BLU Jazz+'s Upcoming Shows

Jennifer James brings her quartet back to BLU Jazz+ for a relaxing night featuring curated jazz favorites! A rising force in the jazz world, Jennifer brings elegance, creativity, and groove to the keys-blending timeless standards, original works, and unexpected surprises. Featuring: Jennifer James - Piano Max Schlenk - Tenor Sax Rob Sobnosky - Bass Andrew Wegierski - Drums Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($20 in advance, $25 day of show)

After their last sold-out show at Blu, Cleveland’s best jazz artist - as voted on by the Cleveland Music Awards - returns to BLU Jazz+ in the form of a 6 piece group! With each musician pulling from their own personal styles and repertoire, it is guaranteed that there will be a little something for everyone. Come celebrate Evan’s 23rd birthday with this special show! Featuring: Steve Kortyka - Saxophone Bryan Olsheski - Vocals Miles Anderson - Guitar Luca Albano - Piano Thomas Johnston - Bass Evan Palermo - Drums & Percussion Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $20 General Admission About: Based out of Cleveland Ohio, Steve Kortyka is an accomplished mulit-instrumentalist, composer, educator and full time performer. He is a main member of the Brian Newman Quintet/Quartet, one of NYC's modern working bands and has toured the world working with this group and its dynamic members. Since graduating from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 2004, he has been a full time performer and musical director in a wide variety of different settings including small group, big band and show band acts. Steve can be heard on Grammy Award Winning Albums 'Cheek to Cheek' (2014), 'Tony Bennett Celebrates 90' (2016), 'Love For Sale' (2021), plus much more. After graduating in 1995 from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with a Bachelors in Jazz Performance, Bryan Olsheski relocated to London, England for three years. Bryan formed his own band playing original music at many of the popular jazz clubs in London, including The 606 Jazz Club, the Jazz Café and the Bulls Head Barnes. He has shared the stage with some of the most famous names in jazz such as Joe Henderson, Kenny Garrett, Wes “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Conrad Herwig, Jack McDuff, Slide Hampton and George Benson. He has also been a featured soloist for the Temptations, The Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Steve Winwood, Vaughn Weister’s Famous Jazz Orchestra, Afro-Rican Jazz Ensemble, The Four Tops and The Spinners. He has also taught as a Visiting Lecturer at Capital University and The Ohio State University. Bryan has 2 solo cd’s to his credit, both featuring Columbus’ own Bobby Floyd on organ and piano. His latest cd, ‘In The Moment’ is available for purchase on Spotify and iTunes. He is a member and frequently performs with the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus. Miles Anderson is a guitarist working predominantly in the Ohio and Michigan areas. Miles has performed with a variety of ensembles dabbling in a myriad of styles ranging from jazz, and funk, to blues, and rock. Miles has performed at many venues between Columbus and Detroit including The Ginger Rabbit, Lucille’s Jazz Lounge, Dick’s Den, Adelaide’s Gin Joint, Barter (Detroit), and more. Miles’s expertise and passion are for jazz which he studied in university, attaining both his bachelor’s (Guitar Studies) and master’s (Jazz Studies) degrees from Bowling Green State University between 2018 and 2026 under the tutelage of Ariel Kasler. Luca Albano was born in Rome, Italy, and started his piano studies there in 2008. Since then, he and his family moved to Rochester, NY, where he spent 9 years studying classical piano with Mrs. Harriet Zimmerman in the pre-collegiate program at the Eastman Community Music School. Now a student at BGSU since 2022, he is majoring in classical piano performance and minoring in jazz studies with Dr. Solungga Liu and Professor Ariel Kasler respectively. Thomas Johnston is an Australian-born multi-instrumentalist and composer. Thomas composes all kinds of works of varying styles and genres for different chamber ensembles, jazz bands, wind ensembles, and orchestral ensembles. He currently is studying music composition and jazz studies at Bowling Green State University. His teachers include Dr. Christopher Dietz, Ariel Kasler, and Aidan Plank. He can often be seen playing out with the EMP group, as well as a sought out music director and pit musician all across Ohio. Evan Michael Palermo is a Cleveland native who is currently a 4th year student at Bowling Green State University. Through the music, Evan has been heard in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Paris, and more. Evan has also had the opportunity to study, create, and perform with some of the best in the craft such as Marvin "Smitty" Smith, John Riley, Ulysses Owens Jr, Stephan Crump, Jacques Lesure, Steve Kortyka, David Bixler, Dan Piccolo, Harrison Roth and many more. Through his 4 years of being a professional musician, Evan has worked freelance for major establishments such as Cedar Point, while continuing to be deeply rooted in the Cleveland and Toledo music scene. Evan can be heard regularly through his projects in the Cleveland theatre scene as a freelance percussionist, the Cleveland rock scene through Rellick, and the Ohio jazz scene through EMP.

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.

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.

Eli Leder returns to BLU Jazz+ with an all-new band playing a mix of their favorite standards and originals! Bring your axe/horn and join in on the second set for an inclusive jam session! Doors: 6:00pm Show: 7:00pm Tickets: General Admission ($10 in advance, $15 day of show) Eli Leder: bass Chris Coles: sax Dan Bruce: guitar Gabe Jones: drums Eli Leder is a bassist and composer from the west side of Cleveland. He currently studies Jazz Bass Performance at William Paterson University, 20 miles outside New York City. Eli treats music as exploratory, searching for new sounds and considering all genres. You may catch him playing Baroque string music, bluegrass, 2010s pop, and straight-ahead swing all in one weekend. He synthesizes all of his experiences into both his bass playing and writing.

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.

Vocalist, Kara Scott returns to BLU Jazz+ with the Forest City Django Club! The FCDC is a NEO-based jazz band featuring violin, guitar, accordion, and upright bass. The group brings the timeless sound of Django Reinhardt’s European Swing to Cleveland. Experience the energy of American jazz with the charm of a Parisian cafe. The group is a combination of jazz, folk, and bluegrass veterans who love to bring this music to a new audience. Doors: 7:00pm Show: 8:00pm Tickets: $20 General Admission About: Kara Scott is a jazz vocalist living in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Her career started in 2014 with classical training and productions with Cleveland Opera Theatre and The Cleveland Opera in Playhouse Square, but her lifelong love of jazz and swing eventually took over when she started exploring new styles and singing with jazz and swing groups in 2018. Kara and some friends then formed a band in 2021 called Burning River Swing. You can find them around Cleveland and Akron, playing for events with Bainbridge Swing Dance as well as The Land Lindy Hop and the Cleveland Balboa Club. You can also find Kara regularly sitting in with the Forest City Django Club at public and private events around Cleveland. When she isn’t singing, she’s busy being a mother, spending time with friends, and taking care of her 3 cats. Guitarist Steve Karla has recently relocated to Cleveland. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Steve has been making music and art his whole life. He has thirty years of experience playing guitar, including performing regularly for fifteen years in Asheville, North Carolina as lead guitarist of the Hot Club of Asheville. Greg Smith is a jazz violinist and music educator. He studied music education at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music and has a Masters of Music Teaching and Artistry from Bowling Green State University. His inspirations are Stephane Grapelli, Tcha Limberger, and Jason Anick. Accordionist Caroline King graduated from Berklee College of Music with a focus in music production. She currently plays keys in Tall Paul and Western Drawl, a western swing band, and is a sought-after soloist for French Cafe music.

Dan Bruce (guitar), Jordan McBride (bass), and Gabe Jones (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: $25 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