Dan Greenleaf aims for simplicity and subtlety with his stylish and sophisticated new instrumental single Bite Bullet — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The second preview of his upcoming debut album Live At Ford Hall (due May 16), the intrigungly titled Bite Bullet is an immersive and meditative introduction to the overarching themes and moods found on the Vermont jazz guitarist’s LP.
“Bite Bullet was written to see how much space I could put in a melody and formal structure, and still make it feel complete,” Greenleaf says. “The entire melody is 11 notes, mostly whole. The A section features only two chords that are made up of two notes each with a droning melody note on top.”
Greenleaf, who has cerebral palsy, is navigating through those challenges as an instrumentalist and a composer. He is hoping to raise awareness of musicians with disabilities and is donating the proceeds of Live At Ford Hall to a local music charity in his home state.
Live At Ford Hall represents an unfiltered self-portrait of an artist fully embracing his musical voice. “This is as close as I could get to who I am right now,” Greenleaf explains. “It’s supposed to feel raw and unrefined because that’s what I can do.”
Featuring an ensemble of longtime collaborators — Nick Peloso (upright bass), Robert Irvin (keyboards), Drew Martin (saxophones), Theo Lobo (drumset, audio engineering) and Eric Maier (mastering) — the album embodies years of musical partnership and personal growth. The album artwork, painted by Greenleaf with digital art by Maier, visually reflects the organic and experimental nature of the music.
The concert setlist showcases Greenleaf’s approach to composition, where space and dynamics play a central role. Tracks such as Opening Theme, Bite Bullet and Closing Theme highlight his ability to craft expansive musical landscapes with minimal yet impactful melodic material. “My goal that night was to take the audience on a journey through dynamics — to make the quiet sections truly quiet so it feels like we went somewhere when it got loud,” says Greenleaf.
Check out Bite Bullet above and below, and find Dan Greenleaf on his website, Instagram and Facebook.
