Giant Steps Jazz Sitcom Harlem , New York December 2017
Multiplying Talents Nonprofit Arthea Olivares Tallahassee , Florida December 2017
New York , NY - Giant Steps , a new sitcom starring three very accomplished Black jazz musicians , has just been released on Amazon Prime . Dubbed “ America ’ s First Jazz Sitcom ,” Giant Steps , which is shot in Harlem , is an old-school comedy in the spirit of Sanford and Son and stars legendary bassist Mickey Bass , Duke Ellington Orchestra alum and creator Gregory Charles Royal , and Ms . Lauryn Hill ’ s saxophonist Brent Birckhead .
“ In the tradition of Black creativity , where we always find a way to express ourselves in fresh ways , the sitcom format allows us to hit America with jazz in a brand new flavor ,” says Royal .
Giant Steps centers around three older guys : Mickey , the legendary bassist , his longtime student Chuckie , and Mickey ’ s best friend and manager Manny , who share a Harlem apartment where , as the tagline states , “ Every day is a rollercoaster ”. Their arch rival is a young braggadocious sax player named Brent , who thinks the old cats need to step aside and let some new blood into the game .
The unique nature of the show allows the main actors to actually perform , something that has never been attempted in modern television and a tradition lost from the early movies of Duke Ellington , Louis Armstrong and others .
The aspect of the musician-actors is not a coincidence , as it is the primary mission of its creator Gregory Charles Royal , who has championed the concept with his organizations New York Jazz Film Festival and American Youth Symphony . “ Just like Def Comedy Jam did with comedians , jazz musicians need to also adapt and branch out into the current mediums of the 21st century ,” says Royal .
The first season is a 3-part episodic titled ‘ April Fools Jazz ’ and can be viewed free with an Amazon Prime membership . Royal hopes that an African American outlet such as a Bounce or a BET will see the value in the programming to produce season two .
Watch Giant Steps - Season One here : www . amazon . com / gp / aw / d / B075SSRVPM / Visit the show ’ s official web site at www . GiantStepsTV . com or follow them on Twitter ( www . twitter . com / GiantStepsTV ) or Facebook ( www . facebook . com / giantstepstv )
Starring : Mickey Bass , Paul Tafoya as Manny , Gregory Charles Royal Brent Birckhead , Zari Veres Royal , Marist Veres Royal Guest Stars : Meilin Gray , Greer C . Morrison , Scott Seidman , Seth White