ONA: New York Jazz Workshop in Conversation at home with Thana Alexa
Welcome to the New York Jazz Workshop In Conversation at home podcast. The music you are hearing is “The Resistance” off vocalist Thana Alexa’s brand new recording ONA (Self produced, 2020). Her sophomore album celebrates not only the journey of herself as a woman, but women everywhere. In our interview, you’ll hear the Best Jazz Composition PORIN (Croatian Grammy equivalent) nominee and Alpe-Aldria International songwriting contest winner discuss her growth as an artist and human being between her 2015 debut Ode To Heroes and the new record; in addition to the people in her life that served as inspiration for tracks on the album, and her role in organizing the massively successful Live From Our Living Rooms music festival. The festival, which took place in April, was the first streaming music festival of the COVID-19 era, a fundraiser with vocalist Sirintip and saxophonist Owen Broder, that aims to help New York musicians out of work because of the pandemic.
Recorded May 1, 2020 in New York
Recording and post production: CJ Shearn
Podcast produced by: CJ Shearn and Thana Alexa
Music:”The Resistance” (feat. Stacey Ann Chin) (c) Thana Alexa
I have been the staff writer for the New York Jazz Workshop School of Music blog in midtown Manhattan since 2014, and that has broadened my freelance writing skills considerably. In addition to writing artist bios, and articles of interest that pertain to the mission of the school, I have interviewed (in print on the site) legendary guitarist and NEA Jazz Master Pat Metheny, trumpeter Cuong Vu, and in 2015 embarked on producing a podcast for the school where I have achieved my dream and interviewed jazz giants such as Dave Liebman, Lenny White, rising talents like Thana Alexa, Logan Richardson, guitarist and bassist Brian Kastan, among others. I also work on SEO optimization for the blog. In 2015 I started my blog Jazz Views with CJ Shearn, and have written liner notes for 5 time Grammy winner and Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, Antonio Sanchez (for his latest recording “Channels of Energy”) and guitarist Gene Ess for his latest recording, scheduled to be released in November 2018.
My passion for jazz music is what drives me, which is an interest I’ve had since I can remember. I initially began writing about jazz at the age of 13 for my high school newspaper, and in my late teens contributed occasionally to jazzreview.com. In college I was member of the Harpur Jazz Project which brought jazz acts to campus. I’ve also contributed in the past to AllAboutJazz where I was mentored by John Kelman. I decided to focus on my passion for jazz music journalism after a job in the social services field as a caseworker went south, and as a person with a physical disability I work on going against the odds, living independently and having accomplished things people had said I’d never do.