Celebrate Black History Month with renowned jazz writer and cultural critic, Greg Thomas
Calm’s newest Sleep Story invites you to journey back in time to the budding New York jazz scene of the late 1970s and honor the extraordinary influence of black jazz musicians.
Part personal love letter and part historical biography, For the Love of Jazz by Greg Thomas, explores the origins and evolution of one of America's great cultural creations.
““My love for jazz has endured, but I maintain a beginner’s mind of curious passion, flame lit, the wick of romance sparked those many years ago still burning . . . bright.””
Mason Ashe & Greg Thomas
For the Love of Jazz holds a special place in Calm’s heart as it was both written and narrated by Greg Thomas, the father of one of our very own engineers, Kaya Thomas.
We’re inspired by them both! Greg is an accomplished jazz writer, cultural critic and co-founder of the Jazz Leadership Project. Before her time at Calm, Kaya created We Read Too, an app that supports authors of diverse backgrounds. She is also a writer herself (and, we hope, a future Sleep Story writer).
About Greg Thomas
Greg Thomas, CEO and Lead Facilitator of the Jazz Leadership Project, is a writer, editor, public speaker and events consultant. The Co-Founder of G&J Productions, Greg has been instrumental in developing programs such as the National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s flagship interview series, Harlem Speaks. He has written about culture, race, and democratic life and values in publications ranging from the Village Voice, New Republic, Salon, UPTOWN, The Root, the Guardian Observer, and the New York Daily News—as jazz columnist. Greg has lectured on American cultural history and jazz at Columbia, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Hamilton College and Harvard.
“ “My early romance with jazz taught me life lessons in small doses of sonic insight. I became ready in advance for the love, pain, hope and inevitable regrets of life’s journey. She prepared me for the inevitable ups, downs, and all-arounds.” ”
