"An incendiary soloist of the highest order" -Huffington Post

"A fresh and soulful voice" -Bunky Green

Thoughtfully approaching his music through the lens of his experience, Miguel Alvarado creates a palette of sound that reflects what drives his life. Improvised themes abed a fluctuation of soundscapes rooted in various cultures. Jazz, Classical, Afro-Cuban, Hip Hop, to Pop, the facets to his music are ever developing and morphing.

Miguel Alvarado, a native of Tampa, Florida, has been active as a professional musician since the age of thirteen, when he began his performance career playing in the Tampa Bay area with many local RnB, Latin, and Rock groups around the area. A graduate of the esteemed University of North Florida in Jacksonville, he is currently in his final semester as the graduate teaching assistant at the Middle Tennessee State University. Recently, he was awarded the Nashville Industry Music Awards Jazz Performance Award just after the release of his critically acclaimed record “Idile” released on Ear Up Records, an international jazz label founded by Jeff Coffin, the world famous saxophonist and philanthropist. Miguel Alvarado has been teaching music in the classroom since 2007 and has taken his students to numerous international festivals including the renowned “Essentially Ellington” festival in New York city. Many of his students go on to attend some of the most challenging college programs around the country and play with some of the industry's most successful artists including El Canario, Andy Montanez, Maria Schnieder, Marcus Printup, The Jazz Ambassadors, and many more. His pedagogic specialties lie in improvisation, composition, and electronic music in the general music classroom. While not performing or teaching, Mr. Alvarado enjoys spending time gardening, hunting, and developing his homestead alongside his beautiful wife and daughters.

For more than 30 years, Joel Frahm lived in New York City, working in jazz clubs, collaborating with other musicians, and honing his craft. He now lives in Nashville, where he continues to play the music he loves. His bold, inventive tenor sound has won fans in the U.S. and across the world. He has worked alongside Betty Carter, Kenny Barron, Freddy Cole, Dianne Schuur, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, Bill Charlap, Brad Mehldau, Matt Wilson, Cyrille Aimee, and many other top artists. He has played as a leader or sideman on more than 100 recordings and has appeared at jazz festivals in the United States, Europe, Israel, Canada and South America. In addition to his work as a performer, he has taught jazz classes in clinics at the University of North Carolina, the University of Connecticut, New York University, Wichita State University, the University of North Texas, Baylor University, Colorado State University, Furman University, the University of Toronto, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the University of Manitoba and others. He also has worked at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation program; the Sant Andreu Youth Jazz Orchestra in Barcelona, Spain; the Dave Brubeck Institute in Stockton, California; the Center for Jazz Studies at the Israel Conservatory in Tel Aviv; the Czech Jazz Workshop in Prague; and the Siena Jazz Workshop in Italy. Joel grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and moved to West Hartford, Connecticut as a high school freshman, where he became part of the acclaimed Hall High School jazz band. It was there he developed a passion for jazz, exploring the music of jazz greats such as Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver and Wayne Shorter. In 1992, he received a bachelor's degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

“David Potter believes in the balance needed to play music. He expresses musicality through great rhythm, swing, and attention to detail. He is one of the most talented young drummers on the scene today." - Marcus Roberts

A native of North Carolina, Dave began playing drum set in high school and starting performing with his elders in the RDU area at the age of 16. Following his graduation from Florida State University, he was chosen from a national pool of applicants to be a member of the Louis Armstrong Quintet at the University of New Orleans. Unfortunately, the tragedy of hurricane Katrina temporarily ended his hopes for a career in Louisiana. Soon after, Dave was awarded a full scholarship to the prestigious Julliard Jazz Program in New York City. However, after several days of intense meditation he declined the offer and returned to Florida State University, where he received his Master’s Degree after further collaboration with his mentor Marcus Roberts. In 2010, Potter was featured in a novel entitled "The New Face of Jazz" about the younger generation of Jazz musicians making an impact in the current scene. Dave is now located in Atlanta where he maintains a busy teaching and performing schedule while also touring the globe as a member of The Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet as well as his new project as a leader, Retro Groove.

If you've ever heard Tommy Sauter play bass, it likely won't surprise you that he grew up in Memphis, TN. With his natural, understated stage presence and intuitive playing, Sauter easily embodies the spirit of Beale Street.

After earning his music degree from the University of Tennessee, Sauter relocated to Atlanta in 2003. Since that time, his driving feel, lyrical soloing, and impeccable time have led him to become one of the most in-demand bassists in the southeast.

Sauter balances performances with many of jazz's heavy hitters (think Greg Tardy, Donald Brown, and Johnny O'Neal) with regular appearances on the Atlanta music scene, such as in the Houston's Jazz Trio, where he has been a steady figure since 2008.

He has also performed with John Doyle, Joe Craven, The Dappled Grays, and many others.

Rudy's hosts the official pro jazz jam. Come out and experience some of music city's best as they take the stage with Nashville's next generation of jazz performers! You will hear a variety of young, old, new and undiscovered players showing what they can do on stage. Part of the jazz tradition and what jazz embodies is the unknown and spontaneous exploration of new musical territory with new musicians sitting in live on stage; you never know who or what to expect other than the unexpected!

We welcome all ages to this show and have a $10 food or beverage minimum.

Known as “The Teacha”, Regi Wooten is one of the most innovative, talented and dynamic musicians around the scene, and has pushed the boundaries of jazz, funk, soul, R&B, rock, and even bluegrass to some of the most extreme musical limits. From picking, slapping, strumming, thumping, and tapping to some of the most ear bending advanced chords you’ll hear on any instrument, Regi has earned world-wide notoriety and comparisons to other innovators such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa and Chuck Berry. Perfecting, creating and discovering new techniques and jazz theory while incorporating and layering into strong funk grooves for keen listeners to uncover and pick up on is one of his many notable fortes.

At only nine years old Regi started teaching his younger brother Victor Wooten bass guitar and Joseph Wooten keyboards, and soon the Wooten Brothers Band was formed featuring; Regi on ukelele, Roy on drums, Rudy on Saxophone, Joe on Keys and Victor on bass. Regi was ten years old at the time, Roy was nine, Rudy was eight, Joseph was five and Victor was two. The rest, as they say, is Musical History.

Assembling a cast of Nashville's best, Regi Wooten and Friends dig deep into the roots of funk, jazz, blues, rock, and soul. You never know who might jump on stage! Don't miss a beat!