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After hearing a YouTube video of George Benson performing ‘Affirmation’ for the first time when he was eleven years old, East Lansing based guitarist Luke Sittard knew the sound he wanted to pursue for the rest of his life. With a mission to be a torchbearer for the bebop and jazz guitar traditions, his music draws upon the influences of Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, and Thelonious Monk while also embracing stylistic elements from R&B and Neo-Soul. A 2nd place winner in the 2020 Wilson Center International Guitar Competition, he has gotten to share the stage with incredible musicians such as Michael Dease, Sachal Vasandani, John Webber, Sean Dobbins, and Brandon Rose. Luke has also performed on notable stages such as Jazz At Lincoln Center, the Detroit Jazz Festival, East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Festival, and Michigan JazzFest.
Organist Cliff Metcalf first found success as a bassist and tenor sax player, for which he took numerous awards at local and regional jazz festivals. Clif is a recipient of the Swaby Scholarship, the Freshman Music Prize, Distinguished Artist Award, and the Jazz Alliance of Mid Michigan Izenson Memorial Scholarship. His Hammond Family status has allowed him to meet and make valuable connections with jazz organ greats including the legendary Dr. Lonnie Smith.
Drummer Djallo Djakate’s career covers the entirety of jazz history, from African percussion to ragtime, New Orleans parade rhythms, swing, bebop and avant-garde outings. He’s worked with Marcus Belgrave, Taslimah Bey, Charlie Gabriel ,Alina Morr and Spencer Barefield, among others. He’s toured in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan with Martha Reeves.
There is no cover for this show!
