JJ Roth Design

Noah Jackson & Full Circle: Residency & Session
2023-03-08 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-03-01 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-02-22 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-02-15 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-02-08 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-02-01 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-01-25 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-01-18 19:30 - 23:00 (America/Detroit) and 4 more dates
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
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Musicians pay no cover when they bring their instrument.
A Detroit original, Noah Jackson is a bassist, cellist, and composer specializing in black american music and classical music. Aimed with a curiosity to where sound could touch audiences from within, he has both written and performed music for large international audiences since 2010. A graduate of Michigan State University (B.M.), and Manhattan School of Music (M.M.), Noah has performed with world renowned artists such as NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim, Branford Marsails, Jason Marsalis, The Marsalis Family, Hugh Masekela, Nnenna Freelon, Kenny Garrett, Wizard Harper, George Burton, Jazzmeia Horn, and Christian Sands. Additionally, he’s performed in many prominent venues and jazz festivals including Radio City Music Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Blue Note Jazz Club (New York City and Milan), Royal Albert Hall, Victoria Hall (Geneva), Jazz in Marciac (Marciac, France), The Library of Congress, The Kennedy Center, SFJAZZ, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, London Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and North Sea Jazz Festival. Noah Jackson also performed as part of the ceremony for the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2019. He also recorded bass and cello on The Balance with Abdullah Ibrahim which reached #3 on the Billboard Jazz Charts (June 2019).
As a band leader, Noah had put on performances of original creative work with his band Full Circle. In 2011, he made his self-produced debut album, Contemplations- A Suite to critical acclaim and led Full Circle in the Detroit Jazz Festival in 2012. Since then, Noah has collaborated with a wide variety of artists across the jazz spectrum. In 2017, he has worked in collaboration with the American Ballet Theater with his string quartet Asè at Grace Farms in New Canaan, CT. Noah, along with vocalist and co-producer Candice Hoyes, were named recipients of grants for a double jazz and string quartet project: Ellington to the World: Generational Power in Black Culture and Spaces from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the New York Council of the Arts. The work premiered at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in September 2019 and was performed to a sold out audience in The CUBE @ DSO in February 2020. As of March 2021, Noah has joined Cliff Bell’s in Detroit as Curator and Artist-in-Residence where he will perform with his group Full Circle and host sessions as well as bring in world-class talent to perform on it’s stage.
Noah is endorsed by Aguilar Amps, David Gage REAList LifeLine pickups, and NOAH Guitars of Italy. Noah currently resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Find out more about Noah here!

Michael J. Reed & Friends
2023-03-05 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-03-04 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:15p for the second show)
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Michael J. Reed is a jazz drummer, and Toledo native, currently based in East Lansing, Mi. Michael maintains an active performing career throughout the Midwest, performing throughout Northwest Ohio, Detroit and New York with artists such as Rodney Whitaker, Patrice Rushen, Wycliffe Gordon, Dwight Adams, Diego Rivera, Michael Dease , Tim Ries’ Rolling Stones Project, Trunino Lowe, Nicole New, Tanya Darby, Walter White, Rick Margitza, Steve Davis, Mark Whitfield, Melissa Aldana, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sachal Vasandani, Damion Sneed, Karen Clark Sheard, Michelle Lordi, the MSU Bebop Spartans all over Michigan and Japan, Ramona Collins, The Dr. Phillips Center Jazz Orchestra in Orlando, Fl and many others. Michael leads his own groups, which has performed at Cliff Bell’s, the Ohio Theatre, the Toledo Museum of Art, the former Degage Jazz Café, UrbanBeat, and Blue LLama Jazz Club.
Michael recently released his second album entitled, Remove All Fear, as well as his first album as bandleader and composer, entitled A Walk of Perspective, in 2018. Michael had the opportunity to record with Rodney Whitaker, and other artists such as Chloe and the Steel Strings, and the Gazebo.
After finishing his Master’s Degree at Michigan State University, Michael continues to expand his career as a performer and educator, teaching at the Michigan State University Community Music School-Detroit in their Spartan Youth Jazz Program.

Marques Carroll Quintet
2023-02-26 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-02-25 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
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Chicago based artist Marques Carroll is keeping the tradition of jazz alive while pushing the
genre forward into exciting new territory. A seasoned and charismatic performer, Marques is no
stranger to performing in the finest venues and festivals around the world as a past member of
the world renowned Count Basie Orchestra and as an independent band leader and artist. The
Carroll Quintet has most recently performed at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in 2021 and most
recently at the Chicago Jazz Festival this past September.
Most recently Marques Carroll self released his debut album, The Ancestors’ Call, through his
own co-founded record label JMarq Records. Carroll’s latest original singles, “Larry Sings” and
“Brother Payton” are now featured on the FX series The Bear. His second album, Foundations,
was released September 16 of this year and has been climbing the Jazz Charts. Carroll also
co-leads and performs regularly with the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective who’s most recent album,
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective Meets Dee Alexander On The Way To Be Free, is currently
topping JazzWeek’s Top 10 Charts.
The Carroll Quintet features Brent Griffin (Alto Sax), Greg Artry (Drums), Christian Dillingham
(Bass) and Julius Tucker (Piano).

George Burton Quartet
2023-02-18 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
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For more than a decade, George Burton has been on the radar of everyone who keeps up with innovations in jazz. His dazzling virtuosity and breathtakingly eclectic approach to music reflect his experience in every aspect of the jazz spectrum: beginning with rigorous classical training, branching into his equally rigorous experience in the heady nightlife of the Philadelphia jazz scene, and earning him a place on the world stage with some of the most significant practitioners of bop, post-bop and beyond—from James Carter to Meshell Ndegeocello to the Sun Ra Arkestra—and has landed him on some of the most prestigious of stages with his own groups as a leader, including the Newport Jazz Festival in 2017.
Burton’s own work is in a category by itself: he brings not only stunning technique, but music that is complex, uniting all the dimensions of his experience, filtered through the sensibility of a Romantic composer. His compositions are incomparably beautiful—make that scary-beautiful—and powerful—as in mesmerizingly powerful—and haunting—as in “where has this been all my life” haunting.
There is a dynamic quality to hearing Burton play in that just when you think you’ve spotted an influence or are ready to compare him to one of the greats, he takes a turn, blending modern and classical in a way that is both playful and transcendent. The vitality in Burton’s music is apparent in his effortless switch in tempo, each note carefully thought out, lingering, distinct and alive. He finds balance where others would waver, bringing the fullest expression of himself to the music he creates.

Michael Malis Trio
2023-02-11 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
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Michael Malis is a composer, pianist, and music educator based in Detroit MI. A multi-faceted musical artist, he performs as a jazz musician, composes for the concert stage, and contributes to multidisciplinary collaborations.
2020 saw a proliferation of Malis’ work as a solo artist. In July of 2020, Malis released Dualisms, a multimedia project containing recordings, videos, and an accompanying 16 page zine of writings, artwork, and ephemera. Consisting of brand new original compositions, Dualisms features performances by Malis in duet with saxophonist Kaleigh Wilder, percussionist Thom Monks, and vocalist Denzel Donald, and features artwork by Zara Teicher. Each of the works presented in Dualisms were premiered at New Music Detroit’s 12th annual Strange Beautiful Music Festival in September 2019. All About Jazz praised Dualisms as “an extraordinary multimedia project which illustrates some of the remarkable ways artists in the age of COVID-19 found new approaches to displaying their craft and connecting with their audience.”
His March 2020 release, Three Pieces for Piano, was praised by the Southeast Michigan Jazz Association as “thrilling music, with shifting harmonic and rhythmic qualities that require prodigious precise technique and the kind of generic versatility that few pianists achieve.”
As a composer, Malis has been commissioned by Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Chamber Music Society of Detroit, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Detroit Composers’ Project, Virago, Hole in the Floor, and others. His piece Five Stations, premiered in May 2019, featured Malis and saxophonist Marcus Elliot alongside a string quartet of musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. His string quartet, Emerge, was premiered at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2018. His piece for piano and cello, Coda, was premiered by Detroit Symphony Orchestra principle cellist Wei Yu in 2018.
In April 2019, Malis and Elliot, who join forces under the duo known as “Balance,” undertook a collaborative performance piece with former Detroit poet laureate Bill Harris. The piece, which featured drummer Gerald Cleaver, set Harris’ collection of short stories I Got to Keep Moving. According to AllAboutJazz.com, “what was most striking about the synergy between Harris and the band was the sheer beauty of the music: the stark contrast between the grim realities of Harris’s story and the band’s melodic core, located in Elliot’s exultant phrases and Malis’s evocative runs, was stirring. And much of the music’s strength was found in the spirit of resilience and defiance that permeates Harris’s text.” The duo’s 2017 eponymous album was praised by the Detroit Metro Times as “contemporary jazz of the highest order, a benchmark for where the genre can go.”
In July of 2015, Malis’ self-released debut album as a leader, Lifted from the No of All Nothing, was called by The Detroit Free Press “an uncommonly mature and distinctive debut.” It was described by Hot House Jazz Guide (NYC) as “cover[ing] a broad range of free expression. [Malis] bridges the gap between original composed, complex material and the spontaneity of improvisation.” In September 2016, his trio made their debut at the Detroit International Jazz Festival.
As a pianist, he has shared the stage with a diverse array of musicians, including notables such as Marcus Belgrave, Gerald Cleaver, Jaribu Shahid, John Lindberg, William Hooker, A. Spencer Barefield, Tyshawn Sorey, Ken Filiano, J.D. Allen, Andrew Bishop, Dennis Coffey, and Marion Hayden. He has performed at the Yokohama Jazz Promenade (Yokohama, Japan), the Kennedy Center, Birdland (NYC), and The Stone (NYC).

Planet D Nonet
2023-02-04 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
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The PD9 performs Harlem Jive by Fats Waller, swing era tunes by Duke Ellington, Benny Moten, Count Basie and Fletcher Henderson as well as the jumpin’ jive of Louis Jordan. Cofounded by RJ Spangler & James O’Donnell in 2007, all that time it has brought swing music to SE Michigan listeners and swing dancers. In that time the band has also performed in 10 states including some memorable gigs in New Orleans. In addition to the vocals of trumpeter James O’Donnell, the band also features the vocals of trombonist John “Tbone” Paxton. The band has won NINE Motor City Music Awards.
Personnel:
Saxes: Alex Colista, Christopher Tabacynski & Goode Wyche III, brass: James O’Donnell, Charlie Miller & Tbone Paxon, rhythm: Michael Zaporski, Trevor Lamb, Sean Perlmutter & RJ Spangler

Christopher L. Wilson Trio
2023-01-28 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance. (Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************
The enlightening and freeing sound of swing is what first attracted Christopher to jazz. His interest in this feeling is what led him to begin exploring Detroit’s rich musical history which was and is replete with musical legends. He first studied with the late greats Bess Bonnier and Marcus Belgrave. Later, he would join the Detroit Symphony Jazz Orchestra’s Civic Jazz Program where he first met esteemed bassist and educator Rodney Whitaker. By the time Christopher graduated from high school, he was entrenched in swing and bebop
and would go on to further his studies within the jazz program at Michigan State University. While at Michigan State, he had the pleasure of studying and performing with Rodney Whitaker, Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Derrick Gardner, Vincent Chandler, Randy Gilespie, Diego Rivera, and Rick Roe. After graduating Christopher immediately began performing with his trio in Detroit, including a weekly jam session at the heralded Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. A short year later, Christopher relocated to sunny swingin’ Los Angeles where he fell in love with Southern California and spent nine years there as a result. During that time he played regularly with his trio and released two albums, “Feelin’ Better” and most recently “Leaving Los Angeles” in August of 2019. Christopher moved to Chicago shortly after and is honored and excited to be part of another incredible city rich with musical history.
Christopher’s music is highly influenced by hard swing, bebop, and the rich history of jazz piano trios. His focus is the uplifting nature of swing and the beauty behind the jazz piano trio. His arrangements are thoughtful and his music contagious.
There are players who skate more, players with more driving rhythms and more “original” versions. For listeners thirsty for “notes…like hoisted water/raveling off a bucket,” for the generous lyricism that left the planet with Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan, Christopher Wilson is a reminder that our musical well is deep and fresh, that a new generation of players can still lead us to it. —Michael Lauchlan, author of Trumbull Ave

Jeff Ponders Quintet
2023-01-22 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-01-21 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance. (Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************
Saxophonist Jeff Ponders II has captivated audiences for over 20 years with his provocative, soulful approach to music. A Detroit native, he honed his skills under the guidance of jazz masters Donald Walden, Marcus Belgrave, andWendell Harrison, before heading to Philadelphia to further his craft with Dr.Guthrie Ramsey.Jeff has performed and recorded with heavyweights across many genres, including James Carter, Robert Glasper, Boyz II Men, Mike Phillips, Keyshia Cole, Bebe Winans, and Eric Roberson. He toured as a member of the MarvinGaye Orchestra for the hit musical”My Brother Marvin,” and works throughout the US as an artist and keynote speaker.
Jeff’s debut album, Spark (2018), and forthcoming sophomore project Better(2023), are collections of original compositions taking listeners from funk to fusion, swing to soul, and church pews to the Caribbean.
The recordings feature Grammy-nominated artists Brandon Williams, Demetrius “Krayon”Nabors, Shedrick Mitchell, Nate Winn, Damon Warmack, and Gerard Gibbs of the James Carter Organ Trio.Jeff’s 2022 band features Kenny Watson (vocals), Demetrius Nabors (keys),Damon Warmack (bass), and Nate Winn (drums).

Micah Thomas Trio
2023-01-15 19:30 - 23:30, 2023-01-14 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance. (Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show) **************************************************************************************
Micah Thomas was born in 1997 in Columbus, Ohio. He started playing songs on the piano by ear at the age of 2, and shortly afterwards he started private piano training. From his sophomore year of high school onwards, Micah began gigging regularly with violinist Christian Howes, and was a regular faculty member at his annual Creative Strings Workshop from 2015-2018. He also has appeared several times with Byron Stripling and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra as a guest artist, performing with John Clayton and Joshua Redman for their 45th anniversary concert series in 2017. He has also performed throughout Ohio with other musicians including JD Allen, Billy Contreras, Eddie Bayard, George Delancey, Cedric Easton, and Bobby Floyd.
In 2015, Micah Thomas received the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship from the Juilliard School, and received his Master of Music (M.M.) degree in 2020. He is now touring and performing locally and internationally, both as a leader of his own trio, a steady member of the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, and as a sideman for Ambrose Akinmusire, Lage Lund, Billy Drummond, Zoh Amba, Giveton Gelin, Stacy Dillard, Joel Ross, Nicole Glover, Melissa Aldana, Etienne Charles, Harish Raghavan and others.
In June 2020, Micah Thomas released his first album, “Tide”, which received positive reviews from the New York Journal, The New York Times, JazzTimes, and Financial Times, among others. He has appeared on several albums as a sideman for Immanuel Wilkins, Billy Drummond, Zoh Amba, Giveton Gelin, and Walter Smith III.
In September 2022, Micah Thomas released the album “Piano Solo”. Micah was also the curator for the 2022 SWR NewJazz Meeting.

Brandon Williams Quintet
2023-01-08 19:30 - 23:00, 2023-01-07 19:30 - 23:00
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
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Fri: Straight ahead jazz- Dwight Adams/trumpet, Wesley Reynoso/piano, Jeremiah Edwards/bass, Brandon Williams/drums

Sat: Contemporary jazz quartet- Jeff Ponders/sax, Derrick Benford/piano, Damon Warmack/bass, Brandon Williams/drums

Sun: Organ Trio- Gerrard Gibbs/organ, Larry Barris/Guitar, Brandon Williams/drums

Detroit-bred Brandon Williams’ life has always included music in some capacity. First as a listener, then as a musician, and ultimately, as a producer. He is a musical architect that is quickly making his name and stake as a front-runner in the music industry with the release of his 2014 debut album entitled XII featuring Robert Glasper, Jean Baylor (formerly of Zhane’), Frank McComb, Nicholas Payton, Choklate, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and more. The album has received high praises from musical luminaries such as Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick (Incognito), Chuckii Booker, Maysa Leak, Ledisi, Rahsaan Patterson, Marion Meadows, Dianne Reeves, Sinbad, Will Downing, Jill Scott and many others. He has also been personally endorsed as a great producer by the legendary Quincy Jones.

He is a tastemaker with an undeniable track record. As an musician, he has performed with Musiq Soulchild, Chantae Cann (Snarky Puppy), Talib Kweli, Dionne Ferris, Eric Roberson, Najee, Angie Stone, Wyclef Jean of The Fugees, Raheem DeVaughn, Keyon Harrold (Miles Ahead), Gordon Chambers, Rance Allen, Ronnie McNair (The Four Tops) Kevin Toney, Kim Burrell, Carvin Winans, Jaguar Wright, Derrick Hodge, Gene Dunlap, Johnny O’Neal, Geno Young, Talib Kweli, Earnest Pugh, Millie Scott, Martha Reeves, The Last Poets, Sy Smith, Zo!, Carmen Rodgers, Conya Doss, Mike Phillips, and Sherry Scott, formerly of Earth, Wind & Fire. He’s also opened for some of the industry’s finest including; Faith Evans, Morris Day and The Time, Jose James, The Isley Brothers, Angela Winbush, Janelle Monae, George Duke, Liv Warfield, Regina Belle, P.J. Morton (Maroon 5), Joe Sample, Norman Brown, and Jonathan Butler, just to name a few. He’s even performed for Earvin “Magic” Johnson, MC Lyte, Holly Robinson-Peete, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Curtis Armstrong (Revenge of the Nerds, Ray), Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Spike Lee.

Find more about Brandon Williams HERE!

The Colton Weatherston Quartet
2022-12-30 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Seatings begin at 5p & 8:45p respectively)
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“Colton is known for his interpretations of standards, swing, and bebop, with unique presentations of rare gems from the early jazz canon to French chanson with hints of blues and R&B. Below the surface of his subtle guitar stylings, an explosive technical mastery transports his ensembles to heights of flowing groove and harmonic exploration. Here, his pared down vocal phrasing acts as a foil, centering the repertoire on his relaxed delivery of well known lyrics. A satisfying recipe for jazz in the 21st Century.”
– Mortimer Cliftoner, Philadelphia Exporter

Jason Janas: Monk's Fruit feat. The Marion Hayden Trio
2022-12-28 19:30 - 23:00
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Seatings begin at 5p & 8:45p respectively)
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Jason Janas is originally from New Jersey. He began his tap dance instruction under Ms. Deborah Mitchell and was the first charter member of the New Jersey Tap Ensemble. He then found a love for the dance and continued to learn and study the art form. He also trained and was a member of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble under the direction of Gene Medler.
Jason’s first professional company after high school was Tapestry Dance Company in Austin TX, under the direction of Acia Gray. He was a principal dancer there for 5 years. His hard work ethic began to take notice and Derick Grant invited Jason to be in his show Imagine Tap! which ran for 6 weeks in Chicago, and changed his life. His other show credits include Souls of our Feet with Tapestry Dance Company, Wonderland with Sara Savelli and Ayodele Casel, and most recently co-choreographed and was featured in Tap Stars with Rasta Thomas. He currently teaches for Wild Dance Convention and West Coast Dance Explosion, and has taught at tap festivals in New Jersey, Chicago, New York, L.A., Charlotte, Austin, San Antonio, Vancouver, Zürich, Curitiba (Brazil), Moscow, and Barcelona!

James Carter Holiday Show
2022-12-18 19:30 - 23:30, 2022-12-17 19:30 - 23:30
Showtimes are at 7:30p & 9:30p for this performance.
(Doors open at 5pm for dinner/Seating begins at 6:15p for the first show & 9:00p for the second show)
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James Carter brings his energetic musical experience to Cliff Bell’s to bring the spirit of the holidays and jazz with this special show. Mr. Carter will bring a special guest artist to perform with his esteemed trio to present a show you will want to be here for.
“You have to be totally comfortable wherever,” Carter says. “I feel that music equals life, that’s the way my teacher always taught me. You just can’t go through life and experience it fully with a set of blinders on. I think there’s tremendous beauty in cross-pollinations of music and influences.”
In many ways, weaving together divergent impulses is at the heart of Carter’s music. Like the late tenor sax titan Ben Webster, he’s given to furious, high-velocity solos, but is just as likely to wax sentimental, using his big, bruising tone to tenderly caress a comely melody. In 2000, he released two albums simultaneously that amounted to an anti-manifesto, a proclamation that everything is fair game.
The organ combo reigned for several decades as jazz’s meat-and-potatoes mainstay, a populist vehicle for blues-drenched blowing. In the hands of James Carter, one of jazz’s most sophisticated improvisers, the organ trio is no less meaty and satisfying. But his virtuosic saxophone chops elevate the organ combo to a rarefied realm defined by delectable soul, a gourmet repertoire, and consistently inspired group interplay.
Featuring the lithe and muscular keyboard work of Detroit’s rising B3 star Gerard Gibbs and the propulsive drum support of Motor City trap master Alex White, the multigenerational James Carter Organ Trio is now in its seventeenth year.

More information HERE!
