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Hello and welcome to Focus on OLLI. What is OLLI? OLLI is a program at UNLV dedicated to active retired or semi-retired individuals who understand the importance of keeping themselves engaged. OLLI is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNLV. Every month this program will dig into favorite classes, interesting teachers and members as well as special events offered through OLLI.
Announcer 0:00
This is a KUNV Studios original program. The
Wesley Knight 0:05
content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Keith McMillen 0:16
Hello, and welcome to Focus on Olli. Ollie is a program at UNLV dedicated to retired or semi-retired individuals who remain engaged and active in civic activities and lifelong learning. Olli is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNLV. Olli is made possible by support from the Bernard Osher Foundation, established by philanthropists Bernard and Barbara Osher, with a mission to support lifelong learning, higher education, and the arts. This series is designed to give you an in-depth look at the Olli program and encourage you to join in the fun. Hey, and welcome back! Today we have a very special guest. We're going to deal with some of our music appreciation programs, and we have an instructor, Sonya Feldberg, who does our stuff on jazz, and she's brought along a young man named Jonathan Kurant. If you're up on the contemporary music scene, you've probably heard about him, and we'll give you his background in a second. But first, Sonya, how did you meet Jonathan?
Sonia Feldberg 1:21
Well, it was a while ago. Not actually giving any specific dates, but it was a little under 10 years ago, at a local supper club here in town, and I was there with my friends, and Jonathan was singing, and we decided to start throwing out some classical songs to sing because he wanted some input and he knew every one of them. They were all show tunes, so we sat there and we were like, "This guy's pretty good. We need to come back and see him.
Keith McMillen 1:52
All right. Yes. Good. He is an acclaimed jazz vocalist. His was this your first album, On and On?
Jonathan Karrant 1:59
Yes, it was.
Keith McMillen 2:00
It reached number four on the Billboard Jazz Charts. His live recording, coincidentally called Live, was number two on the iTunes Jazz Charts. And throughout his career, he's received numerous honors, including New York City Jazz Honors, the Bravo California Award for Best Singer, recognition by Downbeat as one of the top 10 rising jazz vocalists. He has been involved in the Olli program in one of our earlier classes on jazz music. He was a guest and performed, I assume. And then when the teacher had to step down, Jonathan stepped in to take over for him, probably the youngest Ali teacher on record. But how was that experience for you?
Jonathan Karrant 2:49
It was great. You know, it gave me a chance to you know dive deeper into things and and recall things or dig things up to share. So it was you know a learning experience for me as well,
Keith McMillen 3:00
wonderful. And Sonia, who is now teaching our jazz class, has brought him back every year, every semester. He
Sonia Feldberg 3:08
comes in every semester graciously and does a class for us on whatever it's the instructor's choice, as I like to call it. He can do whatever he chooses, and usually enlightens us with whatever knowledge he has. I took it over for pretty much the same reason. Jonathan became very busy traveling and having other things going on in his life that he needed to do, performing, traveling to perform, and doing his recordings. So I stepped in to teach class, and it's been a great experience for me also, and I love having him there. He usually opens the semester for me.
Keith McMillen 3:47
Ah, well, that's that. That's yeah, and
Jonathan Karrant 3:50
it's always great to come back. And yeah, I'm so glad that you've been keeping it going so beautifully, Sonia.
Sonia Feldberg 3:55
Thank you. I try.
Keith McMillen 3:57
So, how did you get involved in music originally? What was the was there an inspiration, or did June basically climb out of the crib and start singing?
Jonathan Karrant 4:07
Well, my mother says I was always drawn to music and would you know move or bop my head as a infant to different beats. I always say the music picked me. I didn't really pick it. I didn't really have much say in it. It just grabbed me, and especially this genre of music, jazz, and the Great American Songbook, really just took took over. I didn't really have much say in it, and at this point, that's all I know. So I just have to keep going. But it's been beautiful. I feel that this music has really enriched my life because it's got such depth and meaning to it, you know, lyrically and musically.
Keith McMillen 4:43
Interesting. Yes. Is there a particular singer that you remember from when you were growing up that you were especially interested in or followed closely?
Jonathan Karrant 4:53
Well, my grandparents, I guess, turned me on to the Great American Songbook through like a Cole Porter album or some. Show tunes, and then I just dove deeper, and you know, of course, I love Sinatra and Billie Holiday. They were the kind of the first two I picked up on, and then I I started you know researching and digging deeper and finding artists like Carmen McRae or Little Jimmy Scott influences. I would say that the two biggest influences have probably been Mel Torme and Nancy Wilson.
Keith McMillen 5:23
Aha. Okay. Yes, Mel Torme. I know in some of the material on you, Mel Torme is mentioned. So yes, interesting. Now you have recorded and collaborated frequently with artists, including Diane Shore.
Jonathan Karrant 5:39
That's right.
Keith McMillen 5:39
How did how did that collaboration come about?
Jonathan Karrant 5:42
We met almost 11 years ago. I was asked to honor her with a proclamation of Diane Sherday at the Palm Springs Women's Jazz Festival, and we hit it off right away, laughing, and we just became closer and closer, and we become like family. And she is featured on my holiday album, Christmas Wish. But when she decided to retire a couple years ago, it inspired me to do an album full circle that not only tributes her legacy, but it really, on a more personal note, tributes the mentorship she's given me and our close close friendship. She's become like family to me. So this this album is just a heart project and kind of my love letter to to her and appreciation to her for her life and legacy and the things that she's taught me. And it was a great project to do on many different levels, and it has many the the title full circle. It's for her, it's it's kind of like her passing the torch to the next jazz generation, and then for me, it's like I can remember being that little kid, you know, listening to her and growing up listening to her. So it's just such a special project, and the title Full Circle has many different parallels.
Keith McMillen 6:52
If if I read the liner notes on that, all of the songs on that album are ones that she has also performed in the past.
Jonathan Karrant 7:00
Correct. Yeah, she she collaborated and worked with a lot of artists, and they wrote songs with her, like for for her, like Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, Ray Charles, Yvonne Linz, Paul Williams. All wrote tunes that she introduced, so those became signature songs for her library of music. But then she also had a lot of songs that were just popular recordings, popular standards that she recorded.
Keith McMillen 7:25
Okay, we we are going to hear a cut later on that is very special on this album because it is a duet between you with Diane on one of her songs on your new album, Full Circle.
Jonathan Karrant 7:38
Yeah, caught a touch of your love. Actually, Ray Charles called her and said, "Hey, you should record this tomb. Caught a touch of your love. So she did. Of course, when you get a call from Ray Charles, that was one of her mentors. So again, it's there's another full circle moment there of of you know her mentor suggesting that, and then we're doing it you know a second time where she she recorded it on her album with the Count Basie Orchestra, but we rearranged the the tune a little bit and did it as a duet. It was her idea that this could be a duet between the two of us.
Keith McMillen 8:13
That's brilliant. We look forward to hearing that a little later in the program. The other award that you've gotten this year is a thing called the Limelight Award from the College of Fine Arts here at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. And frankly, it caught me by surprise because I hadn't heard of the Limelight Award. I've only been here for eight years, and obviously, a limelight refers to old stage lighting technology, but it means they put the spotlight on you, and where does that limelight thing come from?
Jonathan Karrant 8:44
Well, it comes from the College of Fine Arts, but they every year they do a Hall of Fame event, and that was one of the the I think they give out five awards that evening, and that was the the one that I received, and the night was extraordinary. I I was so honored and am pleased, you know, and thrilled to receive it. But the evening truly was much more special and and meaningful than I could have imagined.
Keith McMillen 9:08
Nice. What what other things happened at that? Were the other honorees there? Did did you all perform at some point?
Jonathan Karrant 9:16
I they I did perform one song, a song from my album Eclectic, and it's a song from Willy Wonka. Pure imagination.
Keith McMillen 9:24
Lovely song. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. That's wonderful.
Sonia Feldberg 9:28
It truly was a wonderful evening. Yeah. the The entire event was very heartfelt. was very wonderful. All the performances were really from the heart type. They weren't just meaningless words, and I was very lucky to be there and see how it unfolded that evening. So it was a magical moment.
Jonathan Karrant 9:50
Yeah, it really was.
Sonia Feldberg 9:50
It was.
Keith McMillen 9:51
That's what we like to hear about. So, what is coming up in your near future?
Jonathan Karrant 9:57
Well, I just had the album released. Show at Myron's at the Smith Center to celebrate this album full circle and bring it all to life. And I'll just continue to promote this record through the fall. And then once December hits, I'll start doing holiday shows. My next show at Myron's is a holiday show in December, but I'll be traveling with with this album for the next few months, and then switching it into holiday gear when that when we get there,
Sonia Feldberg 10:27
and also Jonathan will be part of the Philharmonics show Christmas show, a very Vegas Christmas. He will also be performing in that,
Jonathan Karrant 10:37
yeah,
Sonia Feldberg 10:38
along with some others that have graduated from UNLV, so
Keith McMillen 10:42
it is
Sonia Feldberg 10:42
always just a wonderful production. So it's not to be missed, and it will be conducted by our new conductor for the Philharmonic, Ray Hatoda.
Keith McMillen 10:51
Yeah. So
Sonia Feldberg 10:52
we're looking forward to that.
Keith McMillen 10:54
All right.
Sonia Feldberg 10:54
We get a lot of UNLV people that attend. Oh, I'm
Keith McMillen 10:57
sure. Yes.
Sonia Feldberg 10:58
It'll be very nice.
Keith McMillen 10:59
That's that's wonderful. So when you're touring with, are you taking the band with you, or do you pick up musicians locally?
Jonathan Karrant 11:07
I do a little of both. Sometimes I bring a pianist with me and pick up the other cats, but often I'll pick up a band. I play on the coast of California almost once a month, so I have a laundry list of great musicians that I am privileged to work with in California, and then in New York, I have a lot of guys that I regularly work with. So you know, the jazz community is is kind of a close one. So I'm I'm always seeing like, oh, this guy lives. You know, I work with a great trio in Cincinnati. You know, it's just different different guys, and it's it's such a language jazz that you can be communicated, you know, easily if if if you're schooled in it.
Keith McMillen 11:48
Okay, terrific. Yeah, you're going to be touring. What is your next performance here in town going to be the Christmas show?
Jonathan Karrant 11:56
Yes, it will be. Okay,
Keith McMillen 11:57
so people have a chance to look ahead for that if they're interested, is there a website for you?
Jonathan Karrant 12:03
Yes, you can find all things Jonathan at jonathancourant.com.
Keith McMillen 12:06
How about that? Yeah, everybody's got a website. Of
Sonia Feldberg 12:09
course,
Keith McMillen 12:11
I guess I got to stop using film strips. I don't know. I'm old school. What can I say?
Sonia Feldberg 12:17
Have to have a website.
Jonathan Karrant 12:19
I guess so. You know, this is probably a good time. Why don't you let's put the cut on? You want to introduce this? Yeah, exactly. And and I've got a list of the backup musicians you have, and maybe you want to run through them too. Well, I worked closely with an extraordinary pianist, Tamir Handelman, on these arrangements. I gave him my vision for them, and he just took them to a whole nother level, and and tweaked them, and fine tuned them just beautifully. And we really work closely on on these arrangements. This song is "Cut a Touch of Your Love, the first single that released from Full Circle, and this is the duet with Diane Shurm.
Music 13:09
I'm not feeling like I usually do. I think it might have something to do with you. Every time you near me, my body gets hot. Don't need no doctor. I know what I got. I caught a touch of your love. It came on overnight. I must have held you too tight last night and caught a touch of your love.
Your affection has affected me. I'm feeling kind of dizzy and weak in the knees. I've been in love before, but never so bad. You're in my system, and it's driving me mad. I could've touched the love. It came on overnight. I must have held you too tight last night and caught a touch of your love. The feel from your kisses tears me apart. It starts from your lips and goes straight to my heart. No use pretending, 'cause baby, I'm sure there's no cure, and I've got to have more. The feel from your kisses tears me apart. It starts from your lips and goes straight to my heart. No use pretending, 'cause baby, I'm sure there's no cure, and I've just got to have more. I got a touch of illusion. You came on overnight. I must have held you too tight last night,
and caught a touch, touch,
baby, baby,
caught a touch from the top of my head to my toes.
Well, I know how that goes.
Keith McMillen 16:36
Yes, yes, lovely. It was wonderful to hear. So you are going to comment. He Jonathan did a show this week at Myron's, which was in support of this album. I am guessing.
Jonathan Karrant 16:47
Yes.
Keith McMillen 16:48
Okay.
Sonia Feldberg 16:48
Yes, it was the official album release, and we had a very special heartfelt moment. That honestly, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. Jonathan called Diane up and live from
Keith McMillen 17:03
stage.
Sonia Feldberg 17:03
Live from stage, and she wished him well wishes, and she sang "I'll Be Seeing You, which is the final cut, correct, on a CD.
Jonathan Karrant 17:13
Yeah, she closes the album with "I'll Be Seeing You,
Sonia Feldberg 17:15
and she sang it on the phone for us. It was quite a memorable moment. I don't like I said. Everybody in that room got a very special treat that evening.
Keith McMillen 17:24
Oh yeah.
Sonia Feldberg 17:25
So it was
Jonathan Karrant 17:26
yeah. It was a special moment, and she really felt wonderful to be able to participate in that. She's not traveling anymore, but she closes the album with the recording of "I'll Be Seeing You Too. I mean, she sang it beautifully through the phone and through the microphone, but it's probably one of the most heartfelt recordings because it kind of comes from a different place. She's kind of saying, in a way, farewell as she's retired. So it's just a beautiful recording.
Sonia Feldberg 17:54
I agree. It was a moment.
Keith McMillen 17:56
Well, to to go back to the educational side of this, we are talking about Ollie eventually, and this just gives you a clue as to the kinds of depth we can get into in an Ollie class. But if you are in front of a new class on jazz appreciation, are there any things that you would suggest to folks who really haven't gotten into the jazz genre in the past? What to look for, where to start, how to understand some of this, because the older standards, if you will, and some of the newer things that are happening seem to me to be worlds apart.
Jonathan Karrant 18:30
Well, jazz is you know universal language, but you know I would tell people that are first listening to jazz and and the Great American songbook to you know start with the godfather of jazz, which was Louis Armstrong, and his goddaughter was Billie Holiday, musical goddaughter, you know. And I would say to look at the works of Duke Ellington and Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer, you know, some of these great, great, great songwriters. That's where I guess I would say to to start, and then just follow whatever speaks to your heart, you know, and grooves your inner soul and makes you feel good.
Keith McMillen 19:10
All right, words of wisdom. And what about you, Sonia? Where do you direct your classes?
Sonia Feldberg 19:15
Well, how I look at it, it's someone that was part of the jazz society who we do we have a very active jazz society here in Las Vegas gave a definition that I always refer to because they've described it as a diamond with many facets. So it's not a lot of people think that jazz is what we used to hear as jazz. It incorporates so many different things and different styles that they need to listen to a wide variety of what's available and then say I do or don't like jazz because it is very diverse.
Jonathan Karrant 19:53
Absolutely, there's so many under that umbrella. There's so you know you have soul jazz, you have jazz that's more blues or. You have more like pop jazz, which would be more like a Sinatra or a Tony Bennett or you know, and then you've got you know R&B jazz that has that kind of you know. Then you have smooth jazz. Then you have more interpretive and more experimental jazz. It's you know more far out. So
Sonia Feldberg 20:17
Latin jazz. Yeah, Latin jazz, which you sing amazingly well. Thank you. My favorite. I
Jonathan Karrant 20:22
love Joe Beam. Yep. Yeah. And then you've got world jazz. It has more of that, like almost New Age kind of. So yeah, it's the word jazz has many different roads that lead from it. Yeah. It's
Sonia Feldberg 20:35
like a diamond. So that all those facets that you see in a diamond are part of jazz. You know, people don't realize that the American songbook is jazz. Yes, they would
Keith McMillen 20:44
consider those standards and stuff. Correct, and they are,
Sonia Feldberg 20:47
but they many of them are jazz.
Jonathan Karrant 20:50
Yeah, they came out. They either came out of Broadway film or from people writing jazz jazz songs. Yeah, it's it's and jazz is one of America's only art forms born here.
Sonia Feldberg 21:03
Yep,
Keith McMillen 21:04
that's true. Yes, yes, yes, it is.
And the roots of it are all over the place.
Jonathan Karrant 21:09
Yeah.
Keith McMillen 21:09
Having been from Chicago, I know the blues were very popular in the south side of the city and moved up into the north side. Yeah, they're everywhere.
Sonia Feldberg 21:18
I would say that people really need to explore the genre before they get out there and say we don't like jazz.
Keith McMillen 21:26
Now, are there other places to go and hear jazz beside here at 91.5? To
Jonathan Karrant 21:31
hear it live, I mean, yeah, we have several. You know, we live in the entertainment capital of the world. New York is considered the jazz capital of the world, but there's you know many places to hear jazz or or just you know standards the Great American Songbook yeah
Sonia Feldberg 21:46
there are keep your eyes Myrin's does you know right they have quite a few artists that come there that are jazz based Supper Club they are a jazz club so they do lean toward and they have a very unique program because they deal with students from the arts high school. So they actually give them an opportunity during the week to come in there and play their music. So it is a teaching tool for them, positive experience on how to play live music to a live audience.
Jonathan Karrant 22:19
And the Italian American Club, the bootlegger, Maxim. Some of the casinos, of course, have lounges that
Sonia Feldberg 22:26
Fountain Blue.
Jonathan Karrant 22:27
Yeah,
Sonia Feldberg 22:27
has a couple places, and I thought those
Keith McMillen 22:31
kinds of things were mostly gone now. Well,
Jonathan Karrant 22:33
a lot of them are, unfortunately. There's slot machines where there was once a
stage.
Keith McMillen 22:40
Yes, yes. Now you've been very supportive here of this radio station.
Jonathan Karrant 22:44
Yes, when I can be absolutely. I love coming in and and doing the pitch partner sets and and doing their membership drive. Yeah,
Keith McMillen 22:53
which is great. Had you done anything with the art school, the the high school?
Jonathan Karrant 22:58
No, I haven't. I I do work with an organization called Joy Jazz Outreach Initiative, and I do try to feature some of the students in some of my concerts. I'll be doing that for the holiday concert at Myron's.
Keith McMillen 23:11
Oh, wonderful!
Jonathan Karrant 23:12
Yeah,
Keith McMillen 23:13
wonderful! Yeah, give those kids a chance to get some stage fright. I mean, yeah, well, it does. It gives them
Jonathan Karrant 23:19
you know real life experience, and they're you know they're backstage. They're you know coming to the sound check. They're you know getting dressed for the gig. So they it does give them a chance to see what what it's all about.
Sonia Feldberg 23:30
Yeah, it's a pretty awesome program for kids.
Keith McMillen 23:32
Yeah, they they
Sonia Feldberg 23:33
mentor. They match a student up with a professional.
Keith McMillen 23:38
Oh, okay. Okay.
Jonathan Karrant 23:39
They not only do they give them the instrument, the instrument, but they also give them lessons. You know, so it's not just you know collecting dust in the corner. Yeah.
Keith McMillen 23:50
All right, that's useful too. Is there anything else we need to touch on?
Sonia Feldberg 23:54
I think we've covered quite a bit. Why did that limelight award start through the fine arts department? How did that come about? Because I know it's one of the newer awards that they're giving out over there.
Jonathan Karrant 24:06
Yeah, I'm sure that Nancy Usher, the dean, and her board came up with the different awards that they give out. But graciously, Kate Zong and Vera Goulet, I guess, nominated me for that, so that's how it came to to pass from me.
Keith McMillen 24:23
Nice, very nice. Is is a separate announcement, and this we try and make our program somewhat not time related or time dependent, meaning that we don't talk generally about things that are just going to happen in the next two weeks and are never going to happen again because podcasts are done asymmetrically, if you will. You might we're recording this in September, but you might might not download it and listen to it until December. In which case, this following announcement probably isn't going to be helpful. But the College of Fine Art is. In producing for the public on Friday, October 23rd, the ninth annual UNLV Art Walk. The Art Walk happens on the main campus of the university. This year's theme is Rebel Gold. It is a free event. Parking is free. It starts at five in the evening and goes until 9 p.m. There will be performances on the grass. In fact, the Nevada Conservatory Theater has promised golf cart theater. I'm not sure how that's going to work. You'll have to talk to director to find out. But it's open to the public. Features art exhibitions, live music, dance performances, film demonstrations, theater events, and much more as you walk around the academic mall of the UNLV campus. There's also food tastings from favorite local restaurants, a beer garden, wine tastings, and other surprises. This is a free event, including parking on campus. Dean Nancy Usher has said we are living in the midst of a cultural renaissance in Las Vegas. This is a tremendous conversion of new opportunities, partnerships, institutions, and activities. How exciting that our Art Walk 2026 is a vital part of the swirl of art making and community engagement. Holly's going to be there to talk about it and to help people find a way around, and I'm hoping that a lot of you will join us. It should be a very pleasant evening. We thank Sonja and Jonathan for their participation here, and I'm hoping that jazz lasts forever. Thank you.
Music 26:54
I'll be seeing you. In all the old familiar places that this heart of mine embraces, all. All day through
in that small cafe, the park. across the way,
the children's carousel, the chestnut tree, the wishing way. I'll be seeing you on every lovely summer's day. In everything that's light and gay,
I'll always think of you that way.
I'll find you in the morning sun, and when the night is new. I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be
seeing you.
Moon.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai