Cliff Bell's

Bijan Taghavi Quartet
2022-09-08 19:30 - 23:30 (America/Detroit)
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************************
Composer-pianist Bijan Taghavi, from California, performs and teaches in New York and Michigan. As a leader, the Bijan Taghavi Trio toured Japan in December 2018, including performances at Urayasu Concert Hall in Chiba, Live House ENN in Sendai, Live House ROXX in Aamori, and Nogata Kumin Hall in Tokyo. Bijan also leads a Duo Series at the National Arts Club in NYC, where he has performed concerts with Dick Oatts, Rich Perry, Jay Anderson, Ulysses Owens Jr., Roxy Coss, Giveton Gelin, and Kiyoshi Kitagawa.
As a collaborator, Bijan has worked with Rodney Whitaker, Randy Napoleon, Ron Carter, Stefon Harris, and performed Coltrane’s A Love Supreme with Joe Lovano at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Bijan has also performed at venues such as: Blue Note Amsterdam, Beacon Theatre, 55 Bar, Apollo Theatre and Minton’s Playhouse Harlem. A sought-after composer and arranger, Bijan has written works for studio orchestra, big band, string quartet, and performed his original music at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency.
Alongside a busy performing career, Bijan is an Adjunct Professor of Jazz Piano at Hillsdale College. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bijan launched his unique Personalized Video Correspondence Lessons and was a guest panelist for “Hearin’ The Changes”, Luther Hughes’ weekly masterclass at California State University, Fullerton. Bijan has taught classes in Beginning Improvisation and Advanced Musicianship at Michigan State University and is also an educator for JazzPianoSchool.com. Classically-trained under the mentorship of Robert Estrin, Bijan studied the monumental classical piano works and performed as a soloist with the South Coast Symphony.
A recipient of the Presser Foundation Scholarship, Bijan is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Michigan State University and has studied with Phil Markowitz, Fred Hersch, and Xavier Davis. www.BijanJazz.com

DeSean Jones
2022-09-08 19:30 - 2022-09-09 09:30, 2022-09-09 19:30 - 2022-09-10 09:30, 2022-09-10 19:30 - 2022-09-11 09:30, 2022-09-11 19:30 - 2022-09-12 09:30, 2022-09-12 19:30 - 2022-09-13 09:30, 2022-09-13 19:30 - 2022-09-14 09:30, 2022-09-14 19:30 - 2022-09-15 09:30, 2022-09-15 19:30 - 2022-09-16 09:30 and 13 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.

Keith Hall Trio
2022-09-09 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************************
Keith Hall has established himself as a passionate educator and joyful performer over the last 25 years. For 12 years, Keith spent much of his time touring worldwide and recording with singer and Concord Recording Artist Curtis Stigers. Hall has also performed with the likes of Randy Brecker, Betty Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Sir Roland Hanna, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Phillip Mossman, New York Voices, Andrew Rathbun, Janis Siegel, Luciana Souza, Terrell Stafford, Joe Wilder, Steve Wilson. He has recorded four CDs with Curtis Stigers as well as many other artists and he continues to tour and record with his critically acclaimed NYC-based trio TRI-FI.
Hall lived and worked in New York City for nine years performing in a multitude of musical contexts. Although most of these were jazz, he was also a regular sub for Tommy Igoe on Broadway’s Lion King. Hall was a member of the Latin-jazz quartet, Grupo Yanqui, chosen by the United States State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center to represent the United States in the American Music Abroad Program. Hall was also a member of the prestigious Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead in 1997.
Hall is the Artistic Director of the Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive, a one of a kind jazz drum camp that celebrated its 14th year in 2020. He is also the Executive Director of TUNED IN, a nonprofit organization, which focuses on supporting the power of music education to change lives. Hall is the author of two instructional jazz drum set books: Jazz Drums Now! Vol. 1 and Jazz Drums Now! Vol. 2 and is the radio host for Jazz Currents on WMUK, the NPR affiliate in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Hall presents clinics worldwide for Remo Drumheads, Yamaha Drums, Vic Firth Drumsticks, Zildjian Cymbals, Cympad, Big Fat Snare Drum, Rhythm Tech, and Protection Racket Drum Cases.

Andrew Rathbun
2022-09-10 19:30 - 23:30, 2022-09-11 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
**************************************************************************************************
Saxophonist, composer, bandleader and Toronto native Andrew Rathbun has achieved a rare depth of lyricism, authoritative swing and compositional intelligence in nearly 20 years as a recording artist. His work is rooted in modern jazz but also deeply informed by classical composition — his recordings have included adaptations of Ravel, Mompou and Glück, among others. He has written big band commissions for the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra, the Metropole Orkest and other ensembles, and performed and composed commercial music for roughly 10 years as well.
Another of Rathbun’s inspirations is poetry: his recordings Jade and True Stories set to music the verse of Cathy Song and Margaret Atwood, respectively (both albums featured acclaimed Brazillian vocalist Luciana Souza). His 2002 release Sculptures featured trumpet legend and Toronto native Kenny Wheeler in a set that “cloak[s] subtle avant-garde proclivities in soft light and open air” (JazzTimes).
Rathbun has also tackled political subjects with his large-ensemble work “Power Politics Suite” and his 2007 quintet session Affairs of State. His other recordings of note are Renderings (duo with pianist George Colligan), Days Before and After (co-led with drummer Owen Howard), Shadow Forms (featuring George Garzone), Where We Are Now (featuring Billy Hart), The Idea of North and Numbers & Letters.
Rathbun earned a Masters in Performance from Boston’s New England Conservatory, where he studied with George Garzone, Jimmy Giuffre and George Russell. He became a fixture on the New York jazz scene during his years in Brooklyn, helping to shape the sound of the music in the new millennium as he earned a Doctorate in Jazz Arts from Manhattan School of Music. He is currently Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where he lives with his family. He continues to perform in New York and internationally

Ingrid Racine Quartet
2022-09-15 19:30 - 23:00
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************************
Trumpeter Ingrid Racine transgresses stylistic categories and geographic boundaries in pursuit of her own authentic sound as an improviser and composer. Steeped in the traditions of early jazz and Detroit hard bop, she also melds rock, hip hop and aesthetic influences from across the globe to arrive at her unique sound, which is both confident and versatile. In the words of jazz critic Michael G Nastos, “She is a little on the funk side of jazz, but can swing as hard as she needs to…”
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ingrid Racine received a BFA in Jazz Studies and MM in Improvisation from the University of Michigan, where she studied improvisation with Donald Walden, Geri Allen, Marion Hayden, and applied trumpet with Bill Lucas and Ingrid Jensen. By her early 20s, she was performing with an eclectic array of ensembles, including the early jazz group Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings, Mady Kouyate’s Heat of Africa, and the Detroit-based all female jazz group Straight Ahead, in addition to steady sideman work in local small jazz groups. She toured nationally and internationally with the post-afrobeat group NOMO from 2003-2009, including performances at WOMEX (Sevilla, Spain), Aspen Jazz Festival, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Bumbershoot (Seattle) and Pitchfork Festival. In 2016, Ingrid released her debut record as a bandleader, entitled “Concentric Circles,” and she currently maintains an active schedule as both a sideman and leader throughout the midwest.

Bijan Taghavi Piano Trio
2022-09-16 21:30 - 23:30
Showtime is at 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 8:30p for the second show) **************************************************************************************************
Composer-pianist Bijan Taghavi, from California, performs and teaches in New York and Michigan. As a leader, the Bijan Taghavi Trio toured Japan in December 2018, including performances at Urayasu Concert Hall in Chiba, Live House ENN in Sendai, Live House ROXX in Aamori, and Nogata Kumin Hall in Tokyo. Bijan also leads a Duo Series at the National Arts Club in NYC, where he has performed concerts with Dick Oatts, Rich Perry, Jay Anderson, Ulysses Owens Jr., Roxy Coss, Giveton Gelin, and Kiyoshi Kitagawa.
As a collaborator, Bijan has worked with Rodney Whitaker, Randy Napoleon, Ron Carter, Stefon Harris, and performed Coltrane’s A Love Supreme with Joe Lovano at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Bijan has also performed at venues such as: Blue Note Amsterdam, Beacon Theatre, 55 Bar, Apollo Theatre and Minton’s Playhouse Harlem. A sought-after composer and arranger, Bijan has written works for studio orchestra, big band, string quartet, and performed his original music at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency.
Alongside a busy performing career, Bijan is an Adjunct Professor of Jazz Piano at Hillsdale College. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bijan launched his unique Personalized Video Correspondence Lessons and was a guest panelist for “Hearin’ The Changes”, Luther Hughes’ weekly masterclass at California State University, Fullerton. Bijan has taught classes in Beginning Improvisation and Advanced Musicianship at Michigan State University and is also an educator for JazzPianoSchool.com. Classically-trained under the mentorship of Robert Estrin, Bijan studied the monumental classical piano works and performed as a soloist with the South Coast Symphony.
A recipient of the Presser Foundation Scholarship, Bijan is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Michigan State University and has studied with Phil Markowitz, Fred Hersch, and Xavier Davis. www.BijanJazz.com

Ember Trio
2022-09-24 19:30 - 23:30, 2022-09-25 19:30 - 23:00
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************************
The Brooklyn, NY based collaborative trio Ember (previously Curtis+Garabedian+Sperrazza) finds itself at the crossroads of musical and personal exploration resulting in true band-hood and non-hierarchical playing. Each of the members – Caleb Wheeler Curtis (stritch, trumpet), Noah Garabedian (bass), and Vinnie Sperrazza (drums) – are integral parts of the NY creative music community as leaders, collaborators and instigators. The music in this trio is organized but open and expressive. Their music opens up the true freedom of improvisation, exploration, and creativity.
Caleb Wheeler Curtis – stritch, trumpet
Noah Garabedian – bass
Vinnie Sperrazza – drums
Their latest release, “No One Is Any One” with Orrin Evans on piano, is available everywhere Sunnyside Records.
“music that’s as pure in spirit as it is honest to the improviser’s art.”
All About Jazz
“Chamber-like rapport”
Nate Chinen WBGO
“Draw[ing] on both the post-1970s Chicago and New York downtown scenes exploring the blues-based and alt. Rock as well as the free jazz aspects of the sounds coming from those highly significant jazz niches.”
Jazzwise
“Often the label experimental is used to denote a sound that defies convention or category. And maybe that word is too small to capture what is going on with No One Is Any One.”
DownBeat

Alex Anest Organ Trio
2022-09-29 19:30 - 23:00
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************************
Alex Anest is a lifelong guitarist and musician who is fascinated with the endless possibilities of improvisation. He has been teaching, performing, and recording in the Southeast Michigan area since 1996. Over the years he has been a founding member of various jazz oriented groups including the Ann Arbor Guitar Trio, Nomad, Giraffe, and Never Nebula. Since 2018 he has played with Gayelynn McKinney’s in her McKinney Zone project, which won a Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Jazz Recording. Alex has studied with Miles Okazaki, Chris Buzzelli, Benny Green, Mark Kirschenmann, and Ellen Rowe. He has also appeared on over 30 albums, mostly recorded in Michigan. This second iteration of his organ trio features world class drummer Gayelynn McKinney, as well as renowned organist Jim Alfredson.

The Alex Anest Organ Trio is dedicated to finding exciting repertoire for the organ based group. Original tunes as well as works by the likes of Duke Pearson, Emily Remler, Ernie Krivda, and Herbie Hancock have found their way into the set list. The focus is on working together and connecting with the audience through improvisation, groove, and feel. Music should be fun to listen to as well as to play, and this trio is all about enjoying the music. This is a relatively new group made up of seasoned players.
One of Detroit’s most accomplished drummers, Gayelynn McKinney has played for renowned international artists like Aretha Franklin, Freda Payne, Chaka Khan,Benny Golson, Roy Hargrave, Larry Coryell, Marcus Belgrave, Ralphe Armstrong, Roy Ayers, and Geri Allen. She is the recipient of a Kresge Arts Fellowship, a Motor City Music Award and a Detroit Black Music Award. She has performed at the 1996 Olympic Games and at the prestigious Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts, and she has entertained the armed forces in Germany and Italy – and via live broadcast to military bases in Afghanistan. Add a Grammy Nomination to her resume and you quickly realize what an exceptional musician Gayelynn is.
Jim Alfredson comes from a musical family. His father earned a living as a professional musician for many years and encouraged Jim’s talents from a very young age.
Jim began writing his own songs at the age of eight on a Yamaha organ. A score of synthesizers and multitrack machines followed until he came full circle at sixteen and began lusting after the sound of the Hammond organ once again. Jim has immersed himself in the study of the mighty Hammond B3 ever since, dedicated to uncovering new directions within the deep tradition of the instrument.
