Skip to content

Tag: Cleveland Jazz Orchestra

Nothing But Flowers, Part 1

Published 8 July, 2025 By John Chacona

Have you noticed? After a cold and rainy June, all of a sudden, the garden has exploded with activity. The herbs have shot up. New roses bloom daily, a Jackson Pollock action painting of color.

The rain and the sun and the heat (sooooo much heat!) have done the same for the NEO jazz scene as the next seven days are a greenhouse of compelling shows, any one of which would be worth 600 words.. But I’ll spare you that and instead offer the first harvest (the second drops tomorrow) of a guide to the week’s bouquet of music.

Read moreNothing But Flowers, Part 1
Comments closed

Pull UP! Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO March 27 – Apr. 2

Published 27 March, 2025 By John Chacona

Friendly experiencers,

Let’s just get this out of the way: jazz fans, the coming week is absolutely stacked. It’s so full of notable shows that it took two let’s call this posts to begin to cover it–and a third might not get to the bottom of the good stuff.

If the music calendar for the week were a dart board, you could close your eyes and hit a bullseye every time.

So as March goes out like a lion here’s your bulldog edition of Pull UP! Now have fun filling up that calendar.

Read morePull UP! Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO March 27 – Apr. 2
Leave a Comment

Countdown: Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO May 30 – June 5

Published 30 May, 2024 By John Chacona
Evelyn Wright
Evelyn Wright

Friendly experiencers,

If you want a wellness check of the local improvised music scene, start with checking the vitals. Return appearance by a touring artist: Check. Exciting new project from ace local players: Check. Free concert: Check and bonus points for the beloved Cleveland artists on the marquee. So things are looking good as northeast Ohio heads into summer and a stacked June calendar is just getting started.

Read moreCountdown: Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO May 30 – June 5
Comments closed

Countdown: Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO May 16-22

Published 16 May, 2024 By John Chacona
Terence Blanchard

Friendly experiencers,

IMAGINE A WORLD . . . where Terence Blanchard at Severance Hall and a significant album release and anniversary are in the roundup column instead of the Tuesday feature slot.

If you heard a portentous announcer voice in your head as you read that, well, it’s that kind of Met Gala of a blockbuster week on the NEO scene. Throw in Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project’s not-jazz but jazz-adjacent Re:Sound festival and you have a week that will get your ears in shape for the peak summer music season.

Read moreCountdown: Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO May 16-22
Comments closed

Countdown: Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO May 9-15

Published 9 May, 2024 By John Chacona
Tommy Lehman

Friendly experiencers,

It’s Thursday and the Countdown is back on its normal schedule. Order has been restored. The concert lineup was thinned a bit by the cancellation of the Christian Sands gig at The Treelawn, but just look at the variety of offerings below: a big band session with vocalist, hard-blowing sextet and a free improv legend. Who says the NEO scene is one-dimensional?

Read moreCountdown: Where To Go & What To Hear In NEO May 9-15
Comments closed