Upcoming Performances
Sunday, May 5, 7 PM
At the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts - 926 East Center Street
Djangophonique (Ann Arbor, MI) is an award winning project that delivers the infectious joy, and expressive freedom that is at the heart of Django Reinhardt’s jazz manouche. With respect for the tradition and a fearless creativity that bends the conventions of the style, Djangophonique is keeping the Hot Club revival alive and well. The result is a sound that’s unmistakable to fans of the music, and alluring to the uninitiated—a sound that can bring the lively energy of a Parisian dance hall to the quietest listening room or captivate a buzzing festival audience with the aching nostalgia of a shimmering ballad.
On this tour route the band is joined by Christo Ruppenthal and Forrest Evans of Christo’s Novelty Combo(Madison, WI). They will both accompany Djangophonique and perform a few of their own songs throughout the concert. Christo's Novelty Combo presents a unique mixture of the Vaudeville era, novelty and jazz-infused hot steel guitar and ukulele of the 1920s and 30s "Hawaiian Craze," and the swinging sounds of French, Django Reinhardt-style small group swing jazz from the 1930s and 40s. Think Hot Hawaiian guitar meets Jazz à la Django
Date: May 5, 2024
Time: 7:00pm doors/7:30pm show
Cover price: 15$ (please note we do not sell advance tickets - doors only. both cash and cards are accepted)
Friday, May 10, 7 PM
At the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts - 926 East Center Street
Nothing focuses your attention on the important things in life more than confronting -- and beating -- cancer and then starting a family. Watching her children living in the moment and playing with abandon made ELLIE MARTIN realize that you cannot take anything for granted. Despite a successful and rewarding career in academia, the singer and songwriter decided it was time to follow her dream and record an album.
VERDANT, Martin’s debut recording, showcases her wide ranging vocal and compositional talents. The album comprises 12 original songs that mostly follow the arc of her life in the last few years, reflecting her experiences as a woman, a mother, and a cancer survivor. Martin’s voice is light and warm as she skillfully navigates through her program of bebop, Latin grooves, ballads, and swing, undaunted by challenging intervals.
The songs on VERDANT come directly from Martin’s life. Audiences in the Midwest, where she tours extensively, have had plenty of opportunity to hear Martin in concert. With the release of VERDANT, a larger audience will finally get to enjoy the depth and breadth of her artistry.
Martin has a PhD in Jazz Studies and is currently the vocal jazz instructor at the University of Toledo, as well as Toledo School for the Arts. She has performed at the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival, the Sunset Jazz Festival, and the Michigan Jazz Festival. She was the featured vocalist with the National Arab Orchestra in San Antonio Texas, and she has performed alongside jazz luminaries Geri Allen, Terri Lynne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, the New York Voices, Jon Hendricks, and Afro Blue.
Date: May 10
Time: 7:00pm
Cover price: 10$ (please note we do not sell tickets in advance, doors only. both cards and cash are accepted)
Sunday, May 12th, 2024
At the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts - 926 East Center Street
ITALIAN SURF ACADEMY is a trio led by New York based guitarist Marco Cappelli, featuring bassist Damon Banks and drummer Dave Miller. The band plays a blend of Spaghetti Western, Exotica and Tex Mex, marinated in vintage Italian sauce. One third of the night will be dedicated to their album Barbarella Reloaded - a surf reinterpretation of the iconic 1968 Barbarella soundtracks- followed by the suite Morricone is Dissolving, written and performed by poet Denver Butson, who will be joining the band as special guest. Echoes of Mario Bava horror B-movies mixed with Martin Danny’s Hawaiian sound will be heard in the last part of the concert, taken by their last album Fake Worlds .
Date: April 19, 2024
Time: 7pm
Cover price: 10$ (please note we do not sell tickets in advance, doors only. both cards and cash are accepted)