Greg Bryant
Greg Bryant has been a longtime curator of improvisational music. At the age of 3 in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, he was borrowing his father’s records and spinning them on his Fisher Price turntable. Taking in diverse sounds of artistry from Miles Davis, Les McCann, James Brown, Weather Report and Jimi Hendrix gave shape to Greg's musical foundation and started him on a path of nonstop exploration.
He officially began his career as a broadcaster while still in high school at age 14. Greg was given the chance to host a weekly jazz radio show on WFSK-FM, the Fisk University station that served the north Nashville community. Time on weekends was allocated to visiting area record stores and weekly allowances were spent on CD’s and LP's to ensure he kept his show fresh, which grew his music collection immeasurably.
While pursuing a Mass Communications degree at Middle Tennessee State University, Greg quickly earned a position at WMOT-FM, which was Tennessee’s only full-time jazz station and NPR affiliate.
He then moved on to complete a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. Between studies every weekend, Greg was a constant presence in such rooms as, The Jazz Showcase, The Green Mill, Orchestra Hall and The Velvet Lounge. This allowed him to meet and hear many of his musical heroes – Lou Donaldson, Sam Rivers, Percy Heath, Clark Terry, Fred Anderson and Jack DeJohnette. While at Northwestern, he also hosted a weekly morning show on WNUR-FM.
At the completion of his studies, Greg returned to Nashville, TN, where he worked in public relations, launched a performance career as a bassist and returned to radio hosting a weekly jazz showcase on WFSK called, “Premium Jazz.” During this tenure, he interviewed such luminaries as Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Sonny Rollins, Bill Stewart, Ron Carter, Ahmad Jamal, Louis Hayes, Freddie Hubbard and Ornette Coleman.
After leaving the station to concentrate on performing and touring as a musician and sideman, Greg cultivated a local concert series where he brought renowned improvisational musicians to the Nashville area including Dr. Lonnie Smith, Charlie Hunter, John Ellis, Logan Richardson and Peter Bernstein. To satisfy his continued desire to broadcast, Greg founded a podcast series called, “JazzWatch” where he interviewed musicians and singers such as Cassandra Wilson, Nicholas Payton, Mike Clark, Rene Marie, Harold Mabern, George Cables and Brian Blade among many others.
Greg has carried a love for the New York music scene for most of his life. He has been a frequent visitor to the area as both a performer and as a listener. The community of musicians in the New York/New Jersey area has been particularly inspiring for him. Joining this community as a curator and broadcast host of WBGO Jazz After Hours is a deep honor. He looks forward to hearing and playing music frequently, meeting and interviewing more of the brilliant personalities involved on the scene and winning supporters and listeners for one of the world's most unique art forms.
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The pianist Les McCann, who died Dec. 29 at the age of 88, was known for his song "Compared to What." But he had a long and celebrated expansive career that preceded — and followed — that hit.
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Jazz United celebrates Carla Bley, the irrefutably original composer and pianist, as she rounds the corner on an 85th birthday. -
On the occasion of the legendary bassist's centennial, broadcaster and bass player Greg Bryant zeroes in on the legend's technical wizardry. -
On the final episode of Jazz United, Greg Bryant and Nate Chinen work out their mutual ambivalence about one of jazz's best-loved virtuosos. -
Jazz United began with a literal conversation, as Greg Bryant and Nate Chinen met up for some music just over two years ago. We're proud of how far we've come, and now we're asking for your support. -
Let Me Tell You About It is now a podcast, and in our inaugural episode, Greg Bryant catches up with guitarist Lionel Loueke. -
In the second episode of Let Me Tell You About It, legendary hip-hop producer Large Professor pulls the curtain back on his signature instrumentals. -
For Let Me Tell You About It, saxophonist Houston Person talks about the ingenuity that's always kept his career humming. -
Jazz United considers the vital challenge and rich reward of 'Cecil Taylor - The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert.' -
The title of the show, borrowed from baritone saxophonist Leo Parker's 1961 album, is a descriptor for the show's soulfully probing dialogues with musicians that examine aspects of the human condition. Additionally, Bryant provides commentary and thoughtfully curated classic and current vinyl record listening recommendations.
