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The Bird And The Bee
Biography
Multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin and doe-eyed vocalist Inara George draw upon a mutual fondness for jazz standards and '60s tropicalia to deliver the stylish tones of the Bird and the Bee. The two musicians were introduced in 2005 by mutual friend Mike Andrews, whom George had enlisted to produce her solo debut, All Rise. Needing someone to contribute piano to several tracks, Andrews called upon Kurstin, who had studied under renowned jazz pianist Jaki Byard during his college years. George and Kurstin soon found themselves spending hours together in the studio, where a shared interest in jazz-based music -- something that George hadn't explored much on All Rise -- helped lay the foundation for the Bird and the Bee.

Apart from Kurstin's work with Byard, neither musician had done much with jazz or tropicalia before. Kurstin had previously contributed keyboards to selections by Beck, and his production credits included work with the Flaming Lips, Peaches, and Lily Allen (with whom the Bird and the Bee would later tour). On the other hand, George -- the daughter of Little Feat's Lowell George -- had pursued work as a Shakespearean actress before forming the post-grunge band Lode and subsequently embarking on a solo career.