In The Groove: Steve Okonski on his new track ‘Easy’ and making jazz approachable

Performer and pianist Steve Okonski joined In The Groove to talk about the improvisation, groove, and approachability that define his trio’s music. 

Okonski first gained attention as the pianist for Durand Jones & the Indications before launching his own project, “Entrance Music” last year on Colemine Records. The album was recorded spontaneously with Aaron Frazer on drums, Michael “Ish” Montgomery on bass, and Terry Cole producing. “We’d come in with no ideas and just play… Out of that half-hour of music that became the album, I sifted through hours of recordings to make it,” Okonski explains. 

His newest track, “Easy,” mixes that same improvisation with modern sound. “You can hear the flow and motifs from 90s hip hop and instrumental music,” Okonski says, “but it also has this jazz sensibility—it’s accessible and something anyone can get into.” 

Okonski sees his music as a gentle introduction to jazz for listeners new and old. “People tell me they don’t like jazz, but when they hear our albums or “Easy,” they really connect. It’s a way for people to start exploring jazz on their own,” he says. Tracks like “October,” the opener from “Entrance Music,” capture the trio’s sound, emotional without being heavy. In Okonski’s words, “Music can be gentle without being weak. The music speaks for itself.”