Doors open at 7 - Music at 7:30 - $30 advance tickets - $35 at the door
Fully seated, listening room style show
General admission - All ages
Bill Sears is back to ignite his hometown stage at The Alluvion with yet another exceptional, premier band at his side.
Swing into some deep jazz as The Alluvion Jazz Series proudly presents:
Bill Sears - Saxophone
Bryn Roberts - Piano
Chris Minami - Guitar
Christian Dillingham - Bass
Keith Hall - Drums
BILL SEARS
Bill Sears Saxophonist Bill Sears is revered by jazz audiences throughout the state of Michigan and the Upper Midwest. A native of Racine, Wisconsin, Bill received the BM and MM degrees from Indiana University after which he moved to Chicago, quickly becoming a core member of the city's vibrant jazz scene. Bill moved to the Grand Traverse region in 1987 when he accepted the position as Director of Jazz Studies and Instructor of Saxophone at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, a position he held for 34 years until his retirement in May of 2021.
Bill enjoyed touring the US and Europe with the Ray Charles band. Additional jazz greats with whom he has performed include Dizzy Gillespie, Bob James, Peter Erskine, Geoffrey Keezer, Rick Margitza, Rodney Whitaker, saxophonist Bill Evans and many others. He has shared the stage with a plethora of great vocalists in the jazz and popular genres including, but not limited to: Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Lou Rawls, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Newton and Maureen McGovern; and groups such as The Temptations, Four Tops, Spinners, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Manhattan Transfer, Supremes, Liberace, Henry Mancini, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
Appearing on about 20 albums, Bill has released two albums as a leader: Chasin’ The Goal with fellow saxophonist Rick Margitza, and With One Accord with the Arts Center Jazz Collective. Both albums feature not only his unique voice as a saxophonist and improviser, but several of his original compositions.
BRYN ROBERTS
Bryn Roberts is pianist, keyboardist and composer who is in demand in a broad range of musical contexts.
Roberts makes his home in Portland, Oregon, while continuing to spend much of his time in New York City, where he lived for 15 years. He plays, tours and records widely both as a leader and sideman, and is a frequent performer at clubs like Smalls, Mezzrow, the Jazz Gallery, the Kitano and Dizzy's.
An acclaimed composer and bandleader, Roberts has five albums out featuring his own music: his debut “Present Tense”, “Ludlow” (featuring Seamus Blake, Drew Gress and Mark Ferber), “Fables” (featuring Seamus Blake, Orlando le Fleming and Johnathan Blake) and two duo albums with guitarist Lage Lund, “Nightsong” and “Hide the Moon and the Stars”.
Roberts has toured with his own groups, including festival, radio and club appearances across the USA, Canada, the UK, Spain and Japan with some of New York’s finest musicians: Matt Penman, Jochen Rueckert, Rodney Green, Joe Martin, Jaleel Shaw, Johnathan Blake, Mark Ferber, Will Vinson and Seamus Blake.
Roberts is an original member of the Nonet led by Grammy nominee Alan Ferber, and has recorded with the group for a series of critically-acclaimed releases: “Scenes from an Exit Row”, “The Compass”, “Chamber Songs” and “Roots and Transitions”. He also plays in saxophonist Jon Gordon’s quartet (whose 2019 release, “Answer” was recorded at the historic Rudy Van Gelder Studio) and with groups led by bassist Chuck Israels.
In addition to his work in jazz and improvised music, Roberts has played and toured with many artists in the singer-songwriter world, including Grammy award winners Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal, Shawn Colvin, Stax records legend William Bell, and folk icon Dar Williams.
CHRIS MINAMI
Christopher Minami is one of the finest archtop guitarists of the current generation. Minami has won national competitions, grants, tours and has shared the stage with greats such as Rodney Whitaker, Michael Dease, Geoffrey Keezer, Bobby Floyd, and Camille Thurman.
A native of Florida, Minami completed his undergraduate degree in both classical and jazz guitar at Florida State University’s College of Music in the studio of Bruce Holzman. While at FSU, Minami was a member of the Jazz Honors Band under the direction of Marcus Roberts. Minami recently completed his master's in jazz studies at the Michigan State University College of Music in the studio of Randy Napoleon.
Minami is featured on Napoleon’s latest record “Waking Dream” set to be released on August 22nd on Origin Records. “Chris Minami is another exceptional player and person. While he can certainly burn, the element that stands out to me about his playing is his lyricism.” - Randy Napoleon
Minami maintains a private guitar studio and has taught at prestigious institutions such as the Interlochen Center for the Arts, Brevard Music Center, and Michigan State University.
CHRISTIAN DILLINGHAM
Versatile. Dynamic. Compelling. Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian Dillingham is “a 21st Century artist to keep an eye on...” (Chicago Jazz). A sought-after collaborator, his nuanced interpretations, dynamic performances, and expressive musicality are praised in the jazz, classical and recording arenas.
A regular presence in Chicago’s rich jazz scene, Dillingham has performed and recorded with dozens of distinguished musicians. Amongst those he has performed with are Sean Jones, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Terreon Gully, Herlin Riley, Bobby Broom, Peter Bernstein, Jazzmeia Horn, and Victor Goines. Venue credits include the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase, Hungry Brain, Constellation Chicago, Andy’s Jazz Club, Elastic Arts, and Chicago Jazz Festival, among others. Dillingham also leads his own band, The Christian Dillingham Quartet, which features his original compositions.
A prolific recording artist, Dillingham appears on over 20 albums in the Jazz genre alone.
KEITH HALL
Keith Hall has established himself as a passionate educator and joyful performer over the last 25 years. For 12 years, Keith spent much of his time touring worldwide and recording with Curtis Stigers. Hall has also performed with the likes of Betty Carter, Sir Roland Hanna, Michael Phillip Mossman, New York Voices, Janis Siegel, Terrell Stafford, Steve Wilson and many others. He continues to tour and record with his critically acclaimed NYC-based trio TRI-FI.
Hall lived and worked in New York City for nine years performing in a multitude of musical contexts and was a regular sub on Broadway’s Lion King. He toured Europe in the American Music Abroad Program with the Latin-jazz quartet, Grupo Yanqui.
Hall is Jazz Drum Set Professor at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo MI, where he holds his annual Summer Drum Intensive. He is the author Jazz Drums Now! Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and the radio host for Jazz Currents on WMUK, the NPR affiliate in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Hall is a clinician for Remo Drumheads, Yamaha Drums, Vic Firth Drumsticks, and Zildjian Cymbals.
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