Joshua Redman Quartet feat. Gabrielle Cavassa | Where Are We

Thu
3
October 3, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

Joshua Redman Quartet feat. Gabrielle Cavassa | Where Are We

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and respected jazz artists to have emerged in our generation. His latest project, Where Are We, marks the first time that Joshua has included a vocalist (Gabrielle Cavassa) on a record, and features Aaron Parks on piano, Joe Sanders on bass, and Brian Blade on drums.

$50, $60, $70
Sun
1
December 1, 2024 @ 7:30 pm

The Howard Levy 4 and Madcat’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Howard Levy is a master of the diatonic harmonica, a superb pianist, innovative composer, educator, and producer. At the age of 19, he discovered how to play the diatonic harmonica as a fully chromatic instrument by developing techniques on it that had never existed before. Peter Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet features eclectic traditional and improvisational music played by four veteran Ann Arbor musicians.

$30
Sat
3
Special Event
May 3, 2025 @ 7:00 pm

Jesse Cook

Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 W 4th St Royal Oak, MI 48067 United States

For Jesse Cook, music has been a journey. Sonically and literally.

“Over the years, I’ve taken my music and tried to cross-pollinate it with music from different parts of the world,” explains the 50-year-old global-guitar virtuoso. “For the (2003) album Nomad, I went to Cairo and recorded with musicians there. On my (2009) record The Rumba Foundation, I went to Colombia, and worked with musicians from Cuba as well. On (1998’s) Vertigo, I went down to Lafayette, La., and recorded with Buckwheat Zydeco. For me, the question has always been: Where did you go? Where did you take your guitar?”

$29.50, $39.50, $49.50
Sat
7
September 7, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

Ann Arbor Django Reinhardt Festival

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Hosted by Djangophonique and featuring their new material with the latest addition to the ensemble, vocalist Katie Smith, along with other midwestern musicians who draw inspiration from the Django lineage. Christo Rupenthal’s Novelty Combo from Madison, WI, brings a fusion of antique Hawaiian steel guitar and hot club music, and Erik McIntyre from Flint, MI will be playing early American archtop guitar influenced by musicians such as Eddie Lang. With a range of diverse offerings, united together by enthusiasm, skill, and passion for the legacy surrounding the music of Django Reinhardt, this iteration of Ann Arbor’s burgeoning new series is sure to delight, transport, and inspire.

$25
Mon
13
May 13, 2024 @ 6:00 pm

Community High Jazz Blowout

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Ann Arbor’s Community High Jazz is one of the best programs of its kind anywhere. The Ark is proud to host this year’s students on stage for two shows: one at 6:00 and another at 8:00.

$5
Fri
24
May 24, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

Aaron Jonah Lewis’s Ragtime Banjo Revival

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Aaron Jonah Lewis’s Ragtime Banjo Revival thrills and delights audiences with fresh arrangements of classic, novelty, and British ragtime pieces for cello, banjo and guitar, plus blues and early jazz fiddle music, centering the contributions and influence of Black American composers. The group creates a relaxed and enlivening space to experience popular music of the past and to connect with a greater sense of our shared cultural history. With a curious and optimistic spirit, Ragtime Banjo Revival educates and inspires, welcoming the newcomer and cultivating respect across the lines of difference.

$20
Sat
13
July 13, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

The Guy Mintus Trio

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Guy Mintus is an Israeli-born piano performer, composer, vocalist, and bandleader. He possesses the finesse of a trained concert pianist, the energy of a rockstar, and the exploring spirit of a jazz musician inspired by a wide range of influences from Turkish Makam to Stride piano to South-Indian rhythms. Along with his long standing trio Guy is able to create a musical playground filled with joy, spontaneity, groove, and humor while embarking on adventures that start with his original music and continue to re-imaginations of music from Beethoven, Chopin, The Beatles, Gershwin or the Great Israeli Songbook to name a few. Officially endorsed by Yamaha Pianos, Guy is the winner of the prestigious Leonard Bernstein Award.

$25
Sat
20
April 20, 2024 @ 7:30 pm

Mr. B’s 27th Annual Blues and Boogie Piano Celebration

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Once a year, Mark “Mr. B” Braun, Ann Arbor’s own wizard of blues and boogie piano music, comes together with other top piano players from around southeastern Michigan and beyond. Call it a piano summit, or perhaps a meeting of the minds! Along with Mr. B himself, this year’s show features Lluis Coloma, Brendon Davis, and Elder Robert Moore.

$30
Mon
29
Cancelled
April 29, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

George Crotty Trio

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

George Crotty has forged his own exciting vocabulary on the cello, pushing the boundaries of the cello as a jazz instrument. Following his graduation from the Berklee College of Music, Crotty immersed himself in New York’s jazz and world music scenes, playing with several ensembles, such as the Brooklyn Raga Massive, and the Detroit-based National Arab Orchestra. The George Crotty Trio’s “Chronotope” (2022) showcases the Canadian cellist’s expressive fluidity and modal orientation. The group’s cross-cultural interplay draws on diverse influences within jazz and global music traditions including post-bop, modal jazz, Indian raga, and Arabic maqam.

$20
Thu
18
April 18, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

U-M Jazz Showcase featuring drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Students $5 with student ID! This show features students and faculty from the Department of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the U-M, along with a prominent special guest each year. This year’s guest is drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. Tain spent his formative years with Wynton and Branford Marsalis, and his writing skills now command equal attention, highlighted by a 2017 Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition. Watts has recorded and toured with George Benson, Harry Connick Jr, Kenny Garrett, Michael Brecker, Kenny Kirkland, Courtney Pine, Geri Allen, Alice & Ravi Coltrane, Greg Osby, McCoy Tyner, Steve Coleman & Fort Apache.

$20