"He's got Rhythm of every variety...trickles of rhythm seeping into all the cracks and at regular intervals he changes the rhythm, pouring it out or stoppering it, turning its emphasis around, subdividing or refocusing it and making it follow the melody." - Ben Ratliff New York Times

"Ari Hoenig is one of the most maniacally obsessive, spasmodic and musical drummers in jazz." - Jazz Times

"Postbop daredevil Ari Hoenig turns jazz drumming into a thrilling high-wire act." - Time Out New York

"Ari Hoenig’s Punk Bop is an altogether different take on jazz." - Downbeat Magazine

"Drummer Ari Hoenig is an unalloyed pleasure, matching rhythmic verve with a keen ear for melody" - Steve Smith, Jazziz Magazine

“Rhythm is a contact sport for Ari Hoenig...expansive technique, propulsive time and deep musicality...his style is characterized by a crisp attack and quick attentive reflexes." - Nate Chinen, New York Times

Ari Hoenig is a jazz drummer, composer, and educator known for his unusual and intense approach to drumming emphasizing complex rhythms in direct harmony with other group members. Ari is widely noted particularly for his drumming not being relegated to just keeping tempo, or being a side issue to the music he plays in, but rather for elevating drumming as an indispensable part of the performance.

Born on November 13, 1973 in Philadelphia, Ari Hoenig, was exposed at an early age to a variety of musical experiences and by age fourteen was honing his skills in Philly clubs. After attending the University of North Texas for three years, Ari transferred to William Patterson College in New Jersey and soon found himself playing for legendary Philadelphia organist Shirley Scott and working regularly in New York City.

Shortly thereafter, Ari moved into Brooklyn and began playing extensively with a variety of groups, including Jean Michel Pilc Trio, Kenny Werner Trio, Chris Potter Underground, Kurt Rosenwinkel Group, Joshua Redman Elastic band, Jazz Mandolin Project and bands led by Wayne Krantz, Mike Stern, Richard Bona and Pat Martino.

Both of Ari's self-produced solo drum CDs, "Time Travels" (2000) and "The Life Of A Day" (2002), document his exploratory nature and they represent an ambitious tribute to the melodic possibilities of the drum set. Today, Ari continues to build on the concepts of these two records by playing largely improvised solo concerts using a simple four-piece drum kit without help from extraneous percussion instruments.

The Ari Hoenig Quartet was formed at the end of 2002 while playing every Monday night at the New York Village jazz club Fat Cat. The band featured Jacques Schwarz-Bart on tenor sax, Jean Michel Pilc on piano, and Matt Penman on bass. They released two records on the Smalls Records label: "The Painter" (2004) and the DVD "Kinetic Hues" (2005)

In 2006 Ari signed a multi-record deal with Dreyfus Records and released his first record for them called “Inversations" (2006) which features the trio of Jean Michel Pilc and Johannes Weidenmueller. “Bert’s Playground” (2008), Ari’s second record for Dreyfus, features Ari’s Punk Bop Band joined by Chris Potter. Jonathan Kreisberg, Matt Penman, Will Vinson, Gilad Hekselman and Orlando le Fleming also represent on this one.

His next record project was for “Smalls Live”, a record label set up in 2009 to document some of the music being performed at the “Smalls Jazz Club” in New York where Ari has appeared regularly since 2003. Ari chose his Punk Bop Band to make the live record “Punk Bop Live at Smalls (2010)”. The Punk Bop Band features Will Vinson on alto, Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar and fellow Jazz Mandolin Project alumni, Danton Boller on bass and Tigran Hamasyan.

In 2018, Ari released a standards record called NY Standard (a tribute to playing standards in New York). In 2019, Conners Days (his first full trio record) was released. It features Nitai Hershkovits on piano and Or Bareket on bass. Both of these are on the Fresh Sound label and have received widespread acclaim.

In 2022 Ari teamed up with arranger/pianist Ben Markley to record an album of his compositions with a full 19 piece big band from the Denver area and released “Ari’s Funhouse” (OAM). The same year the trio recording “Golden Treasures” (Fresh Sound) was released featuring Ari’s current trio of Gadi Lehavi and Ben Tiberio, documenting Ari’s composing and other general musical activities during the pandemic. The record is indicative of Ari’s cinematic style of songwriting.

Ari also co-leads a variety of projects. Pilc, Moutin, Hoenig (The Three headed monster) released Threedom in 2011 on the Motema label. He has had various projects with partner Gael Horellou including the jazz electronica project “Nasty Factorz” with a self titled record released in 2016 and “Live” with the quartet featuring Horellou, released in 2019. Ari has also co-led various duo’s with Chris Potter, Edmar Casteneda, JD Walter and Dan Weiss. His recordings as a side-artist total around 120 to date.

Ari Hoenig - Drums
Jacob Duncan - Saxophones
Ryan McGillicuddy - Bass

Saxophonist Don Aliquo’s playing has been described as “smooth as silk...with an unfailing feel for breath and phrasing" while extremely supple in the addressing of his axe but always zeroed in on what he's describing”.

“Growth” his newest release, explores new territory with intriguing compositions and ample solo space for Aliquo’s inspired improvisations. The eight originals are both complex and open, which shows him expanding his boundaries not only as an instrumentalist and improviser, but also as a composer. The music is an electrifying modern outing with one foot in the future and one in the tradition.

Aliquo has released six solo projects and has worked collaboratively or performed as a sideman on many others. His previous solo cd “Sun and Shield” features veteran jazz masters Rufus Reid, Jim McNeely, and the dynamic Obed Calvaire.

Notable collaborations include a duo recording with eclectic pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and quartet recordings with Roger Humphries and the late Beegie Adair. He also has recorded with his mentor, notable Pittsburgh tenor stalwart, Don Aliquo Sr. on the MCG label.

Don has performed in concerts and recordings with many world-class artists including Gary Burton, Greg Osby, Rufus Reid, Roger Humphries, Harold Danko, Adam Nussbaum, Donald Brown, Pete Christlieb, Scott Robinson, and Bobby Shew.

Don is Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. He is a Selmer and Vandoren artist.

Be prepared to be transported back in time as Wendy Burns sings "The Great American Songbook" featuring the jazz classic songs that have stood the test of time. Songs written as far back as 1920 and going as far as the 1960’s. Legendary composers and lyricists to be celebrated will be Hoagy Carmichael, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jule Styne, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen and more. A curated selection of some of Wendy's favorite tunes that made her fell in love with jazz. Wendy will be joined with an ALL STAR BAND, masters at their craft and love for jazz; Brian Allen on bass, Melvin Macias on piano and Bryan Brock on drums. Join us as we celebrate the songs that many generations have fallen in love to.

2024 NIMA Best Jazz Vocalist winner, Nashville's 2022 Inducted member Academy of Local Musicians Hall of Fame and 2023 & 2024 Mississippi Music Foundations Best Female Jazz vocalists of the year.

Flute playing jazz vocalist Wendy Burns of Nashville TN has studied and performed songs from the 1940's Jazz Big Band era since the age of 9 years old. She has been described as having a unique voice that fits the era. She has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and has sessioned and performed with many of the Nashville classic country greats. With a deep passion for jazz standards, and as a hopeless romantic, Wendy believes there's beauty in staying true to the melodies as they were written. Her set list includes songs from the "Great American Songbook", jazz standards, and a number of her fabulous original pieces that reminisce of cherished jazz classics you've never heard. Wendy's influences are Judy Garland, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey, The Andrew Sisters, and Helen Forrest, to name a few. You will also hear some of her original tunes in vaudeville fashion featuring "Grover" her ukulele.

"She expertly delivers jazz vocals in traditional speakeasy style and displays her exceptional talent on flute as well. She does an excellent job, a true entertainer, she holds her audience and has them laughing with her patter between songs." - Gary Cobb, Nashville Tn

"When singing the classics, I’ve always tried to sing the melodies as close to the original version as possible. I feel you can get closest to the composer's feelings by doing that and by staying within it that realm. To think that someone in a time long ago did their best to put their feelings and words of love on a sheet of paper so that generations ahead would hear it just as it was written is a golden key to a door of a time before. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic and madly in love with the idea of living back in that time." - Wendy Burns

Join 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.

A native of North Nashville, Bizz came to music naturally. He 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 dads’ show, the lead singer got sick, and his dad asked Bizz to fill in for two nights. Those two shows turned into 5 years, opening for such artists as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Little Richard.

Bizz is an accomplished artist and songwriter, whose music is influenced by everyone from Bill Withers to George Jones to James Taylor. As a performer, he has played on the biggest stages in Nashville and throughout the US and Canada. His songs follow his path through love, addiction, fatherhood, cancer, and recovery and “The emotions are real. The stories are true. The songs are from my heart.”