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Kelly Hunt makes the kind of music that will strike you as instantly familiar yet strangely new and vital. Her voice and banjo are perfectly suited for her stunning brand of Americana/roots music. She recorded her first album, Even the Sparrow, over the course of two years, a period of time she describes requiring "a great deal of patience and perseverance and growth" and that she is "proud of the grit it has taken to make this album a reality." We are honored to share an interview with Kelly Hunt, along with her book, music and movie recommendations.

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Tell us about your new upcoming debut album, Even the Sparrow. What have you learned from this process that you’ll take to future recordings?

This album has been over two years in the making, but it’s finally complete and available exclusively on my website, www.kellyhuntmusic.com, until its official release in December 2018! This being my first album, I have had so much to learn. Along with my duo partner/co-producer, Staś Heaney, I’ve immersed myself in every phase of album production—from writing and producing to recording, mixing, and mastering. It took me months just to figure out how to effectively be in the studio. It requires a very different kind of focus and skillset than live performance. And I had to develop an ear for mixing and mastering, which are a science and art unto themselves. It is such a nuanced process, but being a part of it every step of the way has given me a lot of confidence moving forward.

Arising out of UMKC's Conservatory Jazz Studies Program, all four members of the Natalie Bates Quartet (Aryana Nemati, Alyssa Murray, Carly Atwood and Natalie Bates) are masters of their craft. Led by drummer, artist and entrepreneur Bates, the group continues to hone their skills at regular gigs at Kansas City's Green Lady Lounge and Tom's Town Distillery, where you can hear them perform original compositions. We're fortunate to share with you an interview with Natalie Bates about the Quartet's origins, how they write and how playing to different audiences challenges them. Enjoy!

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Introduce the quartet. How did everyone come together?

Aryana Nemati on Bari Sax, Carly Atwood on Bass and Alyssa Murray on Piano/Keyboard. The four of us met while attending the UMKC Conservatory Jazz Studies Program under Bobby Watson and Dan Thomas. After graduating, John Scott (owner of Green Lady Lounge) called me and asked if I would be interested in putting together an all girl jazz group. He gave us his full support, offering his club as a place to rehearse on Sunday mornings and play weekly on Wednesdays. We began as a trip in June of last year and added Alyssa in January of 2017. We've grown from there as a group, writing original music and expanding on our sound as a quartet.