Sarah Jane Nelson was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and raised in Monroe, Louisiana. Her eclectic, early musical influences in country, jazz, blues, musical theater, rock, and gospel had one thing in common: storytelling through song. Ella Fitzgerald, Dolly Parton, Billie Holiday, Eva Cassidy, Carole King and Aretha Franklin all connected to the emotion of a song in a way that made Sarah Jane want to tell stories like her idols.Nelson got her start in musical theater as she headed to NYC at age 17. In a few years, she starred on Broadway and in the 1st National Tour of the Tony Award winning musical, SWING! and critics took notice.

“The show's knock-'em-dead singer is Sarah Jane Nelson, a sultry blonde who can zero in on the ache in a lyric.” - The Miami Herald

“Sultry Jazz Goddess” - RAVE LA

“First Rate Singer” - Hollywood Reporter

“Nelson is sexy, funny, sweet, sultry, and intense all at the same time – a real tomato, as they used to say in the hip vernacular of the era when this music was first popular.” - LA New Times
After her career in theater, film, and television in LA and NYC, Nelson moved to Nashville and pivoted into songwriting and recording country and Americana music. In 2022 she released her 6th studio album and has been featured in American Songwriter, Wide Open Country, Americana Highways, and Country Music People in the UK, to name a few. She won Merefest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Competition, was a finalist for the International Song Competition, and is a two time finalist for the Kerrville Folk Festival Competition for Emerging Songwriters.

Nelson’s debut show at Rudy’s Jazz Room will harken back to her New York City Cabaret shows with an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, gospel, and original songs.

Join Wendell "Bizz" Bigsby for an evening of engaging stories and great songs sharing his life’s journey. Happy, sad, good times, bad times. His songs tell his story.

For Bizz, music has been a lifeline—a source of expression and strength through a childhood marked by tragedy and hardship. Born in North Nashville, Bizz was raised by his grandmother and her sisters, with his father - a successful musician who performed with legends like Little Richard — remaining a distant yet profound influence. Tragically, Bizz witnessed his mother being shot at age four, setting the stage for a tumultuous life that has included overcoming a lifelong battle with addiction, surviving cancer, and several near-death experiences. From an early age, music became his guiding light, and these struggles explain his unique style as a songwriter and performer.

The striking way in which he blends the soul and R&B legacy of North Nashville’s Jefferson Street with the story-telling traditions of country and blues creates a new sound that can best be described as "Urban Americana", drawing listeners in with its raw emotion and authenticity. Today, Bizz is an accomplished artist, entertainer, and songwriter, whose music is influenced by everyone from Sam Cooke to George Jones to James Taylor.

Bigsby is the eldest son of Nashville R&B icon Jimmy Church, who invited a young Bizz to tour with him and his band. While running lights for his dad’s show, the lead singer got sick, and his dad asked Bizz to fill in for two nights. Those two shows turned into five years, opening for such artists as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Little Richard. This experience on stage helped shape Bizz's musical career and introduced him to a life on the road, performing in front of massive crowds.

Bigsby has found his unique voice as a songwriter since overcoming his battle with cocaine and alcohol addiction twelve years ago, and his music tells the story of his journey with at times brutal honesty. And yet, ultimately, he inspires with his message of hope and faith, leaving the listener feeling positive and inspired by the possibility of redemption.

"Now that the trend of aging rockers cutting albums of show tunes and standards seems thankfully to have run its course, we're back to vocalists with a real feel for and understanding of the jazz tradition doing them justice. Nashville's Monica Ramey is a shining example. Her excellent release Make Someone Happy offers resourceful, soaring and engaging interpretations of material from The Great American Songbook." - Ron Wynn, Nashville Scene

Such acclaim is a common occurrence for Monica Ramey, a Midwest talent, joined by artists like Beegie Adair, Anthony Wilson, Clifton Davis, Jeff Steinberg, Annie Sellick, Roger Spencer, Rod McGaha, Jeff Coffin, and Lori Mechem, all of whom have expressed admiration for her work.

Hailing from Francesville, one of Indiana's quaintest towns, Monica grew up performing on stage alongside her mother in a high school show choir, singing and dancing. Her passion for music blossomed from a young age, culminating in a move to Nashville after earning her college degree to chase her dreams in music. There, she discovered the Nashville Jazz Workshop, where she learned from some of the top jazz talents in the area and created a second family.

Monica is widely recognized for her long-established collaboration with jazz pianist Beegie Adair. The duo has produced and appeared on numerous recordings and has graced sold-out jazz venues across the United States, particularly at Birdland Jazz Club in New York. She now
manages their business, Adair Music Group LLC. 

Outside of her performances, Monica treasures quality time with friends, family, and pets. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and gardening, and supports a variety of organizations focused on animal welfare.

Arranger, composer, trumpeter and educator Jamey Simmons leads a stellar quintet featuring saxophonist Jovan Quallo, with Jon Cowherd on piano, Rob Linton on bass and Miles Damaso on drums.

Jamey Simmons is currently Director of Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University where he teaches courses in jazz. As a trumpet player, Simmons toured internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and is currently active on the Nashville professional music scene. He has made appearances with artists as diversified as the Temptations, Dave Weckl, Buddy DeFranco, Lee Konitz, Duffy Jackson, and Vince Gill and written arrangements and compositions that have been performed by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Buffalo Symphony Pops, the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, Brussels Jazz Orchestra and numerous university ensembles. His latest CD Push and Pull features the Duo/Trio Project of pianist Matt Endahl and guitarist Rory Hoffman. Find Jamey online at jameysimmons.com.

Hailing from Boston, MA, Jovan Quallo moved to the Greater Nashville area in 2003. Since finishing college, he has quickly became an accomplished, in-demand saxophonist in Nashville’s diverse music scene. Jovan has already had an exciting performing career that has taken him across the US, Central America, Asia, and Europe. He has had the privilege of performing and/or touring with nationally acclaimed artists such as Jake Owen, Meghan Trainor, Cece Winans, MercyMe, Brett Eldredge, Reba McIntyre, Dan + Shay, Martina McBride, Jeff Coffin, Larry Carlton, Boyz II Men, Charlie Wilson, Ronnie Milsap, Allen Stone, Irma Thomas, Lee Fields, Eric Krasno, Alecia Chakour, The Shadowboxers, and many others! Jovan is also a member of the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, the Music City Big Band, and the Tennessee Jazz Collective.

The Kentucky-raised, New Orleans-schooled, New York-based revered keyboardist Jon Cowherd is best known for his long- running partnership with drummer/bandleader Brian Blade, with whom he co-founded the Grammy nominated Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, whose acclaimed, influential albums showcase Cowherd's stellar keyboard work and singular compositional skills. When not recording and touring with the Fellowship, Cowherd has worked extensively with a broad array of players and singers from the jazz, pop and rock worlds including Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Brandi Carlile, Nate Smith & Kinfolk, Bill Frisell, John Patitucci, KD Lang, Rosanne Cash, Iggy Pop, Glen Hansard, Cassandra Wilson, John Scofield and Lizz Wright.

Rob Linton is a versatile bassist from Charlotte, North Carolina. Linton has had the privilege of performing and touring with Eric Reed, Greg Tardy, Dave Potter and Retro Groove, and Variego3. He has also performed with other standout musicians including Don Aliquo, Miguel Alvarado, Taber Gable, Kenneth Brown, Jack Roben, Jonathan Barber, Stacey Dillard, Will Boyd, Mark Boling, Troy Conn, Ocie Davis, and many others. Rob teaches jazz bass and jazz combos at Blair School of Music. Linton has also taught at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Gardner-Webb University, and The University of Tennessee. He was also the bass instructor for the Knoxville Jazz Workshop. Rob Linton holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a M.M. from the University of Tennessee.

Miles Damaso is a percussionist, music educator, and composer-arranger based out of Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to leading his own group, he recently has been the drummer for the Hickey-Shanafelt 9ollective and the J.C. Clements Band. Miles also frequently performs with groups throughout the south and midwest playing a wide variety of music. He's had the chance to perform at world renowned venues, such as the Grand Ole Opry and the Lincoln Center, and alongside great musicians including Clayton Anderson, Joel Frahm, Emmet Cohen, Yasushi Nakamura, Heather French Henry (Miss America 2000), Pat Coil, Charlie Ballantine, John Raymond, Greg Ward, Frank Glover, Mark Buselli, and Kevin Burt.
Miles is privileged to have had won numerous awards, including the NYJE Composition Contest twice, which aims to promoting the creation of new, fun, and educational jazz big band music. Miles has also been given the Austin B. Caswell Award, given annually to the best undergraduate music history project at Indiana University, as well as the Outstanding Instrumentalist Award at Kirkwood Community College. Having recently completed a MM degree at Middle Tennessee State University and BM degree at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Miles is continuing a full-time career composing, performing, and privately teaching in the Nashville area.