Curtis Taylor Quartet
2021-08-14 19:30 - 23:30 (America/Detroit)
There will be two seatings at 7:30pm & 9:30pm for this performance.
Award winning trumpeter Curtis Taylor’s lyrical and melodic improvisational style displays a level of maturity far beyond his counterparts. His unique blend of soulfulness, harmonic sensibilities and rhythm melt together for an unforgettable sound that directly connects with the soul of the listener. According to Taylor, “ When played honestly, music is the ultimate conveyer of truth and beauty.”
Taylor has performed and recorded with Patrice Rushen, Billy Childs, Gary Novak, Bob Sheppard, Ed Motta, Marvin “Smitty’ Smith, Rodney Whitaker, Antonio Hart and great gospel luminaries Karen Clark-Sheard, Kierra Sheard and the Singletons. More extensively Taylor’s stint with jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut included a notable concert performance at Kennedy Center recorded for NPR’s Jazzset, an appearance at the Spoleto Jazz Festival, and a week-long engagement at Dizzy’s Club in NYC. In addition, Taylor had the great opportunity to tour internationally with virtuosic saxophonist James Carter’s Quintet, performing in: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Canada, and Austria. Rounding out the experience, was a week-long stint at Yoshi’s in California again with the James Carter Quintet.
In 2014, Taylor relocated to southern California where he fostered a musical relationship with friend and mentor Kamau Kenyatta. Kenyatta, is a Grammy-Award winning producer for Jazz vocal-star Gregory Porter. While building the musical team for Porter’s “Liquid Spirit” album, he chose Taylor for the trumpet chair. Kenyatta stated that Taylor “graced the session with his elegant solos and precise ensemble playing” and noted his musicianship as “impeccable.” Gregory Porter’s “Liquid Spirit” would go on to receive the Grammy-Award for Best-Jazz vocal album of 2014.

DeSean Jones
2021-08-14 19:30 - 2021-08-15 09:30, 2021-08-15 19:30 - 2021-08-16 09:30, 2021-08-16 19:30 - 2021-08-17 09:30, 2021-08-17 19:30 - 2021-08-18 09:30, 2021-08-18 19:30 - 2021-08-19 09:30, 2021-08-19 19:30 - 2021-08-20 09:30, 2021-08-20 19:30 - 2021-08-21 09:30, 2021-08-21 19:30 - 2021-08-22 09:30 and 11 more dates
De’Sean Jones is a Detroit based saxophonist, billboard charting recording artist and grammy nominated arranger. Over the past 20 years De’Sean has toured the world recording or performing with music Icons like Stevie Wonder, Faith Evans, along with a host of Detroit Legends; Marcus Belgrave, The Clark Sisters, Kierra Sheard and techno pioneer Mad Mike Banks of Underground Resistance.
As a bandleader & producer Jones has curated an eclectic approach that is widely viewed as progressive and undeniably rooted in the rich history of black culture. De’Sean actively pushes the boundaries of social consciousness through music in ways that are authentic, emotionally dynamic and intellectually stimulating.

All musical projects from De’Sean Jones can be accessed through his record label KNMDK Records.

Kathy Kosins
2021-08-15 19:30 - 23:00
There will be two separate seatings at 7:30pm & 9:30pm.
A singular sound in the vocal world, Kosins exemplifies the intersection of jazz and soul. Steeped in the jazz tradition as well as all of the energy and intensity of soul, Kosins’ most recent release, Uncovered Soul was the natural next step in Kosins’ prolific career. The artist is currently gearing up for her appearance at Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society‘s famed winter jazz series at Half Moon Bay’s Douglas Beach House.
After successful engagements at the 2019 Blue Note at Sea Cruise and Blue Note Beijing, the Exit Zero Jazz Festival, and a supporting performance for Gregory Porter in Atlanta, Detroit Vocalist and ASCAP Award Winning composer Kathy Kosins is thrilled to celebrate the two year-long success that her sixth studio album, Uncovered Soul has gained across commercial radio. The driving, funk-tinged track “Put the Voodoo on Me,” is Kosins’ 4th consecutive Top 20 Smooth Jazz Single and topped the Indie Soul Chart at #1.
Kosins is the Highest Charting Vocalist for 2019 on the Smooth Jazz Network and to date has remained on their radio affiliates, including Billboard reporting stations, for 102 consecutive weeks. The vocalist reached #1 with “Uncovered Soul” and with “Can We Pretend”. In addition, the album was A-Listed on Jazz FM, London and reached #13 on the Jazz Week Chart. Kosins was nominated by the Smooth Jazz Network for “Breakout Artist of the Year” for 2018 and 2019.

Ashton Thomas w/Six Mile Strings
2021-08-19 19:30 - 23:30, 2021-08-21 19:30 - 23:30, 2021-08-22 19:30 - 23:30
There will be two seatings at 7:30 & 9:30pm for this performance.
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Drum Virtuoso Ashton Thomas a Lorain Ohio Native is certainly noted for his expansive musical creativity and phenomenal technique around the drum kit.

Over the course of his 20 + year career he’s actively toured all over the world, holding several recurring artist residencies in San Francisco, Iceland and the U.K. He’s also endorsed by SoulTone Cymbals and Solobeat Drum Stick with his own signature line.

In his music and performances it’s clear the influences span across many genres ranging from Gospel, R&B, Jazz and more.

Thomas’ current project the AD Collective carries a wide range of artist features, including Detroit’s own De’Sean Jones (Sax) Johnathan Muir Cotton (Bass) and Six Mile Strings in addition to a few special guests.

Ashton Thomas is currently recording his debut album which is set to release December 2021.

Closed for Private Event
2021-08-20 00:00 - 23:59
Come back tomorrow and Sunday for Sean Jones!

Michael Olatuja & Lagos Pepper Soup
2021-08-26 19:30 - 23:30, 2021-08-27 19:30 - 23:30, 2021-08-28 19:30 - 23:30
There will be two separate seatings at 7:30pm & 9:30pm for this performance.
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Michael Olatuja’s musical development has taken place across three continents, in the heart of three of the world’s greatest cities. After a childhood in Lagos absorbing the Yoruba culture of his Nigerian family, followed by teenage years performing and studying on the booming London jazz scene, Michael’s talent bloomed when he arrived in New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music. His unique breadth of talent, grounded in the strong musical traditions of his homeland, has earned him first-call status across a range of genres from pop to gospel to Broadway to top-flight jazz, and along the way he’s filled his contacts book with a impressive and eclectic range of talent. For Lagos Pepper Soup, his second solo release, Michael picked a core band of Terreon Gully, Aaron Parks and Etienne Stadwijk, and then enlisted the talents of Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves, Regina Carter, Joe Lovano, Laura Mvula, Lionel Loueke, Grégoire Maret, Becca Stevens, Brandee Younger, Robert Mitchell, Onaje Jefferson, and top studio arrangers David Metzger, Joseph Joubert and Jason Michael Webb to realise his vision of what he calls Cinematic Afrobeat – “What you hear is a blend of three major cities: it’s a celebration of life, and I wanted to make it sound like a soundtrack for a movie that hasn’t been made yet – maybe the next Black Panther movie!”Michael has integrated all of his diverse musical influences, incorporating his guests’ talents while allowing his own personality to clearly shape the overall direction. His own virtuoso melodic bass playing shines throughout – “I wanted Lagos Pepper Soup to feature my own playing, as well as songwriting and production – all my influences are here, all my favourite musicians, and I feel there’s an element of divine favour in how amazingly it’s turned out!’

Nick Hempton Trio
2021-08-29 19:30 - 23:30
There will be two separate seatings at 7:30pm & 9:30pm for this performance.
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Nick Hempton is an alto and tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, producing new music in the modern/mainstream tradition. Calling New York home since 2004, he headlines clubs throughout the city, as well as concert halls and festivals around the world. Influenced by the greats of the instrument– Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley, etc., and informed by a youth misspent playing Rhythm & Blues and Ska in his native Australia, Hempton’s jazz is original, approachable, and always swinging.

From 2005 to 2016, Nick led The Nick Hempton Band: “an unusually sharp, cohesive unit” (David Orthmann– AAJ) performing original compositions at most of the major New York venues, as well as touring regionally and internationally. With this group, Nick released four highly praised studio albums: “Nick Hempton Band” (self-released, 2008); “The Business” (Posi-Tone, 2011); “Odd Man Out” (Posi-Tone, 2013); and in 2015, the innovative “Catch and Release” Experiment, which was recorded and released track-by- track every six weeks, before being collated for CD release. This was followed by the pared-back “Trio Stonk” (SmallsLive, 2017), recorded live at NYC’s famed Smalls Jazz Club.
In 2018, after years of flirting with the organ band format, Nick recorded his sixth album, the organ quartet outing, Night Owl. Featuring renowned guitar ace Peter Bernstein, Night Owl harkens back to the classic ‘60s organ band sound pioneered by Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, and Dr Lonnie Smith. In the fall and winter of 2018, Nick embarked on an ambitious world tour, taking in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the US, in anticipation of the album’s official release in February 2019.

Full Circle Special w/JD Allen and Nasheet Waits
2021-09-01 19:30 - 23:00
There will be two separate seatings at 7:30pm and 9:30pm for this performance.
After moving to New York City, he played with George Cables, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Frank Foster, Butch Morris, David Murray, and Wallace Roney. Closer to his generation, he has played with Lucian Ban, Cindy Blackman, Gerald Cleaver, Dave Douglas, Orrin Evans, Duane Eubanks, Marcus Gilmore, Russell Gunn, Winard Harper, Elisabeth Kontomanou, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jeremy Pelt, Eric Revis.[2]
Allen’s first solo album, In Search Of (Criss Cross, 1999), led to his selection as Best New Artist in Italy. In 2002, his second album was chosen a top ten album of the year by Jazziz magazine. Ten years later he was named best composer and best tenor saxophonist in the Critics’ Poll at DownBeat magazine.[2] A critic at NPR picked his album Victory (Sunnyside, 2011) for the number three spot in the top twenty albums of 2011.
