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.