Marc Payne Quintet feat. Melody González

Pianist Marc Payne featuring Puerto Rican composer, producer and vocalist Melody González, with Giovanni Rodriguez on bass, Blaise Hearn on trumpet and Walter Rodriguez on drums.

One of the most talented young up and coming jazz pianists in Nashville, Marc Payne dazzles with beautiful chords, lines, rhythms, and harmonies, varying dynamics and interludes mixed and woven into compositions that keep pieces fresh and lively. Young at heart and old in soul, Marc has soaked up some of the most influential pianists' styles and harmonics and is able to deliver; from Art Tatum to Oscar Peterson, Sony Clark, Thelonious Monk to Hank Jones, James P. Johnson and more. Born in Virginia and having moved to north Nashville at a very young age, Marc soaked up the sounds of jazz from his father playing jazz records as he grew up. Marc began playing music when he was 11 years old on a light up keyboard and then studied gospel which led him to playing for the Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church when he was 13. In his junior year at Pearl-Cohn high school Marc really started to develop an intense interest and more serious pursuit of jazz piano. From there he ended up going to Nashville School for the Arts where he graduated in 2017 to begin his professional career in music.

Some of Marc’s mentors include Jody Nardone, Imer Santiago, Lady Chapman, Chazen Brown, Nioshi Jackson, Reggie Workman and Rob Butts. Marc has shared the stage with many great artists such as Bobby Watson, Regi Wooten, Curtis Lundy, Roy Wooten, Duffy Jackson, Dick Griffen, Jimmy Owens and more, and has played on two of Shannon Callihan’s releases. Marc has played numerous venues in and around Nashville including the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, Jazz on the Cumberland, Historic 15th ave Baptist church, Rudy’s Jazz Room, and travelled through Europe aboard the Sky Princess with the Terri Davis Quartet.

Based in Cupey, Puerto Rico — composer, producer and vocalist Melody González, also known as "meloymelos" intuitively creates mystical soundscapes by blending her jazz and classical influences with afro-caribbean rhythms, latin-soul, and poetry. Her intention is to heal through music and decolonize her sound. Born in Cupey, Puerto Rico, González developed an interest in the arts from an early age. Raised among musicians and dancing, there was always a piano in Melody's home. Her paternal grandfather (Naguabo, Puerto Rico) was a classically trained pianist and Puerto Rican folk musician. Despite never receiving formal academic lessons, the artist managed to connect with the instrument - absorbing all the influences she heard around her. Her maternal grandmother was a singer of boleros and popular music since the late 1950s. Thanks to her, he was able to learn about the composer and poet Sylvia Rexach, who inspired him to connect with the art of words. Through autodidacticism, Melody has found a way to transform and transmit her own experiences into life and voice. Navigating political, spiritual and love themes, the artist seeks to break free from oppression and liberate to liberate.

In 2021, she received a scholarship to study in New York under the mentorship of artists such as Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Bobby Sanabria, Fay Victor, Sara Serpa, Marlon Saunders, among others ("The New School"). In 2023, she returns to Puerto Rico and launches her first independent musical project entitled "ME DESPRENDO". This EP embarks the artist in a process of self-recognition. Since then, her purpose has been based on building community and giving herself the task of carving out spaces on the island. In response to the collective anti-colonial, anti-racist, and transfeminist struggle of the Caribbean, the artist's purpose has been based on revealing.

This show is 21 and over only. All sales are final and we unfortunately cannot offer any refunds. Additional tickets may be available at the door on the day of the show even if it is sold out online.

Please try to arrive 15 minutes prior to the show start time. If you do not arrive within 45 minutes after the show start time on your ticket your seat may be resold to other patrons at the door. If you arrive after 45 minutes from the start time of the show and your ticket has been resold, although we cannot guarantee it, we will try our best to make space for you to attend the show.