Live at the Bop Stop

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Hailed by Stereophile Magazine for "sound[ing] like the 21st-century grandchildren of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding" and praised by the International Trombone Associations Journal for his "virtuosity [and] melodic and harmonic mastery," Altin Sencalar is in high demand across the country as a performer, educator, and composer. We c...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Aaron Lebos is a 25-year veteran of the Miami jazz scene. He's a guitarist and composer who tours internationally with Nicol Henry and the Nu Deco Ensemble among others. In his quest to grow and expand musically he recruited three younger South Florida musicians to form Abstract Citizen. Appearing here courtesy of a grant from J...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Described as "an intrepid composer, architect of sound and beast of the bass…") composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson is one of the most prolific music makers in the jazz, bluegrass, improvised music, and contemporary classical worlds. Johnson has released nearly 20 albums and performed over three thousand concerts inter...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Nehimah Stix Baker is one of the best young drummers working in Northeast Ohio today. Whether leading his Quintet or Trio, as he is on this program, Stix understands how to best leverage the kit to drive the sound he wants to achieve. For this performance, he enlists a couple of Northeast Ohio veterans, as Joe Lehman sits in on...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Northeast Ohio has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to jazz musicians, no doubt because of the plethora of jazz and classical educational programs. Many students come for a time and move on to other pastures but some, like Max Schlenk, kick the tires on larger markets but choose to make their way back, and we're better f...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. One of contemporary jazz's best vibraphonists, Roy Ayers passed away in May of 2025 leaving behind a legacy of recordings that would be the envy of many. Forecast has been a mainstay on the Cleveland music scene for over 30 years, selling out shows consistently and opening for acts as diverse as Grover Washington Junior, Brian A...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Founded in Chicago and Led by Bassist Kevin Robert Martinez, Reclamation Band is modern jazz with an open rural backdrop. Its unique combination of composed and improvised elements evokes an array of moods and styles such as Americana, Avante-Garde and Blues. A number of things make this group's sound unique. The first is the eq...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Bassist Carlo De Rosa is a veteran of both the New York and Miami jazz scenes. The Michigan native performed on Yo-Yo Ma's 2009 Grammy Award Winning Album Songs of Joy and Peace and two other Grammy nominated albums. For this trio performance, he's joined by Grammy wining Pianist Luis Perdomo, whose work with Miguel Zenon has yi...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Indianapolis based guitarist Charlie Ballantine returns to our stage and to our program – this time in front of a live audience. Charlie released two albums in 2021; Cold Coffee is a collection of his own works and Life is Brief – a Tribute to Bob Dylan, which landed on Jazziz Magazine ' s Top Ten Best Releases list. His most re...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Long time Pittsburgh resident trombonist, pianist and band leader Reggie Watkins has released four recordings as leader and has appeared on many others. From 1999 to 2006 he served as trombonist and musical director for trumpeter and band leader for Maynard Ferguson and later served in the same capacity with singer-songwriter Ja...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Nathan-Paul grew up a pastor's son here in Cleveland, and knows how to deliver sound medicine to the people. His velvety lo-fi sounds are a vibe-heavy soul party, fusing modern trap, 70s funk, and fiery southern gospel. And Fusion is an apt word for this performance, which he terms Livf's Notes. This show is steeped in improvisa...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artists and venue. A chance meeting with Wynton Marsalis in Dayton, Ohio led Stacy Dillard to New York where the saxophonist thrives fronting three of his own bands that cut across R&B/Funk and Hip Hop and serves as an in-demand sideman. It's also where he met pianist Kiego Hirakawa with whom he partners for this performance. Keigo has spent the...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Venturing onward to New York seems to be a necessary step in the careers of most aspiring jazz artists. Guitarist Tim Picard has been a Northeast Ohio mainstay, equally adept in straight ahead and free jazz. But time marches on and opportunities abound in the Big Apple, so Tim is off to New York, but not before one last performa...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Buffalo based Adam Bronstein is a guitar player known for his clever songwriting and playful improvisation. Focusing on guitar at the forefront of its sound, his trio's music is instrumental with influences ranging from jazz through Hip Hop, R&B and Psychedelia. We were excited to catch Adam on a recent trip to his native Buffal...

Performance and works used with permission from the artist and venue. Sometimes, producing an album takes work, labor, a bit of suffering and a lot of negotiation. For Central New York Based Dave Solazzo and the Bridge, the trio knew after one session that they had to hit the studio and then the road. The fruit of that chemistry produced the 2023 album Locrian Skye, and you'll hear selections from...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Two legendary Northeast Ohio guitarists team up for a great duo performance from June 19th, 2025 on Live at the Bop Stop.

Performance and Works used wtih permission from the Artist and Venue. Columbus based bassist George Delancey was a core member of the Larry Fuller Trio and has performed with Ben Patterson, Wynton Marsallis and Houston Person, among others. For this performance, he enlists a number of Central Ohio musicians to Cleveland to work out material in advance of a live album recording. For this performanc...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. This week…it's an encore performance from the dynamite Alex Anest Organ Trio on Live at the Bop Stop.

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Northeast Ohio based guitarist Tim Mirth specializes in adventurous and diverse compositions that speak to a desire to create, explore and bring energy to the world, whether he is performing with Night Terrors, Stellar Regions or leading his own touring trio. Saxophonist Justin Tibbs specializes in straight ahead power jazz desi...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. On this episode of the program, the New Nostalgia invite you to join them for music for your head and your heart. The Chicago based nonet blend jazz, pop and rock together to create a sound that is familiar and tight while also offering band members a bit of room to explore. Their self-titled 2019 debut was hailed by Downbeat as...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. We are spoiled as a region with an immense amount of talent, as this episode of the program will illustrate. Jackie Warren is a legend behind the piano, from her work in the 3D Jazz Trio, to her work with Tito Puente and her place as one of the anchors of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. She leads this performance, where she's join...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Mixing jazz, blues and funk with a healthy dose of the Hammond B3, the Pittsburgh based Norside produces a sound best described as Rust Belt Funk. Whether they're playing alongside contemporaries such as The New Mastersounds and Bar Kays, or pushing boundaries with the Steeltown Horns, Norside embodies the commitment to giving t...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Abstract Sounds are a 6-piece alternative jazz fusion band, centered around saxophonist Jevaughn Bogard dedicated to living at the intersection of jazz soul, bass and funk. Dancing shoes are required for this performance, which features Patrick Duke Graney on Percussion, Frank Alouishus on Keys and Trumpet, Ashton Thomas on Drum...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Pianist, guitarist and educator Ariel Kasler is a driving force behind the resurgence of jazz and classical music in Northwest Ohio in both his position as the pianist for the Toledo Jazz Orchestra and as the Artistic Director of the Orchard Guitar Festival. As the leader of his own quartet, he performs original jazz composition...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Saxophonist, composer, and educator David Bixler cut his teeth touring the world with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Toshiko Akioshi. He later joined the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Big Band, with whom he played a decade-long residency at Birdland and won a LATIN GRAMMY for Final Night at Birdland. Beatitude is his quartet p...