Join us, parents and friends, as we welcome The Gold Tones Jazz Orchestra to the stage at BLU! This event is part of our "Kent State Jazz Studies: High School Jazz Nights at Blu". Doors: 6:30pm Show: 7:00pm Tickets: $10 General Admission Thank you for supporting Cuyahoga Falls High School! 

Thursday, March 20th, Join us for an unforgettable night of powerful poetry and evocative spoken word performances! The night will feature a special performance by Joey Pompignano. Experience raw emotion, compelling stories, and thought-provoking words as local and emerging artists take the stage to share their voices. Whether you’re a longtime poetry lover or new to the world of spoken word, this event promises to ignite your imagination and stir your soul. Doors: 6:00pm Show: 7:00pm Tickets: $10 General Admission (proceeds support our artists) 

With five highly acclaimed albums, 50+ live dates per year, a #1 Billboard hit single and multiple Billboard charting songs over the past thirty years, New York guitarist JJ Sansaverino has reached millions touring the world with his “Benson meets Santana” musical style. Join us as we welcome JJ back to BLU Jazz! This performance will feature the soulful vocals of the illustrious Vivian Sessoms! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $40 General Admission About: An innovative and extraordinary composer and performer, JJ has a "take no prisoners" performance attitude, gracing the stage night after night touring, bringing his vibe of Smooth Jazz, Traditional Jazz, Blues, R&B and Reggae. A Berklee School of Music graduate and award winner, he has shared the stage with the likes of Maceo Parker, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Maxi Priest, George Clinton, Gerald Albright, Randy Brecker, Victor Bailey, the Marley Family, and even performed for Sir Paul McCartney's wedding in 2002. 

The Candyman meets the Acrobat of Scat! The Dave Banks Big Band pays homage to two of the greatest singers of our time, Sammy Davis Jr., and Al Jarreau! Both could handle every style from jazz to pop and did it in their own unique way. The DBBB features our very own Stanley Davis as he delivers songs from the libraries of both these iconic performers. Don't miss this exceptional show! 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. 

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. 

Join us for a very special Wednesday evening featuring the award winning and renown trumpeter, Benny Benack III with his jazz quartet! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $35 General Admission Line-up: Benny Benack III: trumpet Tyler Henderson: piano Charles Goold: drums Caleb Tobocman: bass About: By age 33, Emmy-nominated trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III has proven to be that rarest of talents: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the postbop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship. This duel-threat ability was recognized by the 2025 Downbeat Readers Poll where he won the category of Rising Star Male Vocalist, and placed #8 as a Rising Star Trumpeter as well. His superb intonation and bracing virtuosity enable him to handle astounding feats of originally composed vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). On top of it all, he’s a highly capable pianist as well. Benny has performed internationally as an Emcee/Host for the Youtube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, and achieved his own viral success amassing millions of views for his crooning alongside the Grammy-award winning “8-Bit Big Band”. In early 2020 he released A Lot of Livin’ to Do, the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut One of a Kind. This sophomore effort, richly varied in mood and brimming with bop inflection, features bassist extraordinaire and Jazz ambassador Christian McBride (whose Grammy-award winning Big Band frequently calls upon Benny in the trumpet section) and drummer/producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., as well as the radiant Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano and Rhodes. His vocalese duet on “Social Call” from this album alongside fellow young star vocalist Veronica Swift became an instant smash hit single, being transcribed and learned by Jazz vocalists around the world. His latest album “Third Time’s the Charm” features many stars including Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen & Bria Skonberg and was released in June 2023 to critical acclaim and chart-topping success, reaching #2 on the JazzWeek National Radio Charts. Alongside his global touring as a straight-ahead/contemporary bandleader, Benny has appeared as a trumpet soloist in more commercial circles alongside Josh Groban, Ben Folds, fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi, Ann Hampton Callaway and more. He’s been featured at Birdland, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Mezzrow, Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle and other leading New York venues, and has also been a special guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops Orchestra, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and the Minsk Philharmonic Orchestra. He made his television debut in NBC’s short-lived, SNL-inspired variety show “Maya & Marty” playing in the in-studio band led by acclaimed bassist & Broadway arranger Charlie Rosen. More recent TV credits include “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” where he’s performed in the House Band started by Jon Batiste. His global recognition has been bolstered by recent live-streaming concerts at Smalls Jazz Club, where he maintains a Jam Session residency, as well as frequent appearances on fellow young lion Emmet Cohen’s smash-hit online concert series “Emmet’s Place” . Third in a generational line of Pittsburgh jazz notables, Benny follows in the footsteps of his trumpeter/bandleader grandfather, Benny Benack, Sr. (1921-86), and his father Benny Benack, Jr., a saxophonist/clarinetist who gave the young Benny his first professional experience. Benny, Sr. hailed from a Pittsburgh lineage that also produced Roy Eldridge, Earl Hines, Art Blakey, Billy Strayhorn and so many more. He recorded the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 theme song “Beat ’Em Bucs” and toured with Tommy Dorsey and Raymond Scott, among others. Benny III returns to Pittsburgh often to perform, saluting his family forebears and the jazz heritage as a whole, nonetheless staking his bold and highly individual artistic claim. He is an endorsing artist with Torpedo Bags cases, CarolBrass flugelhorns, as well as various menswear fashion lines including X-Suit, Alain Dupetit, Brisk Shirts, Proper Cloth & Vittone. 

The BLU Jazz Jam is for musicians and music lovers alike! Come hang and experience this exciting forum for musical expression. Bring your “axe” and play through tunes, pick up licks, trade 4’s, and enjoy the camaraderie of having a gathering place for the area’s finest professional jazz musicians (as well as the up-and-comers)!  This session will feature local jazz players and educators, Tommy Lehman (trumpet), Nick Paparone (guitar), Zaire Darden (drums), and Jordan McBride (bass). Doors: 6:00pm Show: 7:00pm Tickets: $10 General Admission (proceeds to musicians) *Free for students and participating musicians* Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Occidental Gypsy has an original approach to gypsy jazz that pays homage to Django and expands the genre to include elements of western (Occidental) sounds, including blues, Klezmer and Latin. The east-coast quintet features Eli Bishop on violin. Bishop performs regularly at Lincoln Center, and enthralls audiences as the current Guinness Book of World Records fastest clapper. For over a dozen years, Occidental Gypsy has been pioneering this exhilarating blend of gypsy swing, jazz and world music that enraptures the listener with a complex acoustic sound, burnished by smooth vocals reminiscent of the first era of swing. Their energetic shows make audiences move their feet and have garnered them the title “rock stars with acoustic guitars.” Doors: 7:00pm Show:8:00pm Tickets: $25 General Admission 

Rust-belt jazz guitarist, Adam Bronstein, brings his polished licks to Blu Jazz+ with the (AB)trio! For fans of: Julian Lage, Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny, and John Scofield. Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $20 General Admission About: Adam Bronstein is a guitar player from Buffalo, NY known for his clever songwriting and playful improvisation. Focusing on guitar at the forefront of its sound, his music is instrumental with influences ranging from bebop through fusion, soul-jazz & psychedelia. Adam has released 3 studio albums in the past two years: Intention/Invention (Nov 2022), ABtrio (Dec. 2023); & most recently Jazz ≠ Jazz (Aug 2024) as well as a live release “Live at Black Dots” (Feb 2024). Between touring with Louis Prima Jr & The Witnesses, as well as the soul jazz quintet Ellen Pieroni and The Encyclopedia of Soul Adam has taken his trio (aptly named ABtrio) on four separate independent tours across the Northeast and midwest United States, planning a fifth and sixth this spring and summer. Adam was nominated “BEST JAZZ GUITARIST” and ABtrio nominated “BEST JAZZ RELEASE” in the 2024 Jazz Buffalo Readers Poll and Adam has shared bills with Samara Joy, Pasquale Grasso, Charlie Balentine, Ghost Note, Paris Monster, Lespecial & more. 

Esto Jazz featuring saxophonist, Robert Esterle, brings their variety of contemporary jazz, pop, standards and original compositions back to BLU! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $20 General Admission About: Esterle has performed in a wide variety of musical groups from symphony orchestras to jazz big bands throughout the Midwest. He has backed up such popular artists as Bobby Caldwell, Olivia Newton-John, Sandy Duncan, Ray Charles, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Frankie Avalon, Martha Reeves, The Platters, The Fifth Dimension, The Four Lads, Rich Little, Joan Rivers, Guy Lombardo, Hal Linden and Red Skelton. He has also performed for Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. 

Dan Bruce (guitar), Jordan McBride (bass), and Dustin May (drums) are OHM! The trio features high energy original improvised music and unique arrangements of their favorite tunes, all set to forceful and distinctive grooves. Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $20 General Admission About: By embracing the influence of his heroes from the jazz tradition and retaining his own musical personality, guitarist Daniel Bruce has developed a unique and impressive musical voice. A recent transplant to Ohio after spending a decade as an important member of Chicago’s vibrant jazz scene, he is active throughout the Midwest and nationally as a performer, recording artist, composer and educator. Bruce moved to Chicago in 2007 after completing his master’s degree in jazz studies at the University of North Texas. He was quickly performing at a number of the city’s finest jazz venues including Andy’s, The Green Mill, The Jazz Showcase, and Harris Theatre in Millennium Park. As a jazz performer and recording artist, Bruce has had the opportunity to work with a number of eminent musicians including Seamus Blake, Ali Jackson, Lynn Seaton, Dan Wall, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Marvin Stamm, Dave Restivo, and Rose Colella. He has been a featured composer in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, and remains a regular contributor. Daniel released A Single Thread, his first album as a leader, in 2008 on NohJoh records. His second release is due out in the summer of 2017. Bruce’s groups have been featured in The Chi-Town Jazz Festival, The Chicago Composers Collective series, The Chicago Cultural Center Chamber Music Series, The Jazz Institute of Chicago NextGen Jazz Series, South by Southwest, the Toledo Jazz Festival, and a special live radio broadcast on WDCB FM Chicago. Bruce was awarded a Teaching Fellowship upon entrance to The University of North Texas where he taught applied jazz guitar lessons, directed two guitar ensembles and a student big band while pursuing his own studies at the University. Daniel has held faculty positions at Muskingum College, Cuyahoga Community College, Harold Washington College, St. Xavier University, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and The Chicago Academy for the Arts where he served as Music Department Chair for eight years. “Dan Bruce is a lyrical musician with a thoroughly modern bent, based on a firm grasp of the tradition.” -Bassist Lynn Seaton “A skilled, seasoned player, one capable of filling the space left by an accompanying harmonic instrument with aplomb and finesse.” -Martin Gladu, allaboutjazz.com 

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. 

Join us for a jam packed night with the high-octane jazz/funk/fusion bands, Chirp and Abstract Sounds! Doors: 7:00pm Chirp: 8:00pm-9:00pm Abstract Sounds: 9:30pm-11:00pm Tickets: $25 (presale), $30 (day of show) - G.A. About: Based in Detroit, MI, Chirp is a four-piece band that does their fair share of genre-hopping. Often playing in the styles of progressive rock/funk and jazz-fusion, their sound maintains a melodic center. The group features a wide array of originals and covers in their live sets and puts together dynamic, high-energy shows. Though their music ties in many technical elements, an equal emphasis is put on grooving and keeping people moving. Chirp takes influence from Snarky Puppy, Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Yes, Daft Punk, Vulfpeck, and The Beatles to name a few. Chirp has been hard at work since their formation in 2015, touring and recording consistently since the project began. Their fresh sound has taken them touring across the Midwest to play a large variety of venues and festivals. Chirp is Jay Frydenlund, Brian Long, Sam Naples, and Patrick Blommel. Abstract Sounds is a 6pc Jazz fusion / Funk band from Cleveland, OH started by saxophonist Jevaughn Bogard. The band is a horn section driven by an amazing rhythm section that will keep you out of your seat. The goal of Abstract Sounds is to bring the dance element back to jazz and Abstract Sounds does that with their funky grooves and dance club sounds blended with rich and extended harmony that consumes you. 

Join us as we celebrate the legendary tunes of Steely Dan, with The FM Project! Doors: 7:00 Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $25 General Admission