Audiences and critics have characterized Jonathan Karrant as a great interpreter of song, a storyteller, a singer who brings music and lyric alive. Some refer to Karrant as an amazing song-stylist who sings from the American songbook, an entertainer on his way to international success. Others say he paints a picture, he presents a mood and captivates a room through song. While only still in his twenties, he seems to have an innate and inside connection with music writers of the past, masters like Cole Porter (they share the same birthday), George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Johnny Mercer, to mention a few.
His album, “On and On” hit #4 in jazz charts. It features such songs as “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”, and “Doodlin’” as well as the title track, and was produced by Tyler Monks, with pianist Josh Nelson, bassist Rob Thorsen, guitarist Mark Shapiro, and drummer Duncan Moore. The sold-out CD Release Performance was presented at the prestigious Anthology, one of the finest sound rooms in California, and was enthusiastically received by fans, fellow musicians, and critics.
“A voice, romantic without being cloying, warm but not forced, Karrant carries these songs with an emotional weight that make it seem at times as if he had written them himself. Just listen to his jazzy makeover of the Beatles' eternally beautiful "In My Life" and hear the yearning in his singing.” –Jazz Corner
Jonathan Karrant works straight out of the American songbook with a level of manly confidence and jazz suave and bonhomie that was patented by Mel Torme himself. -The Reader magazine
In an interview with Music Industry News, Karrant spoke about song selection and his involvement with the lyric, saying:“I usually pick songs to which I can relate. I really focus on the words and try to imagine myself in a scenario that fits the lyric. I feel this helps to get the point and the mood of the song across to the audience.”
Karrant was born in the heart of America at the foothills of the Ozarks in the old western town of Fort Smith, Arkansas, east of the Arkansas River. He has played with the Symphony, charitable events, and for jazz concerts throughout the state. He studied performance in New York City at the William Esper Studio, and music with the Seth Riggs Vocal Method with Greg Enriquez in Los Angeles. Karrant also gives credit to real performance experience in recalling that a lot of what he has learned about singing a song has just come with time, singing to audiences night after night. He has played Las Vegas supper clubs, and while there, initiated a venture with Vincent Falcone, Sinatra’s musical director/pianist, in a ten song CD, entitled “Introducing Jonathan Karrant”. Since, he has toured the states and Europe, gathering fans and gaining recognition wherever he performs.
When asked in an interview with All About Jazz about those who were vocal influences, he recalls growing up listening to singers Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, then later getting into Jimmy Scott, Johnny Hartman, and Nancy Wilson. “Sinatra and Scott are very much opposites, however they both have such amazing ways with timing, and both have received much praise regarding phrasing. When finding my own voice, all singers mentioned above have influenced me in some way,” he noted. When SoundDiego news asked him recently to choose a word or phrase to describe himself, Karrant said, “That’s a difficult question, but I would have to say storyteller, a storyteller in song.”
Jonathan was honored in the 2014 New York City Jazz Cabaret Honors and, in 2015, he was voted “Best Singer” for the Bravo San Diego Awards. Also, in 2015 Jonathan was asked to present two-time Grammy Award winner, Diane Schurr, with the proclamation of “Diane Schurr Day” in Palm Springs, Ca.
In his popular single, “Lady in Red”, Jonathan truly shines. Backed by pianist Mikan Zlatkovich, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Duncan Moore, Karrant sets himself apart from other contemporaries on this single. Ultimately, he displays a brilliance through phrasing and languid passages that linger.
Currently, Jonathan Karrant is playing with the most accomplished jazz musicians, and in the most respected music venues. Find him on ITunes, Amazon, and Pandora. For more information, photos, and performance dates, view his website at: JonathanKarrant.com