About
Molly Konzen Bio
Originally from Mattawan, MI, Molly Konzen is a pianist and vocalist based in Grand Rapids, MI. Her passion for music goes back to early childhood, but she also loves biology and received a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences from WMU, and is now pursuing a Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences at GVSU. Though she has been playing piano and singing for over thirty years, she is almost entirely self-taught. She writes her own music and has released two full-length original albums, two full-length jazz standard cover albums, and in 2023 she released her fifth album, a jazzy spin on a compilation of classic pop tunes from the last several decades. Molly performs solo, accompanying herself on the piano, or sings in groups with other instrumentalists. She has spent a lot of time on stage and enjoys performing at festivals, venues, events, and private parties, but she also loves to do volunteer work, performing solo at senior living and healthcare facilities and charity events. Molly’s repertoire is vast and she is able to play a wide range of music, always with her own jazzy twist added into the mix.
The Molly Konzen Jazz Band
The Molly Konzen Jazz Band is a name that promises talented musicians and quality music performance. Molly draws her bandmates from a wide network of top jazz musicians from the midwest. No matter if Molly performs in a duo or up to a six-piece band, she always brings extremely talented instrumentalists that have professional training and most often hold degrees in music performance. Their sound is classically jazzy, reminiscent of the good ol’ days of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, but they play songs spanning from all across the last century.
In December 2016, the Molly Konzen Jazz Band released two full-length albums, “Play Me” and “It’s Only Right.” These two albums are collections of original music written by Molly Konzen. They were recorded in Chicago at Steve Yates Recording Studio with well-known Chicago musicians, including Buddy Guy’s Legends’ own Brother John Kattke & Marty Binder, and jazz professor at Harold Washington College, Corey Biggerstaff. There were also appearances of three Kalamazoo musicians, Nathan Dannison, Nick Vander Vliet, and Jeremy Rilko, noted members of the band Who Hit John?, and a musician in several bands from Sonoma County in CA, including the Westminster Chorus, Adam Ehrenpfort.
In 2017, Molly released two full-length jazz cover albums: “The Hepcat Collection” and “Blue Notes and Saucy Swing.” She was happy to be joined on these two albums by a group of incredible once-local-to-Kalamazoo jazz musicians including Max Brown (lead guitarist for War & Treaty), Ted Hogarth (long-time Broadway reeds performer and notable saxophonist from several Chicago area bands), Rufus Ferguson (Assistant Professor of Jazz and Popular Music at Albion College), Steven Perry (pursuing a Masters in percussion at Temple University), and Mike Horrigan (acoustic and electric bassist for the United States Air Force).
In 2023, Molly released her fifth full-length album with the Molly Konzen Jazz Band. "Records Off the Shelf" features Molly singing, backed by three incredible WMU Jazz graduates of varying specialties: Anthony Healy (jazz pianist and music teacher at Stillwater Area Public Schools), Ryan Demeniuk (professional drummer in Nashville, TN), and Jack McDonald (acoustic and electric bassist for the United States Air Force). This album has covers of classic pop tunes from the last seven decades done in jazzy styles. These are hit tunes from artists ranging from Elton John to the White Stripes, The Beatles to Brittany Spears. The new album is available on Spotify, iTunes, and other major digital music platforms.
The Molly Konzen Jazz Band can be hired for private parties, venues, festivals, live stream or pre-recorded shows for remote performances, etc. Please contact Molly for more information.
Molly Konzen Jazz Band Reviews
Amazing Wedding Band!!!
Molly Konzen Jazz Band performed the cocktail hour and reception entertainment at our wedding at a winery venue in Traverse City, MI. Our guests had a great time and were dancing and even singing along to the great song choices and beautiful music. Molly's way of speaking to the guests was fun and relaxed. She even made a couple jokes that got people laughing. She also graciously announced the speakers before their speeches. We requested some special songs, which she charged a little extra for, but the price was very fair. She and her 3 other bandmates were very professional, everything went smoothly, and the band looked great, especially with her wearing a cute vintage dress! Since then we have recommended her and her band to our friends for their private events as well. Molly and her band were well worth the money. We were so pleased that we added a large cash tip at the end. They were so good!
- Katherine
Fantastic Entertainment!
Molly was recommended to us by one of our employees who hired Molly for entertainment at his old restaurant. Molly and her band were wonderful at our corporate employee appreciation event. It was only a trio with her singing, a keyboard player, and a bassist, but they filled the large room with a lively jazzy sound, and Molly brought a great stage presence that was fun to watch. We had many employees report that the music was excellent, and we intend on hiring Molly again if we have another event like this in the future.
- Peggy
Top choice for private events
We have hired Molly and her bandmates several times for our little events that we host periodically at our house in the summertime. We love their music, and they can play everything from jazz standards to music from the decades. We particularly love her renditions of "I Will Survive" and "At Last." Her trio played for my wife's vintage fascinator party, and Molly and her band had our guests dancing to the music and having a great time. It started raining during one party, and we had to move the entertainment inside, but they adjusted well so that it was not too loud indoors. We are always happy to have them back.
- Paul
We loved having Molly Konzen Jazz Band for my 50th Birthday Party
Molly and her band played for my 50th birthday party in Kalamazoo. She sang and brought a bassist, saxophone/clarinet player, pianist, and drummer. We gave her the genres we wanted to hear and then she managed it from there. They played all night and it was great. She was lots of fun on the microphone. I had heard her play years ago in a pub and I had been waiting for a chance to hire her for a bigger event like this. They were very professional. Price was reasonable. I'd hire her again if we ever have another big event.
- Bill
Great music!
We loved hearing Molly perform at The Old Goat. Her voice is beautiful and she played the piano very well. We really loved the song choices. She played jazz and lots of popular songs from bands like the Beatles, Billy Joel, and even one of my favorite songs by Whitney Houston. I was really impressed at how well she sang it! We loved the music! :)
- Natalie
Very pleasant music during dinner
Molly and the piano player who accompanied her were great to listen to while we were at dinner at Testa Rossa. Not too loud either. We loved the Italian themed songs they played like Mambo Italiano and That's Amore. Her voice is incredible and piano player was very good. The music made the place feel fancier. It was perfect for a date night out!
- Janice
