Tommy Boynton Sextet

Panel & Play

Friday, July 25th | 4:30-6:00pm | Burlington Art Center

Tommy Boynton is a singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, residing in St Paul, MN. Since graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music in 2012, Tommy has been an active collaborator in the Midwest music scene, and an international touring musician with The Four Freshmen, The Mimzees (original song cycles by Tommy), The River Monks, Extravision, Field Division, and much more. Through the recording arts he has been able to craft his relationship with his voice, composing, arranging, piano, guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers, and more to explore the endless palettes that documentation can provide. As an artist and educator, he is grateful for the paths that have allowed him to stay actively creative and exploring while seeking to welcome all in experiencing and enjoying music free of judgment and shame.

Tommy will be performing with Jake Baldwin on trumpet, Garrett Jones on bassoon, Dan Carpel on bass, Stephanie Wiesseler on sax, and Adam Harder-Nussbaum on drums.

Join the Tommy Boynton Sextet for a Panel & Play performance where you'll hear an hour of music, followed by a 30-minute Q&A with the audience. These performers are a wealth of knowledge and experience - whether you're a student of jazz, a casual listener, or a jazz fanatic, come engage in genuine conversation around the art of jazz. 

Matthew Fries

Jazz Pianist

Saturday, July 26th | 1:30-2:30pm | The Capitol Theater

 Pianist/composer MATTHEW FRIES is a joyful voice on the piano, recording ten albums featuring many of his original compositions. His music has been described as "playful and hopeful", “introspective", "full of joy and wonderment", and "awash with tonal colors." But it is his deeply swinging piano style and collaborative spirit that have also made him an indemand sideman for both instrumentalists and vocalists. Winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, he has toured worldwide, appears on scores of recordings, and his work has been described as “the best jazz accompaniment I’ve seen in a cabaret in years” (The New York Times), and “the crispest rhythm section imaginable” (The London Times).

Matthew is a dedicated educator, and he continues to teach lessons, masterclasses, and clinics throughout the US and abroad. Since 2017 he is a proud part of the Western Michigan University faculty as Professor of Jazz Piano where he teaches private lessons, coaches jazz combos, and teaches classes in jazz theory, improvisation, composition and arranging.

Blake Shaw BIG(ish) Band

11-Piece Big Band

Friday, July 25th | 6:30-8:00pm | The Capitol Theater

The Blake Shaw BIG(ish) Band is an action packed, fun ensuing, eleven piece dream band lead by bassist/vocalist/arranger/educator Blake Shaw of Iowa City, exploring new colors and concepts with a band full of music professors, retired band directors, public school educators, and the most popular local musicians. Blake writes and arranges all of the music using the Duke Ellington model of showcasing his friends’ talents and strengths on their instruments. The show contains many burning solos, grooves for days, and plenty of eye candy from the band made up of the most in demand improvising musicians Iowa has to offer. 

In 2010, Blake earned his AA from Kirkwood Community before going on to obtain his BM in Classical Double Bass Performance in 2013 and his MA in Jazz Composition/ Performance in 2017, both from the University of Iowa. You can currently find him teaching in Cedar Rapids as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Mount Mercy Campus of St Ambrose University. Blake actively contributes to the music community as a board member of the Iowa City Jazz Fest, the Entertainment Director for the Iowa City Pride Festival, and the Friday Night Concert Series. He also regularly serves as a guest artist, coaching ensembles in schools and festivals spanning from middle school to college and performs close to every week with a diverse array of bands, ranging from solo acts to big bands. Follow Blake on instagram for more: @theeblakebass

Elisha

Jazz-Influenced Gospel, Soul & Hip-Hop

Saturday, July 26th | 12:00-1:00pm | Heritage Garden Event Center

The Elisha Organ Trio consists of Ben Crino on guitar,  Milwaukee native Isaiah Jones Jr. on organ and Cali native but Chicago stationed drummer Sid Smith IV, both of whom Ben shares the band leader role with.

Produced by Chicago Jazz guitar legend/staple Bobby Broom (guitarist for Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins) the organ trio’s record entitled “As an Organ Trio” will reimagine seven standards from the Jazz repertoire with elements of gospel, groove and hip hop, while still allowing an approach from the Jazz lineage to drive the setting.

Crino’s guitar playing can be seen as a stark contrast to the smooth and fluid playing that is commonly heard today - with an aggressive picking and dry tone that forces the group to rethink the standard roles of each of their instruments. These seven standards will be accompanied by one slow and reflective original written by organist/pianist Isaiah Jones Jr. titled with the mantra: That is Where I’ll be.

Joshua Achiron Trio

Contemporary Jazz

Saturday, July 26th | 3:00-4:00pm | Heritage Garden Event Center

Joshua Achiron is a guitarist, arranger, composer and educator based in the heart of the vibrant city of Chicago.

Joshua earned his undergraduate degrees in both classical and jazz guitar performance from the prestigious Eastman School of Music where he was recognized as a classical soloist and given his Performance Certificate.  Joshua continued his studies at the highly selective Berklee Global Jazz Institute where he earned his masters degree on a full scholarship. There he was mentored by Grammy award-winning musicians such as Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano and John Patitucci. 

As a professional guitarist, Joshua has had the privilege of playing with incredible musicians such as Ben Paterson, Clark Sommers, Geof Bradfield, Dana Hall, Greg Arty, Chris Madsen, and Victor Garcia, at venues such as The Jazz Showcase, Andy's Jazz Club, Winter's Jazz Club, Pausa Art House, Kodak Theater, The Aspen Jazz Snowmass Festival and Blues Alley Jazz Club in Washington DC.

Joshua will be performing with Micah Collier on Bass and Greg Artry on drums.

Dave Katz Sextet

Panel & Play

Saturday, July 26th | 4:30-6:00pm | The Capitol Theater

Pete Ellman Big Band

18 Piece Big Band

Saturday, July 26th | 6:30-8:00pm | The Capitol Theater

The Pete Ellman Big Band (PEBB) was formed in 2009 after Pete retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after 20 years of service. Since then, the band has played regularly in the Chicagoland Western suburbs at locations such as Mullen’s in Lisle and Fitzgerald’s in Oak Park. Prioritizing education and community, the PEBB regularly invites student jazz ensembles to join them and provides educational outreach opportunities as guest clinicians. Additionally, the PEBB has hosted numerous fundraisers at their events to help raise money (and food / toys) for local non-profits such as Loaves & Fishes, Toys for Tots, Kids Matter, Kidz Cabaret, Youth Symphony of DuPage, Naperville Educational Foundation, Gil Ellman Memorial Fund, and more! To Pete, it’s all about giving back to the community and giving young, budding musicians exciting opportunities to participate in the arts.