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Greg Nathan

Nathan began his professional bass-playing career in 1972 at the age of seventeen, performing popular jazz music with jazz pianist Chuck Ruff and vocalist Donna Courtell. He completed his Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree at the University of Oregon in 1977. Nathan earned a Master of Arts in Music degree at California State University, Sacramento in 1982.

Nathan has had two seasons with the Reno Philharmonic, one season with the Sacramento Symphony, and one season as principal bassist for Sacramento's Camellia Symphony. Nathan has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Peter Britt Festival Orchestra, and the Oregon Festival of American Music Orchestra. Nathan is currently in his thirty-seventh season with the Eugene Symphony, having played with them from 1975 -1977, and from 1987 to the present. Nathan's teacher is Larry Epstein, retired, long-time Assistant Principal of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Nathan is an accomplished composer of songs and serious music. He sings, plays, and uses the bow when performing jazz. Nathan is the leader of the jazz duo "Aftermath," joined by jazz guitarist Mike Denny. Aftermath performances have occurred mostly at Eugene, Oregon's Hilton Hotel. Nathan has performed with Nancy King, the late Charles Dowd, Paul Biondi, Tom Shove, Bill Sabol, Vikki Brabham, Gus Russell, the late Alan Tarpinian, Jessie Marquez, and others.

Nathan has recently released his first CD album, "I'll Think of Something." The album is in honor of Nathan's recently deceased father, songwriter-composer Charles Nathan, who penned the music to Perry Como's 1953 hit "Say You're Mine Again." The concerned CD's title track is from Charles Nathan's 2009 musical "Where the Heck's the Plot?" The album also includes "My Own Man," words and music by Greg Nathan. The album features jazz guitarist Mike Denny. In its review of the album, "LA Jazz Scene's" Scott Yanow said, "I'll Think of Something" is, "a fun set of excellent jazz," Denny is a "world-class guitarist," and Nathan is "an excellent jazz bassist."

Nathan has recently served as a temporary, middle-school math teacher, half-time, high-school math FuelEd instructor, (through the summer,) and currently, (during this Covid-19, pandemic environment,) has a temporary teaching contract with the Springfield Public Schools, working full time as an elementary-school building substitute. Nathan is a caring husband and father, and is also an active member of his church.

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"I'll Think of Something" is jazz bassist, Greg Nathan's first release.  The album is a self-produced effort arranged and directed by Nathan. The album features world-class, jazz guitarist Mike Denny, and contains swinging renditions of popular, romantic songs.  The album "I’ll Think of Something" contains solid bass playing to a good-sounding voice, and excellent jazz guitar playing throughout the program, which includes one instrumental track. There are lots of interesting ideas on the album. Jammed with lots of high-quality material to boost its value, "I'll Think of Something" is an entertaining and provocative listen. (A 12-page booklet accompanies the music. It is downloadable for free at https://soaringmusicpublications.com/free. The booklet includes lyrics to all of the vocals renditions on the album, along with writing and pictures related to Charles Nathan, Slam Stewart, and Mike Denny.)

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1
Album Review

Donna Courtell: I Want a Doll

Read "I Want a Doll" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Some music is self-evident and some needs unpacking. Donna Courtell's holiday single “I Want A Doll" is music of this latter category. Courtell splits her professional time between singing and running her Courtell Talent Agency. Her creative arc recently intersected with that of bassist Greg Nathan and by extension, Nathan's father, Charles. There is a bit of history here. Nathan released a duet recording with guitarist Mike Denny in 2014, I'll Think Of Something (Self Produced), featuring some tried-and-true and ...

14
Take Five With...

Take Five With Greg Nathan

Read "Take Five With Greg Nathan" reviewed by Greg Nathan


Meet Greg Nathan: Greg Nathan began his professional bass-playing career in 1972 at the age of seventeen, performing popular jazz music with pianist Chuck Ruff and vocalist Donna Courtell. He completed his Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree at the University of Oregon in 1977. Greg earned a Master of Arts in Music degree at California State University, Sacramento in 1982. He is in his thirtieth season with the Eugene Symphony. His teacher is Larry Epstein, Assistant Principal ...

7
Album Review

Greg Nathan: I'll Think Of Something

Read "I'll Think Of Something" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Bassist/vocalist Greg Nathan makes it perfectly clear that he would like the liner notes of I'll Think of Something to be read before listening to the disc. He wants to lay the groundwork for an intimate and proper homage to his late father, composer Charles Nathan. Joining Nathan is guitarist Mike Denny for a recital of eleven original compositions and standards. Among these is Charles Nathan's “I'll Think Of Something" from his musical “Where The Heck's The Plot," which is ...

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3

Music Industry

Soaring Music Publications becomes successor to Song-Royalty rights owned by 1950's music publisher Chase Music Company

Soaring Music Publications becomes successor to Song-Royalty rights owned by 1950's music publisher Chase Music Company

Source: Greg Nathan

Springfield, Oregon is not the entertainment capital of the world, but as a result of a long process, it was there, last month, that Soaring Music Publications became the successor to all of the song-royalty rights owned by the 1950's music publisher Chase Music Company, as SMP's Owner/President, Greg Nathan completed the successor process enabling the merging of his parents' music-publishing business with his own music-publishing business, a process that began in 2014. Actually, music publishing in the Nathan family ...

6

Music Industry

Soaring Music Launches The Grand Opening Of Bassist Greg Nathan's Website Now Offering Charles Nathan's Musicals For Sale

Soaring Music Launches The Grand Opening Of Bassist Greg Nathan's Website Now Offering Charles Nathan's Musicals For Sale

Source: Greg Nathan

Greg Nathan, son of Charles Nathan, (songwriter who penned the music to Perry Como's 1953 hit, “Say Your Mine Again") and Tonie Nathan, (the first woman in history of the United States to receive an electoral vote for U.S. Vice President while running on the 1972 Libertarian Party ticket) has opened a website to facilitate sales of two musicals written by his dad that were produced within the last six years at the Actor's Cabaret in Eugene, Oregon. Greg Nathan ...

6

Recording

Soaring Music Launches Bassist Greg Nathan's Website in Support of "I'll Think Of Something"

Soaring Music Launches Bassist Greg Nathan's Website in Support of "I'll Think Of Something"

Source: Greg Nathan

Greg Nathan, son of Charles Nathan, (songwriter who penned the music to Perry Como's 1953 hit, “Say Your Mine Again,") and Tonie Nathan, (the first woman in history of the United States to receive an electoral vote for U.S. Vice President while running on the 1972 Libertarian Party ticket,) has opened a website to facilitate holiday sales of the acclaimed CD I'll Think of Something, named after a song from Charles Nathan's musical “Where the Heck's the Plot?" produced in ...

"Greg Nathan is an excellent jazz bassist..." "Mike Denny is a world-class guitarist..." "...'I'll think of Something' is a fun set of excellent jazz." (Scott Yanow, The LA Jazz Scene Magazine)
Louis Armstrong
trumpet and vocals
Art Tatum
piano
Ray Brown
bass, acoustic
Nat King Cole
piano and vocals
Ben Webster
saxophone, tenor

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

I Want a Doll

Soaring Music Publications
2021

buy

I'll Think Of...

Self Produced
2014

buy

I'll Think Of...

Self Produced
2013

buy

I'll Think Of...

Soaring Music Publications
0

buy

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