Join us for a show about music, bringing you great musicians and fantastic sound from Audio Recording Studio.

In this episode: our host and producer, Liz Huff, and our guest, Calvin Stokes, who can be heard in concert around the U.S., playing both classical and jazz harp. He started studying harp on a dare!

Audio engineering by Bruce Gigax. Theme music by Ryan Charles Ramer, video for archives by Nate Lockwood, cover art by Alexandra Harsha, VO by Randall Fusco. If you want to support the show, go to PayPal @AndNowTheMusic, and thank you!

Program: wide-ranging! Includes Rhapsodie by Marcel Grandjany, Mazurka by Alphonse Hasselmans, Mood Indigo by Duke Ellington, My One and Only Love byWood/Mellin, and selections from Ryan Charles Ramer's Emily Dickinson song cycle for harp and soprano.

Bio: Calvin Stokes is the winner of the 1995 Lyon & Healy Harpfest® International Jazz/Pop Harp Competition. This Cleveland, Ohio native first studied harp on a dare. He later went on to earn Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music under the tutelage of world-renowned harpist, Alice Chalifoux. He has performed with major orchestras across the United States. It was while touring Europe that this Tanglewood alum played in his first jazz "jam session."

His debut solo recording, "Free," is an intriguing blend of R&B and Latin Jazz, released on the ChiliDog® record label. Using his Electric Harp as the foundation, Calvin surrounded himself with talented musicians to create a unique sound all his own that fits effortlessly alongside today’s preeminent "Smooth Jazz" artists.

This versatile artist can be found on various recordings ranging from classical pieces by 20th century American composers to jumping into the fray with "Indie Rock" bands.

Currently, he performs various concerts around the country ranging from classical to jazz using his friendly, relaxed stage presence to expand the awareness and perceptions of the harp. This multi-talented performer has also made several television appearances both as a harpist and an actor (with multiple roles to his credit).