Drummer Dave Potter leads a stellar sextet playing the music of Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, featuring Miguel Alvarado on tenor saxophone, Desmond Ng on trombone, Dr. Andrew Sioberg on trumpet, Daniel Kuk on piano and Rob "El Ton" Linton on bass. After honing his skills for more than 10 years with Jason Marsalis, Potter took to the road as a leader with his own ensemble with a new project featuring Jazz-flavored arrangements of modern classics. A native of North Carolina, Dave began performing with many of his elders in the RDU area at the age of 16. After relocating to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University, Dave quickly sought out Marcus Roberts as a musical mentor, an important relationship that endures today. Dave has performed with Roberts, Ellis Marsalis, Marcus Printup, Russell Gunn, Takana Miyamoto, Greg Tardy, and many others.

American jazz drummer and bandleader Art Blakey (1919 – 1990) made a name for himself in the 1940s in the big bands of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine and then worked with bebop musicians Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. In the mid-1950s, Horace Silver and Blakey formed the Jazz Messengers, an archetypal hard bop group of the late 50s, which he led for the next 35 years. The group was formed as a collective of contemporaries, but over the years the band became known as an incubator for young talent, including numerous famous artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Donald Byrd, Cedar Walton, Woody Shaw and more. Blakey was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1981. Posthumously, he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and 2001. He was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

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.

Pianist Matt Rollings with bassist Victor Krauss and drummer Keith Carlock.

On stage playing piano, behind the board producing, or alongside an artist writing songs, Matt Rollings staunchly subscribes to a philosophy that powers all aspects of his creativity and has led him to become a two-time Grammy-winning and five-time Grammy-nominated record producer, as well as a Grammy-nominated arranger. As a young pianist, Rollings’ first and lasting influences were Ramsey Lewis, Oscar Peterson, and later, Bill Evans. His early love for jazz led to a scholarship at Berklee College of Music in the early 1980’s.

A fork in the road, courtesy of Lyle Lovett, took him to Nashville in 1986 where he quickly became one of the most sought after session players in the business. Since then, he has played on over 1,500 records for artists like Lyle Lovett, Bruce Springsteen, Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Luis Fonsi, The Chicks, and countless others.

Ryan Middagh is an innovative composer, arranger, saxophonist, band leader and clinician who has traveled the globe sharing his unique blend of talents and musical influences with audiences and music students. Middagh’s quartet has performed at jazz festivals around the world, including tours and performances on behalf of the U.S. State Department. While at home, he is a studio musician and performs in a wide array of genres. In addition to leading his own jazz small groups, he has recently started the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra, which features some of Nashville’s finest musicians and acts as a vehicle for his new compositions and arrangements. His album "Live From Nashville" is the recipient of a Global Music Award, and was nominated for Best Jazz Group and Best Jazz Album in the 2020 Nashville Industry Music Awards. The Nashville Scene named Middagh "Best Jazz Educator and Advocate" in its 2020 Best of Nashville awards.

This show is all ages. Food & Beverage minimum of $10 for anyone under 21 years of age