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Donny Thompson talks to local jazz artists and features their music. The Jazz Outreach Initiative is here to help you discover your own personal joy for jazz.
Wesley Knight 0:00
This is a KU NV studios original program. The 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.
Donny Thompson 0:18
You're listening to 91.5k U, N, V, jazz and more. And this is jazz outreach initiatives, the joy of jazz. I'm your host, Donnie Thompson, and this program is underwritten by d'agostinos Trattoria, a small local, family owned Italian restaurant at the corner of West Flamingo and buffalo, specializing in classic, always scratch Italian favorites, handmade pastas and desserts. For more information, go to d'agostinos. Lv.com in studio today, I am excited to welcome a longtime friend of jazz outreach initiative who's received accolades across the country, including the New York City jazz cabaret honors best singer for the Bravo California awards, and has been named by downbeat as one of the top 12 rising jazz vocalists today, it's jazz singer Jonathan courant. Welcome Jonathan, to the joy of jazz. Hey, hey, happy to be here. Glad to have you. So we have a little connection here. You grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas, very close to my in laws. How did singing find you and who were some of your early influences growing up?
Jonathan Karrant 1:19
Well, I've started singing at a very young age in church, in a Methodist church that was very sing songy, had a great pianist and organist and musical director there that took me under her wing and gave me solos at a young age. And so that's where all that came. That's where it started was, you know, with a lot of gospel and hymns, and would you
Donny Thompson 1:43
play any instruments, or was it has always been vocals. I took piano lessons,
Jonathan Karrant 1:47
guitar lessons, saxophone lessons, mostly piano though, is what I took growing up.
Donny Thompson 1:56
Can you describe the sensation of hearing applause the very first time? I imagine that's got to be something you never forget,
Jonathan Karrant 2:01
oh, the very first time. Well, it would have, would have been in church, and then later in a different way, doing, like theater, in in school. So, yeah. I mean, you know, that's like a nice wave of love and appreciation coming to your to your heart and your being it also possibly gives you, at that young age, kind of a little security, or makes you feel like, Oh, I did it right. You know
Donny Thompson 2:35
how long you been in Vegas?
Jonathan Karrant 2:39
I've been in Vegas for, I think, six or seven years now. But I was no stranger to coming here before I before I moved here.
Donny Thompson 2:46
So in 2012 of course, your day album, debut album on an on hit number four in the billboard jazz charts. And your album live from 2018 which was recorded actually here in Las Vegas at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, reached number two on the iTunes jazz charts. For those who might be starting out and wondering, what is the process for getting music heard and recognized that much?
Jonathan Karrant 3:09
Oh, it's a totally different ball game now than when that first album on and on released. I mean, in those days, you had a whole different way of campaigning an album and getting it out there. Now it's, you know, a lot of streams, and it's a whole different wheelhouse, but you know, you definitely have to have a voice on social media. You have to have an advertising campaign that is going to find its its way to listeners, and hopefully your music will get to their ears. How
Donny Thompson 3:43
has your creative process changed over the years? Oh, well,
Jonathan Karrant 3:49
I've always been lucky, and in supporting myself or surrounding myself with great musicians, I think that that lifts you up and causes you to strive to be on your best, best you know possible. So that album on and on, I really leaned more on on the the musicians we came up with a lot of the arrangements in the studio, kind of in the moment now, like this last project I worked on, I worked closely with Tamir Handelman, and we really honed in on the arrangements before even going to the studio. I guess that I put a lot more thought and time into a project than I used to.
Donny Thompson 4:45
Let's listen to a cut from your 2023 album, eclectic. This album features vocalist Jane Monheit, saxophonist Houston person, and jazz outreach initiatives, own artistic director and co founder, Kenny Rampton, from the Jazz at Lincoln Center, Orca. John trumpet, tell us a little bit about the song for what it's worth. For what it's
Jonathan Karrant 5:04
worth. This whole album eclectic came about in kind of a weird way, and it is a mismatch of all these different songs from different genres, different eras. And I heard for what it's worth, Buffalo Springfield song on the radio. And I thought, wow, those lyrics are still extremely relevant today. I think this deserves a little revisit. That's
Donny Thompson 5:29
true. You know, it was written sort of inspired by a confrontation between police and about 3000 young people on the on the Sunset Strip, and released the year that I was born, and I won't say the year I was born the audience out there, but if you can look it up, you'll find it out. But I just love the fact that you guys sort of jazzed it up and made it really unique.
Jonathan Karrant 5:50
Yeah, thank you. Yeah. I really like the way it came out, too. So we're going
Donny Thompson 5:54
to listen to this song for what it's worth. Jonathan Courant, 2023 album, eclectic. You.
Music 6:21
If there's something happening here,
what it is? Ain't exactly clear.
There's a man with a gun over there telling me
that I got to beware.
I think it's time we stopped children. What's that sound? Everybody? Look, what's going down?
There's battle lines being drawn. Nobody's right, if everybody's wrong.
We got young people speak of their minds getting so much resistance from behind. I think it's time we stopped children. What's that sad? Everybody? Look what's Going down.
What a field day for the heat.
There's 1000 people
in the streets
singing songs and carrying signs,
mostly say and hurry for our side. I think a sound will stop children. What's that sound? Everybody? Look what's going down.
This paranoia strikes deep
into your life. It may creep. It starts when you're always afraid. Step out of line. The man, he comes and he takes you away. I think it's time to stop children. What's that sound? Everybody? Look what's going down. Yeah,
look what's going down and down and down.
Everybody hear that sound what's going down? Hear that sound that's come together. Hear that sound, I've got
love and it's alright. I
think we better stop. Yeah, it's time to stop.
Donny Thompson 10:19
Welcome back to jazz outreach initiatives, the joy of jazz, underwritten by d'agostinos tractoria. This is your host, Donnie Thompson, and if you're just joining us, we're visiting with jazz singer Jonathan courant. And that was, for what it's worth, from his album eclectic Jonathan, you've built an arsenal of incredible talent around you with some of the names mentioned earlier. And of course, Joe Alterman, alternam, Alterman, Alterman, Alterman and legendary Grammy winning jazz artist Diane Schur and so many others, you just came off your outstanding performance at myrons at the Smith Center. Kathy and I were lucky enough to score a sheet a seat there before it was sold out. As always, what exciting projects are you working on that you can tease us with?
Jonathan Karrant 10:58
Well, speaking of Joe Alterman, about a year ago at at the Smith Center, we did another live album with the Joe Alterman trio, and that's going to be released this September, with a couple singles coming out in the summer. So that'll be exciting. We're going to do a big party at the Smith Center on the 24th of September. And live albums, to me, are so great because there's a different kind of joy and looseness and freedom on them, in a way than than being in the studio. And you have all that energy exchange between the audience and the musicians, which I really like. I really like getting that down on on a record, and
Donny Thompson 11:42
I was in one of those audience was when you did those recording and I haven't received my royalty check,
Jonathan Karrant 11:49
but you'll hear yourself who put in hollering on it. I'm sure
Donny Thompson 11:54
you've been tremendously supportive and generous with your talent to the local jazz community. As someone who performs at great venues across the US. What is your impression of the local jazz scene and its larger community here in Las Vegas? And where do you see it headed?
Jonathan Karrant 12:07
Well, I love the Las Vegas music scene and the jazz scene here, and I think over the last few years, it's just growing and growing and thriving. You know, we have so many more venues in town where jazz can be expressed and appreciated than some other cities. I know we're the entertainment capital, but you know, there's a lot of great artists here that are putting out a lot of great music, and I love all the work that joy is doing with the youth, and UNLV is putting out some great young students that I know are going to go on to do great things,
Donny Thompson 12:44
let's take a break and listen to some more of your great music. This one is also from your eclectic album. Tell us about love dance. Love
Jonathan Karrant 12:51
dance. Well, it's a beautifully Central, sensuous song, lyrics by Yvonne Linz and Jane Monheit is such a beautiful vocalist, and does have a lot of sensuality in her voice. And I just thought it would be a great duet, the idea of a dance and a love dance two people, and then adding Houston person who can make anything beautiful and romantic. One critic said that this, this track pairs well with satin sheets.
Donny Thompson 13:29
And Paul Williams wrote the music, yeah, yeah. Not to be confused with his other show, Love Boat, yeah. That's right. This is love dance again from his 2023 album, eclectic. Here's Jonathan Courant love dance.
Music 14:01
From too much talk to Silent touches, sweet touching, we turned our hearts to Love, then tried it first to remove
we loved, we slept, we left the lights on. The night's gone, and morning finds us caught in life's most
sensible church. Grace, turn up the
quiet. Love wants to dance. Who's
dreams, fires,
the enemy in silence,
from too much talk
to loving
Speaker 4 16:09
today when pure emotion takes the Moment To
Music 16:24
Oh, Oh So souls find new light in hearts that are listening like ours say,
eyes Inside from too much talk to loving touches.
When your emotion takes the Moment,
turn up the cross
Donny Thompson 19:10
you Oh. Welcome back to the jazz outreach initiatives, the joy of jazz, underwritten by d'agostinos tracerilla. This is your host, Donnie Thompson, and we're visiting with jazz singer Jonathan Courant today. That was love dance from his 2023 album, eclectic. Jonathan, you have a really unique rapport with your audiences that I find really fascinating. Being both on and off stage. Tell us about the relationship you have with your fans, and how that relationship and their love affects your performances. Well,
Jonathan Karrant 20:09
it's a beautiful thing, and I really appreciate everybody's love and support, and I I love the energy that's created when that exchange that happens that's beautiful during a live concert, you know, it's we're all having a conversation together. We're all coming to one thought, there's people of different walks of life, different points of view, and we're all coming together with the same thoughts and ideas there for a while, and it's just a real joy and a privilege for me to be able to do that. And I wish everyone's well being that is supporting me and supporting live music, because it's it's a great art form, and it's something really special to behold. I noticed
Donny Thompson 21:00
too, that you have a very loyal following here in Las Vegas. Now, I haven't seen your other shows in other towns, but do you seem to have the same people that come over and over again, and maybe they bring new people with them the next time? Yes, absolutely. That's amazing. So we're gonna get into our final track of the show, but before we introduce it, let's make sure the audience knows where they can find your music and more about you. Well,
Jonathan Karrant 21:25
you can find all things Jonathan at Jonathan courant.com or any social media platform, and I play regularly at the Smith centers.
Donny Thompson 21:36
And just for everybody's sake, it's K, A R, R, A N T. Jonathan Courant, and really smart, by the way, on all major platforms, it's at Jonathan courant. It's the same on every one of them. So that's right, Jonathan, anywhere he is. So Jonathan, it's a it's been really great having you, obviously too short of a visit, as always with you. But thank you to you for coming in. Thank you to our listeners for tuning in and sharing the show with others. And of course, thank you to our friends here at Q and V 91.5 jazz, and more especially our producer Wesley Knight and the whole team. And again, thank you to d'agostinos Trattoria for underwriting the joy of jazz. And if you would like to hear more about jazz outreach initiative, the jazz Vegas orchestra and its nearly 30 performances this year, are many youth music programs and ways you can participate. You can find us easily at jazz vegas.org Okay, Jonathan, give us a quick intro into this last song, this one from your 2018 live album recorded again, as we said earlier at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts here in Las Vegas. No moon at all.
Jonathan Karrant 22:38
That's right, yeah. It features great saxophonist Charles McNeil, and it's just a fun swinging song.
Donny Thompson 22:46
I love Charles McNeil. He's a fantastic musician. And this one takes us back originally, I think, to 1947 David Mann, the composer, and red Evans, originally sung by Doris Day, right? That's right, covered by all kinds of other people. And now Jonathan Courant has it, yeah. So we're going to listen to this song from Jonathan courant. Here's no moon at all, and for jazz outreach initiative. This is Donnie Thompson. Make it a joyful day. You.
Music 23:31
No Moon at all. What a night. Even fireflies have dim their lights. Stars have disappeared from sight, and there's no moon at all. Don't make a sound. It's so dark, even Fido is afraid to bark. What a perfect chance to park and there's no moon at all. Should you want atmosphere for inspiration? Dear One kiss will make it clear that tonight is right about my nightmare and I fear no moon at all. Of above, this is nothing like they told us, just to think we've been in love and there's no moon at all. No, no moon at all. What a night. Even fireflies have been there. Light stars have disappeared from time, and there's no moon at all. Don't make a sound, and it's so dark even Fido is afraid to bark. What a perfect chance to park and there's no moon at all.
Should you want atmosphere for
inspiration? Dear One kiss will make it clear that tonight is right about moonlight by end up being no moon at all up above this is nothing like they told us, just to think we fell in love and there's no moon.
Didn't bleed. What a night. Even fireflies have been their light. Stars have disappeared from sight and there's no moon. The maker sound is so dark even Fauci is afraid to bark. What a perfect chance to bark and there's no no, no, no, no, no, no. Should you want atmosphere? Boy, inspiration, dear one, kiss will make it clear that tonight is right, and probably this is nothing like they told us, just to think we fell In Love and there's no Moon at All.