All music used with permission by Ellie Martin.   Toledo, Ohio based Vocalist-composer Ellie Martin channels her diverse musical influences of jazz, pop, Latin, and singer-songwriter styles into a broad collection of all original material on this performance, which features pieces from her debut album, Verdant. From May 31st, 2023 and featuring Ariel Kasler on Guitar, Kury Krahnke on Bass, Dr. Olman Piedra on Drums and Ellie Martin on Vocals, it’s Ellie Martin – Live at the Bop...

All music used with permission by The Atlas Tango Project.   Founded in 2009 and hailed as "one of the foremost tango ensembles in the country," The Atlas Tango Project specializes in the music of the late Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla as well as original nuevo tango compositions. They’ve appeared globally, with noteworthy performances including the premiere of “The Angel of Buenos Aires” with the world-renowned Colorado Ballet in 2016 and a premier of their own works with the...

All music used with permission by Javier Red.   Following up on their highly acclaimed 2019 debut album, Chicago based Javier Red’s Imagery Converter returns to the Bop Stop in support of their sophomore release ‘Life and Umbrella’, a performance and an album meant to contribute to empathy and love for kids with autism.   Featuring Javier Red on Piano, Jake Wark on Tenor Sax, Gustavo Cortinas on Drums and Ben Dillinger on Bass, and present in conjunction with our friends at New...

All music used with permission by Alba Trio.   Northeast Ohio based Alba Trio was founded as a way of exploring the potential of trumpet driven chordless trios.   Anthony Taddeo is perhaps heard more often as the driving force behind Alla Boara and he serves this group from behind the drum kit. Tommy Lehman works with and leads a number of groups as one of Cleveland and Akron’s busiest trumpet players. And amidst a long career spent -among other things in revitalizing the now...

12All music used with permission by Luca Mundaca.     Acclaimed guitarist & singer/songwriter of television and films, Luca Mundaca, brings brilliant melodies, profound lyrics, and a glorious blend of flavors of her native Brazil to the program. Winner of the 2008 Independent Music Awards World Fusion category, Luca Mundaca’s compositions have appeared in over a dozen films and television shows.   From June 3rd, 2023, it’s An Evening With Luca Mundaca – Live at the Bop Stop.   ...

All music used with permission by Third Law with Sam Blakeslee.     Thriving jazz communities offer performers at all skill levels not only stages to play on but places to compose and perform original works.   Northeast Ohio is no different, and the Third Law Collective is the music settlement’s initiative with this goal in mind. Periodically musicians from throughout the area meet up and share original works with each other and audiences. This week, we feature one of those...

All music used with permission by Daversa and Cohen.     John Daversa is a distinguished trumpet-player, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader and educator. He is world-renowned for his virtuosic, dynamic and emotive style of trumpet and EVI playing, along with imaginative, genre-bending compositions and arrangements.    Tal Cohen is a Grammy award winning jazz pianist who has been playing around the Globe with Terence Blanchard, Greg Osby, and Joe Lovano at venues from Detroit to...

All music used with permission by Russ Nolan Quartet.     New York City based saxophonist Russ Nolan makes his first Bop Stop appearance in five years in this appearance from May 26th, 2023. Russ operates in the worlds of Modern Jazz and Salsa with ease and aplomb and it’s evident in both sets of this performance, the first of which we feature on this program.    Featuring Joey Skoch on piano, Ahmed McLemore on Bass, Aaron Yanda on Drums and Russ Nolan on sax, it’s the Russ Nolan...

All music used with permission by Dan Wilson Trio.     What can we say about Akron based guitarist Dan Wilson, at this point, that hasn’t already been said. From his work with Joey DeFrancesco and Christian McBride, to his extraordinary solo work, we were lucky to snag Dan for an intimate trio evening celebrating his release of his fourth album Things Eternal. For this performance, which draws on that album among a myriad of other influences, Dan once again engages Kip Reed on bass and...

All music used with permission by Joey Skoch and Ava Preston.     Joey Skoch left Northeast Ohio to return to his musical roots in Chicago, but not before a weekend full of dynamite performances with some of the Midwest’s best up and coming jazz artists. For this performance, not only does Joey show off his considerable talents on piano, but he’s joined by teenage vocal sensation Ava Preston.   An eleven time Downbeat Student Music Award winner, Ava’s vocal abilities will very quickly...

All music used with permission by Tamir Hendleman. Social Call/If You Could See Me Now/Our Delight - Dameron Tones for Joan's Bones/500 Miles High/Bud Powell - Corea Babushka - Hendleman It's Only a Paper Moon - Arlen Weather Medley - Hendleman Infant Eyes/Yes or No - Shorter Blues for Zoey - Hendleman Here's to Life - Mandel   Pianist/composer/arranger Tamir Hendelman is known for his dynamic and sensitive approach at the piano and his imaginative arrangements for...

All music used with permission by the Engine Room. Song 1 -  Song 2 -  Corcovado - Jobim Song 4 -  Some Other Time - Bernstein Song 6 -  Song 7 -  Cantaloupe Island - Hancock   The rhythm section powers the jazz band whether the horn players want to admit it or not, much in the same way a ship isn’t particularly useful without a working engine room. Which brings us to this week’s performance, featuring the rhythm section of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra.    ...

All music used with permission by David Bixler and the Trio Incognito. 6-29-21 - Bixler Bomb - Bixler Nobody Else But Me - Standard Luminal Space - Bixler Old Dog, New Bix - Bixler Inside the Grief - Bixler   Saxophonist David Bixler keeps busy. When not hosting the podcast Liner Notes or leading the Jazz Studies program at Bowling Green State University, he tours in support of his most recent creative renaissance that culminated in the 2020 release of Inside the Grief...

All music used with permission by the Matthew Fries Trio. The Fog - Fries Continuum - Fries For My Nephews - Williams Senhoras Do Amazonas - Bosco Quarantine - Fries June Blues - Fries   Michigan based pianist Matthew Fries is a joyful voice on the piano with a unique and recognizable style that is authentically rooted in the tradition of the classic jazz pianists, while still looking forward to the future of the music and the instrument.   As a composer and leader he...

All music used with permission by the Chris Hovan Organic Trio. Beatrice - Rivers Indonesian Nights - Monaco While We're Young - Wilder Your Mama's Got a Complex - Smith Cease the Bombing - Creque Bird of Beauty - Wonder Chris Hovan is an accomplished photographer, journalist and musician who dedicated himself to the drums in his early teens and never looked back. On this week’s show the Northeast Ohio native teams up with two Detroit heavyweights and one awesome Hammond...

All music used with permission by the Chris Coles Trio. All the Things You Are - Kern Take the "A" Train - Ellington Life Every Voice and Sing - Johnson Lonnie's Lament - Coltrane Excuse Not - Samuels Rhythm-A-Ning - Monk Jibun dake o aisuru - Coles Orbits - Davis It's Fine - Strayhorn   Voted one of Cleveland Magazine’s most interesting people in 2021, saxophonist Chris Coles is an essential part of several projects when he’s not busy working to revitalize the...

All music used with permission by Sammy DeLeon and Jackie Warren. Mambo Influenciado - Valdés Corcovado - Jobim My Little Suede Shoes - Parker Caravan - Ellington Triste - Jobim Armando's Rhumba - Corea   Jackie Warren and Sammy DeLeon need no introduction. Jackie is a star, a legend performing with the 3D Jazz Trio, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, off Broadway as part of the DIVA Jazz Orchestra in Maurice Hines’ critically acclaimed Tappin’ Thru Life and at the Gilmore...

All music used with permission by Grant Heineman. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) - Bowman Janine - Adderly Emily - Plank How Little It Matters How Little You Know - Carmichael/Mercer I'm Deep In A Dream of You - Baker Blues for Ike - Reinhardt   Anyone who explores the rich history of jazz spends a good amount of time considering jazz pianists like Jim Hall, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Geri Allen, to name four.    Joe Leaman is no different, and he leverages...

All music used with permission by Grant Heineman. Go East, Young Man - Miller Blue and Green - Evans Big Sky - Heineman Not Even Two Weeks - Regis Sarsaparilla Song - Heineman Lean Not - Heineman Danny Boy - Standard   Grant Heineman first caught our attention at the Bop Stop’s open jazz jam sessions. Back in Northeast Ohio after winning awards at the Berklee College of Music, Grant very quickly worked his way into being an in demand pianist on the scene before...

All music used with permission by Paul Francis. All I Do - Wonder Mother Nature's Son - Lennon/McCartney I Will - McCartney Walking On The Moon - Sting Truth - Flugge Something - Harrison We Didn't Start The Fire - Joel Let Him In/Revolution - Lennon/McCartney Black Bird - McCartney In Your Eyes - Gabriel   One of the enduring and arguably underappreciated aspects of music by The Beatles is how easily most of their catalog translates into jazz. There are a...

All music used with permission by Eli Naragon. Nah, Man - Naragon She Meant - Naragon If That's True - Spalding Walking Away - Naragon Peter's Sons - Naragon View From Webster - Naragon Hold The Line - Naragon Sister Cheryl - Naragon   Pittsburgh based bassist Eli Naragon has toured and worked with some of the biggest names in jazz including Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart and Roger Humphries. He pays tribute to all of them on his 2022 debut album Homage, and he graced...

All music used with permission by Darren Frate. African Bloom - Frate Inner Piece II - Frate Inner Piece III - Frate E Flat Minor 9 C Minor 9 - Frate Alba - Frate Into the River - Frate Assault on Montez - Frate Capo 10 - Frate Tisdale - Frate   As host of the program, I try not to put my thumb on the scale and encourage people to like one artist or song over another. I have my favorites, and I hope the show has helped you find yours too. But I’m going to cop...

All music used with permission by Camila Meza. Atardecer - Meza Away - Meza Coracao Vagabundo - Veloso Uncovered Ground - Meza Luchin - Jara Para Volar - Meza   Camila Meza is equally prized as a vocalist, guitarist and composer and has brought a sound full of warmth, intricacy and rhythmic clarity to the New York jazz scene ever since her arrival from Santiago, Chile in 2009. Inspired by jazz, South American music and American popular song of many eras and genres, she...

All music used with permission by Tommy Lehman. Not Right Now - Hodge Lake Erie Sushi - Lehman Song 3 -  Super Moon - Stern   Surprise! Hi. Hello again. We’re back with a bonus episode of the program. The first set of the Tommy Lehman Quartet featured the group doing material among themselves from the Uplift EP. The second set of that performance was something equally special. In addition to the quartet themselves, every performance in this episode contains a special guest...

All music used with permission by Tommy Lehman. Song 1 -  Song 2 -  A Home In Any Place - Senpai Uvalde - SmokeFace Jaro - Lehman Song 6 -  Song 7 -   One of the joys of being involved with this program and though I hesitate to use the term jazz scene is the opportunity to see a group come together, coalesce around an initial idea, and watch that idea grow into a fully developed quartet that produces outstanding music. This week, it’s the Tommy Lehman Quartet, a...