Godspeed to The Watchman
A farewell toast to Greg Bryant as he heads to L.A.
If you’ve been following The Gig for any amount of time, you should already be familiar with Greg Bryant — veteran jazz broadcaster, seasoned musician and producer, and for the last four and a half years, my trusted partner in the podcast booth. As I type this, Greg is en route to L.A. with his wife, Dara Starr Tucker, and their two cats, Blackwell and Ornette.1 I had the opportunity to wish them well in person yesterday, but felt it would only be right to pay a brief tribute here.
Greg and Dara moved to the New York metro from Nashville almost exactly five years ago. I’ve told this story before, but I met Greg during his first week as the new late-night host at WBGO. I invited him out to see the Ravi Coltrane Quartet at the Jazz Standard — an early outing, before his overnight shift — and we had a terrific conversation before the set. About a month later, the world went into lockdown. It was out of a need for purposeful connection that I conceived of Jazz United, a podcast that Greg and I recorded out of our respective bedroom closets.2
Jazz United ran from June 2020 until February 2022, earning the JJA Jazz Award for Podcast of the Year in each of the years it was eligible. It ended when Greg — known since his college broadcasting days as “The Watchman” — was inexcusably cut loose in a round of layoffs at WBGO. I’d already relocated to the Philly area by then, and… long story short, Greg and I both found a great new home at WRTI. We started a week apart, me as Editorial Director and Greg as host of Evening Jazz.
One genuine pleasure of the last two and a half years has been hearing Greg on the air with that flagship show. He’s a warm, gracious presence on the mic, the sort of host who wields his knowledge of the music in only the most welcoming way. With the full support of our associate general manager, Josh Jackson, he has evolved the sound and spirit of the program, making it a showcase for new releases even as he honors the beloved canon. I’m biased, but I don’t think anybody anywhere has done a better job with a mainstream jazz radio show during this period of time.3
The Late Set started up in the fall of 2023, with Greg and myself once again co-hosting, and Alex Ariff as our producer. You’ve seen me talking up episodes of the show, and I hope you’ve listened to a few. Working alongside Greg, as a conversational partner and tandem interviewer, has been an absolute blast, and also an education. We have different styles and strengths, and over the years we’ve learned how to take full advantage of that complementary skill set, in ways that feel natural and intuitive. Our final episode together is this Year in Review, and I think it captures the vibe.
I’m sure it doesn’t need to be said, but I’ll say it anyway: at the heart of everything Greg and I got into was mutual admiration and a shared commitment to the music. We’ve sought out a lot of sounds together, in Philly and beyond. A few years ago, Greg joined me in a pilgrimage to Boston for the premiere of Wayne Shorter and esperanza spalding’s opera Iphigenia, and also the Met Opera premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones. We’ve talked extensively, on and off the record, about our paths through the music, and how our family histories helped shape who we are.
As I said on that recent episode, the true legacy of The Late Set and Jazz United is a deep and lasting friendship. I have no doubt that we’ll keep up the exchange as Greg settles in on the west coast. He’s moving for an excellent reason: Dara, who is not only an accomplished singer-songwriter and wonderful jazz vocalist but also a prolific cultural commentator, was offered a position as Director of News and Public Affairs at 102.3 FM RadioFree KJLH, where she’ll be on the air live every morning.
We’re keeping The Late Set going, and Greg leaves us with a high standard to meet. In the short term, at least, Josh Jackson is stepping in as co-host4; we’ll both be on the ground at Winter Jazzfest, and so will Alex Ariff. You’ll hear more about that soon.
I’ve probably embarrassed Greg enough. Here’s to a brilliantly perceptive listener, a generous steward of the music, and a true brother in arms. I’ll leave you with a track from Indivisible, the most recent album by Concurrence, a long-running collaboration between Greg and pianist Paul Horton. This is a piece they recorded with drummer Nasheet Waits as a featured guest. Its title says it all: “Now Is Still the Time.”
Over the break, the big news in my own household is the adoption of a second dog, to be a companion to our beloved mutt Cherry. We’re still settling on this pup’s name, but Greg has already made the half-serious suggestion that we call him “Haden” — because then, between the four pets, we’d have the complete Ornette Coleman Quartet. 😆
Shout-out to our heroic producers: Sarah Kerson, who got us up and running, and Trevor Smith, who helped the show hit its full stride.
Here is where I’ll note that Greg is also a host of Real Jazz on SiriusXM. So that’s where you can continue to hear him do his thing.
Josh is fittingly featured on our Year in Review episode, conducting an excellent interview with Immanuel Wilkins. If you’ve been around long enough, you will recognize him as a legend in jazz broadcasting.
Nate, you and Greg sound great together and "The Late Set" a joy to listen to. I'm glad to read your show will continue. I hope Greg's family's move to the Left Coast goes easily! This is a lovely, heartfelt, tribute!
Farewell Watchman!