Join us, as we celebrate MLK day with Hubb's Groove! The night will feature a special musical tribute to legends Sade & Tina Turner, featuring Adrianna Miller and Charita Franks on vocals! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($30 in advance, $40 day of show) 

Join us, as we welcome DC based jazz guitarist, Shawn Purcell to Akron for his deBLUt performance! Featuring Darden Purcell (vocals), Don Aliquot (tenor sax.), Kris Monson (acoustic bass), and Steve Fidel (drums & cymbals). Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($20 in advance, $25 day of show) About: Dr. Shawn Purcell, originally hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator based in the Washington DC region. Purcell has shared the stage, recorded with, and/or toured with Walt Weiskopf, Pat Bianchi, Regina Carter, Steve Fidyk, Chip McNeill, Sean Jones, Steve Allee, Brian Charette, Terell Stafford, Tim Warfield, Lucas Pino, Peter Erskine, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra, Eddie Daniels, National Symphony Orchestra and many others. Purcell has appeared at jazz venues and festivals around the globe. His performance credits include legendary venues like The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Smalls, Chris’ Jazz Café, The Jazz Kitchen, The Bop Stop, Con Alma, Sharp 9 Gallery, Keystone Korner Baltimore, JazzB in São Paulo and Aalt Stadhaus in Luxembourg as well as major festivals such as Umbria Jazz Festival, Ancona Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Fest, Indy Jazz Fest and Savannah Jazz Festival. 

We’re back at it again. Thursday Night Tonight returns on January 22nd, 2026, now taking the stage at Blu Jazz+ in downtown Akron. New date, new venue, same charming mayhem. Thursday Night Tonight is a topical late-night comedy show digging into the strange and overlooked corners of Northeast Ohio. Host Adam Bonomo leads audiences through the oddities that capture his attention, using a familiar format that veers into the unexpectedly absurd. It’s a world full of surreal characters and compellingly bizarre talents. Venue Change: The show will now be held at Blu Jazz+. Parking: Free at the Library Parking Deck across from the Akron Art Museum (40 S. High Street) Doors: 7 PM Show: 8 PM Tickets: $20 General Admission One Rule: No busters allowed. 

Blue Lunch is a Cleveland-based 8 piece band with multiple vocalists and a 3 piece horn section, that has been performing it's brand of Blues, Soul, Jazz, and New Orleans Rhythm and Blues throughout the region for 41 years! For the January 23 performance, the band is excited to add veteran Akron-based musician, Tim Longfellow on organ. Tim has performed with a wide range of bands, including recording and performing with Todd Rundgren. Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($20 in advance, $25 day of show) Blue Lunch has performed at numerous clubs, community concerts, and festivals including the Tri-C JazzFest, Pittsburgh Blues Festival, and Columbus Jazz and Ribs Festival. Blue Lunch has appeared at iconic Northeast Ohio venues, the Beachland Ballroom, and The Bop Stop, as well as multiple times at BluJazz+ throughout the years. Blue Lunch has also produced 8 CDs, including "Saxophone Shootout II, Live at Nighttown", which was voted one of the top 5 independently produced CDs at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and is completing their 9th CD. Blue Lunch has also been a backing band/collaborated with internationally recognized musicians, including Billy Price, Tad Robinson, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, and Candye Kane, among others! 

The Stix Quintet returns to BLU , Saturday, January 24th! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($20 in advance, $25 at door) The Stix Quintet, led by Nehemiah (Stix) Baker, combines elements of neo soul, funk and R&B into a sound tapestry that brings out infectious grooves and danceable rhythms to get you up out your seat. 

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. 

Jennifer James brings her trio to BLU Jazz+ for a relaxing night featuring curated jazz favorites with audience-requested standards. Share conversation and cocktails with live jazz as the backdrop! Featuring: Jennifer James - Piano Brian Randall - Drums Chris Mezzolesta - Bass Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($15 in advance, $20 day of show) 

Join us for a special performance at Blu Jazz, featuring the music of local jazz educator, composer, and saxophonist, Chris Coles and his group, Gleam! Featuring: Theron Brown - Piano / Keys Zaire Darden - Drums / Percussion Jordan McBride - Bass Tommy Lehman - Trumpet Chris Coles - Saxophone Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($20 in advance, $25 at door) Bio: Christopher J. Coles is a graduate of Cleveland South High School (2004). In 2009 Chris received his bachelor’s degree in Saxophone Performance from Youngstown State University. It was here that he studied with world-renowned saxophonist and educator Dr. James C. Umble, jazz saxophonist Dr. Kent Englehardt, and jazz bassist and composer Dr. David Morgan. In 2012, Chris received his master’s degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Akron. Chris has performed with many local and international jazz musicians such as, Eddie Baccus Sr., Melvin Burks, Kenny Davis, Glenn Holmes, Bill Ransom, and Cecil Rucker, Grammy Award winner Slide Hampton, Ralph Lalama, Sean Jones, Dominick Farinacci, Maria Schneider (guest conductor for The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra) and Allen Vizzutti. Coles recently was accepted to perform in Italy with the Ohio Youth Jazz Orchestra. It was here that Coles performed with Wessell Anderson, former lead alto saxophonist for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Chris also played at the North American Saxophone Alliance Regional Festival in West Virginia with the Dana Saxophone quartet, performing at the International Saxophone Symposium in Washington D.C., and premiering a commissioned work by John Hollenbeck at the Whitney Art Museum Composers Workshop. Coles also recorded this work on John Hollenbeck’s album Rainbow Jimmies released in 2009. Some of Chris’s recent accomplishments include being a participant at The Banff Workshop for Jazz and Creative music in Alberta, Canada. It was there that Chris had the distinct honor of studying with some of the great pioneers in jazz today such as Vijay Iyer, Mark Turner, Imani Izuri, Tia Fuller, Billy Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Zakir Hussain, Somi, Yosvany Terry, and Miles Okazaki to name a few. In 2017 Chris was an awardee of the Knight Arts Challenge in Akron, Ohio and in 2018 Chris won grants from GAR Foundation as well as the Cleveland foundation for his multimedia work Nine Lives. This 40-minute work will be preimered in 2019. Chris is currently based out of Akron, Ohio and is on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory, The University of Akron, and The Tri-C Creative Arts Jazzfest Academy. Chris is a Yamaha Performing Artist 

BLU Jazz+ & DJ Maxafari present a night of One Love and Positive Vibrations to celebrate and pay tribute to the King of Reggae Music, Bob Marley. Let's get together and feel alright! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($10 in advance, $15 at the door) Marley Acoustic opening set by Carlos Jones, Binghi Neal and Maxafari: 8pm-9pm DJ Maxafari Marley Only Dance Party: 9pm-11pm 

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. 

Cleveland saxophonist, Jevaughn Bogard, brings his group Abstract Sounds back to Akron, for a special valentines celebration featuring vocalist Esther Fitz! Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($25 in advance, $30 at the door) About: 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 for 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. Jevaughn has been blessed to share the stage with artist like, Aretha Franklin, Tye Tribbett, Kim Burrell , Big Daddy Kane, Benny Golson, Deitrick Haddon, Chick Corea and many more. If you're fans of the  music by artist like Micheal Jackson, Stevie Wonder, The Beeges, Jill Scott, Snarky Puppy, Herbie Hancock this concert is definitely for you and with a nice selection of original music written by Jevaughn this concert was curated to touch the soul.