nelson is a freelance music artist and plays all types of music. She co-led a well-known Denver-based jazz group, Spherio, which focuses on arranging and playing the music of Thelonious Sphere Monk (Tenia Nelson, keys; Brendan O' Donoghue, bass; and Andreas Schmid, drums). I also lead a group called Tenia Nelson Trio (Tenia Nelson, keys; Brendan O' Donoghue, bass; Alex Tripp, drums). 

Miss Rhythm – The Legend of Ruth Brown explores the life and times of R&B legend Ruth Brown through story and song, accompanied by a five-piece jazz band and created by and featuring Sheryl McCallum (Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway; Xanadu, Oklahoma, and The Wild Party at the Denver Center) and featuring David Nehls (The Great American Trailer Park Musical, composer/lyricist; Xanadu and The Other Josh Cohen at the Denver Center). Ruth Brown is a pioneer in developing rock, blues, and jazz, a Tony and Grammy award-winner, and an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A true original who showed grace and strength with a great sense of humor, Ruth Brown took the stage with as much talent as she did warmth.

This episode of Backstage Jazz features an interview with MaryLynn Gillaspie, a founding member of the Grammy-nominated vocal jazz group Rare Silk.

Rare Silk started in Boulder, CO. Their very first album, New Weave, flew to the top of the Billboard Jazz charts and received 2 Grammy nominations. MaryLynn and the group toured the world singing in the US, Europe, and Japan. MaryLynn’s return to singing began about 11 years ago. She performs locally at Suter Du Bose’s Caffe Sole and in Denver with different musical configurations. Her self-produced CD ‘Starlight’ received solid airplay on Denver’s Jazz station KUVO-FM. 

On this episode of Backstage Jazz, you'll also hear selections from Grover Washington Jr., Curtis Mayfield, and Grant Greet. The two-hour program features music from legends to the latest releases, along with musician interviews,

Host Steve Roby interviews jazz pianist Spencer Zweifel about his residency and tribute to Burt Bacharach at Nocturne Jazz Cub in Denver. Since forming his first jazz group at age 16, Spencer Zweifel has become a regular member of the Colorado music scene. An accomplished jazz pianist, Zweifel has performed professionally in various genres across Colorado and on tours around the US. 

Spencer graduated in 2019 with a degree in jazz studies from the University of Northern Colorado and won ‘Best Pop/Rock Soloist’ in the 2018 Downbeat Magazine student awards.

Bandleader Gabriel Mervine is deeply rooted in the traditions of Jazz and Classical and is an active contributor to the modern music scene both in Colorado and nationally. Born in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Gabriel began his professional playing career at the age of thirteen.

Every week on Backstage Jazz, you’ll hear a blend of contemporary and classic jazz and a touch of soul, funk, and blues, all selected by music journalist and host Steven Roby.

On This episode of Backstage Jazz, we're featuring an interview with jazz drummer Harold Summey. Summey has been a drummer/percussionist for over thirty years. The individuals he has performed with as either drummer or percussionist include Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Buck Hill, Harold Mabern, Eric Alexander, Gunther Schuller, Wynton Marsalis, Geri Allen, Pat Metheny, Whitney Houston. In 1992, Mr. Summey was the first-prize winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

Every week on Backstage Jazz, you’ll hear a blend of contemporary and classic jazz and a touch of soul, funk, and blues, all selected by music journalist and host Steven Roby.

This episode features an exclusive interview with jazz bassist Seth Lewis.

Every week on Backstage Jazz, you’ll hear a blend of contemporary and classic jazz and a touch of soul, funk, and world music, all selected by music journalist and host Steven Roby.