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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Jazz United digs deep into the trailblazing rhythm legacy of hip-hop producer J Dilla — in conversation with Dan Charnas, author of an essential new book, 'Dilla Time.'
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As 2022 gets underway, we're energized with a spirit of renewal. So we decided to devote this episode of Jazz United to some New Year’s resolutions.
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For a dynamic look back at 2021, Nate Chinen and Greg Bryant welcomed critic Jordannah Elizabeth to a panel discussion at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
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One is a chart-topping juggernaut who has sparked musical controversy for the last 35 years. The other is a master who’s spent that same span of time balancing improvisational fire with lyrical soul. Yes, in both instances we’re talking about saxophonist Kenny G — Gorelick in the first case, and Garrett in the second. As you can imagine, we have some thoughts.
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Greg Bryant is a self-admitted Grinch when it comes to Christmas jazz, while Nate Chinen is a full-blown Elf. Hear them work out their differences on this holiday edition of Jazz United.
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On Wednesday, Dec. 1, WBGO premiered a concert video by pianist Dave Meder and violinist Scott Tixier, from Yamaha Studio NYC.
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Jazz United remembers the incomparable drummer and composer Paul Motian, whose spirit lives on in the music, and in a new documentary film.
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For Let Me Tell You 'Bout It, saxophonist Houston Person joins Greg Bryant to talk about the blend of swing, soul and ballads on 'Live in Paris.'
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On this episode of Jazz United, we peer under the hood of Superblue, with a special attention to the mechanics of groove; reminisce about our separate relationships with Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter’s music; and hear from both artists about their collaboration.
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On Let Me Tell You 'Bout It, saxophonist Eric Wyatt talks about hearing Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins at 12; what he learned from his father about creating a musical identity; and what motivated his new album, 'A Song of Hope.'