Upcoming Events

Jeff Cuny is the chief arranger & bassist for the Planet D Nonet and appears around the city with the singer & trombonist Tbone Paxton. Every Friday he leads the house trio at Cliff Bell's.  This is his first time doing a project of his…

David Thomas is a multi-instrumentalist, with his primary instruments being the piano and the trumpet. He is from Rochester Hills, Michigan. He began taking piano lessons with Mrs. Christine Gahman when he was 7 years old and finished his high school piano training with Mrs.…

Jeff Cuny is an excellent string bassist. He is also the chief arranger & bassist for the Planet D Nonet and appears around the city with singer/trombonist Tbone Paxton as well as his own groups. His fellow musicians include David Dunham on guitar & David…

Soul Cycle plays American Jazz/Soul Organ music styled after the masters. The set contents include contemporary renditions as wells as a litany of classic songs performed by the greats Formed in early 2013, Soul Cycle is comprised of studio musicians from various groups rooted in…

Our long-standing early Saturday piano trio series, led by Evan, a fine player who now tours throughout the world with soul diva Bettye LaVette and the US with country-rock band Whitey Morgan. Samuel Chase Harris on bass & Jake Matthews on drums, all three are…

Bandleader/composer/organist Duncan McMillan’s new CD is “Room with a View.” A labor of love, Duncan began the process in 2004, and has been fortunate to document this music with musicians who collectively represent important relationships in his life – both as individuals and as musicians.…

Jarrod Champion is a self-taught pianist, vocalist, organist, songwritier and multi-instrumentalist. Born in a suburb east of Detroit, Michigan, he’s the son of two working class parents, both trained pianists. Originally based in rock and roll, Jarrod eventually spread out into the prominent jazz, blues…

Marcus Elliot (Marcus Elliot Miller) is a saxophonist, composer, improviser, and educator based in Detroit, Michigan. His compositions and improvisations have been described by the New York Times as "convincing and confident, evolved in touch and tone...", and the Detroit Free Press has said, "Marcus…

David Alvarez III is a Jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and music educator based in the Metro-Detroit area. The drum set was introduced to him at the age of five, growing up playing in church. At the age of nine, he started to learn how to…

Tom Bartelmay is a guitarist, bandleader, composer, and instructor based out of Detroit, MI. A late comer to the music industry, Tom didn't start playing guitar until 18, but hit the ground running, moving to Detroit from his hometown of New Buffalo, MI, to further…

"Propelled by new age sounds and genre-bending explorations of indie, jazz, and original compositions, the Travis Aukerman Electric Trio contributes an inspired take on the direction of modern music" This group features the incomparable Galen Bundy on rhodes, electronics, and synthesizers and Tyler Aukerman on…

Jeff Cuny is an excellent string bassist. He is also the chief arranger & bassist for the Planet D Nonet and appears around the city with singer/trombonist Tbone Paxton as well as his own groups. His fellow musicians include David Dunham on guitar & David…

The quintet performs compositions by Andy Adamson that reflect both the modern jazz mainstream and the fusion approach that the self-taught pianist and keyboardist favored throughout his career. With Dan Bennett (Sax), Brennan Andes (Bass), Jonathon Taylor (drums), and Ross Huff (Trumpet), the quintet delivers…

Our long-standing early Saturday piano trio series, led by Evan, a fine player who now tours throughout the world with soul diva Bettye LaVette and the US with country-rock band Whitey Morgan. Samuel Chase Harris on bass & Jake Matthews on drums, all three are…

A native of Cambridge, OH, a former student of Rodney Whitaker at Michigan State University, and a veteran of the New York City Jazz Scene. He is currently touring national with the Larry Fuller Trio, and has performed as a sideman with Wynton Marsalis, Cecile…

Jarrod Champion is a self-taught pianist, vocalist, organist, songwritier and multi-instrumentalist. Born in a suburb east of Detroit, Michigan, he’s the son of two working class parents, both trained pianists. Originally based in rock and roll, Jarrod eventually spread out into the prominent jazz, blues…

David Alvarez III is a Jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and music educator based in the Metro-Detroit area. The drum set was introduced to him at the age of five, growing up playing in church. At the age of nine, he started to learn how to…

The Hughes Smith Quintet (HSQ) is a Detroit-based jazz quintet that performs original music with purpose. The group is spearheaded by Saxophonist James Hughes & trumpeter Jimmy Smith and features the rhythm section of Phil Kelly, Takashi Iio and Nate Winn. The quintet formed in…

GQ Jazz Ensemble is happy to be returning to Cliff Bells for another show! This group has been performing since 1991 and focuses on jazz and modern  standards that the band believes people will enjoy. They also play a large array of American songbook tunes…

Jeff Cuny is an excellent string bassist. He is also the chief arranger & bassist for the Planet D Nonet and appears around the city with singer/trombonist Tbone Paxton as well as his own groups. His fellow musicians include David Dunham on guitar & David…

Djangophonique is a musical project born out of reverence for the Parisian Jazz Manouche style that was made popular by the legendary Sinti guitarist Django Reinhardt and his Quintette du Hot Club de France. While remaining steeped in the rich and virtuosic tradition, the group…

Our long-standing early Saturday piano trio series, led by Evan, a fine player who now tours throughout the world with soul diva Bettye LaVette and the US with country-rock band Whitey Morgan. Samuel Chase Harris on bass & Jake Matthews on drums, all three are…

Zen Zadravec, Jazz pianist and saxophonist, is a musical chameleon. Whether it is Jazz, R&B, Funk, Rock, or Pop, he plays each with a freshness and confidence rarely found in someone so young. Born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1974, Zadravec studied classical piano from the…

Jarrod Champion is a self-taught pianist, vocalist, organist, songwritier and multi-instrumentalist. Born in a suburb east of Detroit, Michigan, he’s the son of two working class parents, both trained pianists. Originally based in rock and roll, Jarrod eventually spread out into the prominent jazz, blues…

Speakeasy Sundays is a monthly Detroit burlesque show featuring talent from around the globe, hosted at historic Cliff Bell’s. Cliff Bell’s originally opened in 1935 by John Clifford Bell and retains many of its original features to this day, including its luxurious mahogany and brass…

David Alvarez III is a Jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and music educator based in the Metro-Detroit area. The drum set was introduced to him at the age of five, growing up playing in church. At the age of nine, he started to learn how to…

The Dennard / Daher / Deas Trio harnesses raw, rhythmic, and spiritual improvisational energy in their explorations of the open space of the chordless trio. Standards are blended with structured improvisations built from intentions, concepts, and compositional fragments in the trio's emergent sonic journeys through…

Scott Gwinnell is an award-winning pianist, composer/arranger, and educator born in Detroit, and residing in the Metro-Detroit area. He currently freelances as a sideman and leads various groups; the most well-known being the 16-piece Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra. He is an adjunct professor of music…

Jeff Cuny is an excellent string bassist. He is also the chief arranger & bassist for the Planet D Nonet and appears around the city with singer/trombonist Tbone Paxton as well as his own groups. His fellow musicians include David Dunham on guitar & David…

Two big shows! 8:00p - 9:15 and 9:45 - 11p. Celebrate Valentine's Day at Cliff Bell's with a special program of love songs from legendary Detroit vocalist Shahida Nurullah, in collaboration with award-winning New York City based pianist Ben Rosenblum and his trio, on tour…

Our long-standing early Saturday piano trio series, led by Evan, a fine player who now tours throughout the world with soul diva Bettye LaVette and the US with country-rock band Whitey Morgan. Samuel Chase Harris on bass & Jake Matthews on drums, all three are…

Endowed with the kind of liquid phrasing and sheer wisdom that comes from depth of experience on the jazz performance campaign trail, Vanessa Rubin is an ever-evolving classic singer. The development of a true jazz singer is a long-range prospect, laden with learning experiences that…

Jarrod Champion is a self-taught pianist, vocalist, organist, songwritier and multi-instrumentalist. Born in a suburb east of Detroit, Michigan, he’s the son of two working class parents, both trained pianists. Originally based in rock and roll, Jarrod eventually spread out into the prominent jazz, blues…

The students of the Wayne State University Jazz Program run a fantastic jam session! All invited!

Lifelong buddy’s RJ Spangler & Tbone Paxton started working together in 1980 with a very popular band around Detroit called the Sun Messengers. They toured the east coast, Midwest and deep south for a number of years. Back then Tbone was awarded a Motor City…

David Alvarez III is a Jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and music educator based in the Metro-Detroit area. The drum set was introduced to him at the age of five, growing up playing in church. At the age of nine, he started to learn how to…

The Alex Anest Organ Trio is dedicated to finding exciting repertoire for the organ based group. Original tunes as well as works by the likes of Duke Pearson, Emily Remler, and Herbie Hancock have found their way into the set list. The focus is on…

SPHERICAL AGENDA is a jazz-rock fusion band consisting of some of the Midwest's top musicians. Hailing from Cincinnati, OH, their sound not only draws from the cutting edge of today's fusion, but also harkens to the reckless abandon and pure energy of groups like Chick…