June 7, 2023 (ATLANTA) — Accomplished jazz pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and producer Dr. Greg Satterthwaite announces his sophomore album release Savannah Blue, a blend of his Jamaican roots mixed with jazz classics and original compositions, out June 9, 2023.
The Savannah Blue tour will kick off in West Palm Beach, Fla. on June 21, 2023, with a free community concert at Palm Beach Lakes High School as part of the School District of Palm Beach County’s 29th Annual African, African American, and Caribbean Studies Summer Institute.
Satterthwaite’s album Savannah Blue features ensemble members Quentin Baxter (drummer), Delbert Felix (bassist), Rod Harris Jr. (guitarist), and Derrick James (saxophonist).
The 2023 South Arts Jazz Road Tours artist and University of Georgia jazz professor says: “I truly appreciate the opportunity to uplift, share, and build community through such a rich American art form, thus the album Savannah Blue is my contribution to sustaining the amazing art form known as jazz.”
Savannah Blue pulls from inspirations of Satterthwaite’s Jamaican heritage, his passion for honoring the great legacy of jazz music, and creating original compositions that represent sophistication, memorable melodies, tranquil harmonies, and gritty swing.
The title of the album pays homage to Savannah, Ga., where Satterthwaite found an abundance of arts & culture and the blue waters from the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, the name Savannah Blue was realized.
Through connecting with the phenomenal Savannah, Ga.-based native jazz bassist, Delbert Felix in 2022, Satterthwaite conducted his inaugural Savannah performance at Good Times Jazz Bar & Restaurant, marking his now-forever connection with the amazing city. The album’s title track “Savannah Blue” artistically signifies the musical journey of performing in Savannah with hard-hitting swing, and dynamic solos from band members.
Satterthwaite grew up in South Florida. Starting his first headlining tour in West Palm Beach, Fla. is very sentimental to him—where his musical journey began—and ending the tour in the Metro Atlanta area, where he now resides, is a full circle moment. He is connecting the dots of performing in West Palm Beach, Fla. for the school district he graduated from (School District of Palm Beach County – A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts). There, he hopes to be able to perform for students, teachers, and community members that have never seen him perform and reflect the impact of a quality arts education on a student’s life.
The next stop on the tour will be in Savannah, Ga. at Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant. This is an important stop on the tour due to the opportunity to perform two consecutive nights at a reputable and notable jazz venue. Patrons from all over the country visit historic Savannah, Ga. and support this venue due to its commitment to offer live, high quality, excellent jazz music.
The tour will end with a performance at The Velvet Note in Alpharetta, Ga. The tour choices represent a full-circle journey for him and his path as an artist.
South Arts Jazz Road Tours are made possible with funds from the Doris Duke Foundation with additional support from the Mellon Foundation.
For more information, visit www.gregonkeys.com.
Tour Schedule
June 21, 2023 – FREE
29th Annual African, African American, and Caribbean Studies Summer Institute
Palm Beach Lakes High School – West Palm Beach, Fla.
3505 Shiloh Drive West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Doors open at 5 p.m.
Showtime: 5:30 p.m.
Register to attend here.
June 23 -24, 2023
Good Times Jazz Bar and Restaurant – Savannah, Ga.
107 W. Broughton St, Savannah, Ga. 31401
(912) 236-2226
8-11 p.m.
Call for reservations or visit: https://goodtimesjazzbar.com/
June 30, 2023
The Velvet Note
4075 Old Milton Pkwy, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005
Shows: 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
For tickets, visit: thevelvetnote.com
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More about Dr. Greg Satterthwaite
Melodic, soulful, and smooth, Dr. Greg Satterthwaite brings an energy and touch to the piano that has become his signature sound. As a jazz artist, Satterthwaite brings forth improvisational music that speaks to who he is as a performer and composer. His performances are rooted in his passion to continue to uphold the legacy and rich tradition of jazz music and the pioneers and innovators that created such a phenomenal art form.
Graduating from some of the nation’s most prestigious jazz programs, Satterthwaite earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas in Jazz Piano Performance, a Master of Arts in Commercial Music from Florida Atlantic University, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Miami. Satterthwaite is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano and African American Studies at the University of Georgia. He has studied with Stephen Scott, Ron Miller, Pat Coil, Dave Meder, Quincy Davis, Brad Leali, and Lynn Seaton. His educational experiences have impacted his teaching philosophy as he brings forth the knowledge, observations, and backgrounds of the educators, artists, and creative makers that he has interacted with and learned from over the years. As a scholarly contribution to the field, Satterthwaite presented “Beyond Fourths and Pentatonics: A Critical Analysis of Selected Recordings of McCoy Tyner “1962 to 1963” at the national 2021 Jazz Education Network Conference.
Satterthwaite has performed at festivals and venues including the Swan City Piano Festival, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival, SunFest, the Velvet Note, Good Times Jazz Bar & Restaurant, the University of South Carolina, and the Murchison Performing Arts Center to name a few. In 2022, he performed with the Marcus Lewis Big Band: Brass and Boujee during the 2022 Jazz Education Network national conference. Additionally, he has either performed or recorded with Grammy winning and nominated artists including Terreon Gully, Quentin Baxter, Rodney Whitaker, Curtis Lundy, and Delbert Felix. Satterthwaite arranged and composed all songs on his debut album “Who I Am,” which can be heard on major music streaming platforms, and his sophomore album “Savannah Blue,” is to be released June 9, 2023. He is the co-founder of JazzSpire, a platform that inspires, lifts, and brightens everyday life through the arts.
For more information, visit www.gregonkeys.com.