Live at the Bop Stop

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Cincinnati based pianist Ben Tweedt is one of the Midwest's most sought-after session musicians appearing in performances and release from, among others, Dan Wilson, Jamey Haddad, Brandon Coleman and Walfredo Reyes, Junior. His first release leading a trio is called  Life Cycle and he steps forward to put on an epic performance in support...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Saxophonist Steve Kortyka returned home to his native Cleveland from New York City in 2025 to serve as a mentor, educator and scene builder. Beyond his four releases as a band leader, and one as a duo, Steve is a core member of the Brian Newman Quintet and his work anchors releases by Tony Bennett and live performances with Lady Gaga. Ste...

Performance used with permission from the artists and venue. Legendary saxophonists Bobby Selvaggio and Miguel Zenon team up for an evening of contemporary jazz at its finest in this performance from October 21st, 2025.

Now New York based guitarist Jonah Ferguson cut his teeth as an educator, sampler producer and big band composer here in Cleveland before moving on to the Big Apple where he's now an in-demand sideman. This performance brings Jonah back home to Cleveland with a fresh set of originals and a chance to jam with some of his closest friends. Featuring Theron Brown on Piano, Jordan McBride on Bass and G...

Cincinnati-based pianist Ben Tweedt and Cleveland-based flutist Bryan Kennard spoke on several occasions over the last couple years about their mutual admiration for Hermeto Pascoal's music. In the middle of planning this show, Hermeto passed in September 2025 at the age of 89. While the world lost one of its bright, creative sparks, Hermeto left us an incredible amount of music to enjoy. This pro...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Darren Frate's music has been described as world music, jazz and jazz fusion woven together by bass driven grooves and improvisation. Bassist Darren Frate leads and has the unique ability to perform not just in his own style but to effectively emulate other bassist styles as well. Joined by Nate Yingling on Piano and Keys, Steve Kortyka o...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Sammy de León is one of the most recognized Latin bandleaders in Northern Ohio. He plays the timbales, a twin set of metal-encased, single-headed drums with a cowbell and a cymbal on the side. He began to play professionally at age 13 and has since played alongside the greatest of the genre: Tito Puente and Grán Combo de Puerto Rico, amon...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Over 20 years as a professional jazz pianist and 7 full-length album appearances (3 as leader), Keigo Hirakawa has transformed himself from a student of the jazz masters to an artist with vision and unique sense of expressions. His jazz piano trio is well-known throughout the Midwest for their willingness to be musically spontaneous on st...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Jamey Haddad holds a singular position in the world of jazz and contemporary music. Haddad's musical voice transcends styles and trends, and the universal quality of his playing has attracted many international collaborations with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Simon, and Sting. Born of Lebanese descent, he is regarded as one of the for...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue.   The Stephen Phillip Harvey Jazz Orchestra is a seventeen-piece ensemble featuring a rotating roster of world-class musicians from across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Known for their bold sound and adventurous programming, the group debuted in 2022 with Smash!, a studio album released on Next Level. With their most recent release Multiv...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Dave Frank is one of the busiest solo jazz pianists and music educators on the scene today. He is the author of the best-selling Hal Leonard book and video series, Joy of Improv and Breakthrough to Improv, was an Associate Professor of piano at Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1987-2004, and was a co-founder of the New York School...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. Washington DC based pianist and composer José Luiz Martins brings a unique and inventive approach to his playing, compositions and arrangements. His creative sense of storytelling combined with a diverse harmonic palette and refined sense of rhythm create a vibrant, expansive, and enticing sonic experience. That harmonic palette is on dis...

Performance used with permission from the artist and venue. A glimpse of gospel, jazz, and soul from the great legends is what inspires the sound of pianist Theron Brown's music. You will get more than just a glimpse of this, however, on this episode of the program. Because not only do we get Theron showing off his talents on the Piano and Fender Rhodes, but Northeast Ohio Legend Cliff Barnes join...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue.   Cincinnati based pianist Ben Tweedt is one of the Midwest's most sought-after session musicians appearing in performances and release from, among others, Dan Wilson, Jamey Haddad, Brandon Coleman and Walfredo Reyes, Junior. His first release leading a trio is called Life Cycle and he steps forward to put on an epic performance...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. One of the rising stars of jazz, New Delhi native Aanya Sengupta heads off to Julliard but not before a Northeast Ohio farewell performance. The two-time DownBeat Student Award winner finished 2025 as the vocalist chair for the Oberlin College Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble. Featuring Aanya on Vocals, Wilson Woods on Piano, Ahmed M...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Jamey Haddad holds a singular position in the world of jazz and contemporary music. His musical voice transcends styles and trends, and the universal quality of his playing has attracted many international collaborations with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Simon, and Sting. Fresh off of a tour with Paul Simon, Jamey returned t...

Performance and Works used with permission from the artists and venue. Snarky Puppy's reputation precedes itself, of course, but for this performance, Violinist Zack Brock and Guitarist Bob Lanzetti step out on their own to create soundscapes that invite deep listening, emphasizing nuance, spontaneity, and the power of musical storytelling.  It's a performance that's as intimate as it is inspiring...

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...