BLU Jazz+'s Upcoming Shows

A perfect date night event, the DBBB brings BLU Jazz and all of you an evening of some of the best romantic music ever with songs by Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Wilson, Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Peggy Lee, and more! We also will pay a special musical tribute to the NBC Tonight Show Orchestra, led by Doc Severinsen, who made their final late night TV broadcast on May 22, 1992. Feature vocalists will be Connor Bogart O'Brien and Margo Tipping, who are in constant demand as headliners on the major cruise ships! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $30 General Admission The Dave Banks Big Band is a powerhouse 17 piece swinging big band based out of Akron, Ohio and is led by Ohio native and 20 year Las Vegas veteran trumpet artist, Dave Banks. The band boasts of having the very top players in the Northeast Ohio area. Dave fronts the band with his soaring trumpet – reminding you of Doc Severinson, Harry James and Maynard Ferguson. Their repertoire ranges from original compositions to standard big band favorites. Featured vocalists have included Michael Sonata, Stan Davis, Mery White, Shannon Eller, Britni Tozzi, Helen Welch, Don Dasco, John Morton, Frederick Davis and Paul Hoffman. Their library of big band music includes hit songs arranged by the best writers in the business. They have played to packed houses at Akron’s BLU Jazz+, the Cleveland Bop Stop, the Packard Music Hall, Carousel Dinner Theatre, The Tangier Ballroom and The Kent Stage.

SmokeFace is a professional bassist, guitarist, and recording artist from Akron, Ohio, known for blending soulful grooves with modern, genre-bending sound. Having toured both nationally and internationally with major artists as well as leading his own projects, SmokeFace brings a high-level musical experience to every stage. On May 23rd (8–11PM) at Blu Jazz+, he returns for a special night of original live music, featuring a unique lineup of handpicked guest musicians. This performance will showcase a fresh sound and energy, distinct from his usual band—making it a one-of-a-kind experience you won’t want to miss! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($15 in advance, $20 day of show)

Daniel is a pianist, composer, arranger and educator from Aotearoa (New Zealand), joining Ohio demons Ian Kinnaman and Anthony Taddeo for his debut performance in the USA, presenting tunes by himself and other NZ composers, and some select standards. Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($15 in advance, $20 day of show) Daniel Hayles - Piano Ian Kinnaman - Bass Anthony Taddeo - Drums About: Daniel's piano style evokes the impressionistic harmony of Bill Evans, the hypnotic bluesy swing of Red Garland, the compelling syncopation and urgency of Herbie Hancock, the deep spiritual joy of Ahmad Jamal, and the dancing, soulful jazz-tronic pulse of Los Angeles beat music culture. Daniel is a jazz- and groove-centric musician from Aotearoa New Zealand. He is an instructor at Te Kōkī--New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington, lecturing in topics like jazz combo, arranging, and performance practice, as well as directing the award-winning Te Kōkī Big Band. His playing has featured on jazz artist of the year nominated records as well as number-one pop albums. Daniel is an arranger for leading Aotearoa big bands, large-scale commercial productions, and local and national orchestras. He also leads his own genre-bending large ensemble - Other Futures Big Band. Daniel has two solo albums Eldest Of Five (2019), Other Futures (2022), and his most recent album featuring piano trio, wind quintet and string quartet On The Grid (Live) (2025).

Vocalist, Evelyn Wright, and trombonist, Chris Anderson, join The Moonlight Serenaders for an epic night of "Swing and Soul". Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $30 General Admission The Moonlight Serenaders, led by Trombonist Scott Marsh, focus on keeping the traditions of the classic Big Band Era alive, playing songs from the late 1930's up to the mid 1960's...from Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, and Artie Shaw to Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Buddy Rich. The band features vocal and instrumental soloists, and plays clubs, public concerts, and private events throughout Northeast Ohio. Evelyn Wright has been a professional vocalist for over twenty-five years, with experience in jazz, R&B, and pop music. A native of Cleveland, she was voted Best Female Vocalist in 1985 at WCPN Radio. Wright was also named the Winner of Most Promising Female Artist and Favorite Female R&B Singer at the 1993 Midwest Urban Music Awards. In 2008, she was presented the Jazz Legend Award at the Tri-C Jazz Fest. Throughout her career, she has toured across the United States and Canada with artists such as Mel Tormé, Joan Rivers, and Harry Belafonte, but she loves performing in Cleveland. Chris Anderson is the founder of Open Tone Music, a non profit organization which provides access to premier music education and performance programming for all people. Through Open Tone Music he has reached thousands of individuals in the northern Ohio area. In addition to being a successful music educator, Chris composes and performs many different styles of music. He has performed trombone with some of the best in the Classical, Jazz, Gospel, Latin and other musical idioms. He’s had the pleasure of performing with such recording artist as Clark Terry, John Fedchock, Jon Faddis, Nancy Wilson, Frank Wess, Louie Bellson, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Barry Manilow, Bobby Caldwell, The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band featuring Slide Hampton, Phil Woods, Antonio Hart and many others.

Join us May 30th, as we welcome heavy hitters, Tony Grey (bass), David Throckmorton (drums), and Matthew Charles Heulitt (guitar), to the Rubber City by way of the Steel City! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($20 in advance, $25 day of show) "Grey-Throckmorton-Heulitt is a Pittsburgh-based jazz fusion trio with world-class players. Longtime Pittsburgh veteran David Throckmorton on drums (Maynard Ferguson, Dan Wilson, David Fiuczynski, Reb Beach), Matthew Charles Heulitt on guitar (Narada Michael Walden, Carlos Santana, Zigaboo Modeliste), and Tony Grey on bass (Hiromi, John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock). This trio merges high-level playing with intimate improvisational dialogues and genre-crossing melodies full of depth and emotion."

Join us for our continued bi-weekly Tuesday night blues jam session tradition, hosted by NE Ohio all-star blues musicians John Markovic, Ryan Neuman, & Erik Diaz! Bring your axe or horn & wail the blues as part of this ongoing musical series at BLU! The “BLUesday Tuesday” Blues Jam band carries 60+ years of combined experience in and around the Greater Akron Blues scene. They enjoy blending their deep roots & varied influences to bring hot, stylish electric blues to the stage – always listening, always feeding off each other’s energy and always laying down soulful, groove-laden blues with feeling. Doors: 6:00pm Show: 7:00pm *Free Admission* Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

World renown jazz guitarist and Akron native, Dan Wilson, returns to BLU Jazz with his all-star organ trio and horn section on Friday, June 5th! Featuring: David Throckmorton- Drums Clifford Barnes- organ Brad Wagner- sax Chris Coles- sax Tommy Lehman- Trumpet Chris Anderson- Trombone Doors: 6:00pm Show: 7:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($25 in advance, $35 at the door) About: Growing up in Akron, Ohio, Dan Wilson spent the majority of his youth within the church community, where his musical path began. Traces of his major guitar influences – including Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass, and George Benson to name a few – can be discerned through his playing, but his musical identity has been shaped by everything from gospel and blues to traditional jazz, hip-hop and horn players like Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson. After graduating from Hiram College, Wilson made his recording debut with pianist Joe McBride and performed to worldwide acclaim with Joey DeFrancesco and Christian McBride’s Tip City, eventually recording his debut as a leader To Whom It May Concern. Wilson has had the honor of sharing the stage with jazz greats including Eric Marienthal, Russell Malone, Les McCann, René Marie, Jeff Hamilton, David Sanborn and Dave Stryker. He also teaches jazz guitar and music theory through private lessons. Wilson’s career took him on an exploratory journey into foundations laid down by the guitar/organ tradition, eventually leading to an invitation to perform with jazz great Joey DeFrancesco’s trio quartet, with which Wilson went on to earn a GRAMMY® Award nomination with for DeFrancesco’s Project Freedom album (Mack Avenue Records, 2017). This collaboration allowed the guitarist to insert his own dialect into the musical prowess and respect that DeFrancesco had earned throughout his journey. Wilson had been playing with DeFrancesco for a few years when he met bassist, composer, arranger, Christian McBride. From there, Wilson went on to tour with McBride’s trio Tip City, eventually leading McBride to serve as producer on "Vessels of Wood and Earth" and release the album on his newly formed imprint Brother Mister Productions through Mack Avenue Music Group. The album was released on April 23, 2021 and is available on all platforms.