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Tag: northeast Ohio

Troy Roberts, A Saxophone Wizard From Oz, Lands at BOP STOP

Troy Roberts

I get a lot of records from publicists looking for a review, 788 last year. That’s way more than I can get to, but I try to check in on most of them. Last year I noticed that a lot of them had Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone, and even on records I didn’t care for–maybe especially those–I was drawn to his muscular sound. I missed his appearance last year with Pat Bianchi (a gig I previewed here), but I–and Cleveland—will get a second bite of the apple Sunday, Feb. 16 when the saxophonist returns to BOP STOP.

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A New, Plus-Sized Bad Plus Lineup Makes Its Cleveland Debut

The Bad Plus
The Bad Plus (from left): Chris Speed, Reid Anderson, Dave King, Ben Monder. photocredit: Evelyn Freja

The Bad Plus,” Ben Ratliff wrote in the New York Times, “could be the group you use to turn your 17-year-old cousin on to jazz.” Twenty-two years and two lineup changes later, Ratliff’s observation might be more salient than ever.

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Chris Pitsiokos and Weasel Walter Open the 2025 New Ghosts Season

Visit the website of Chris Pitsiokos (click on this name and you’ll get there) and you’ll see an image of a blue sky striped with contrails. The saxophonist is no conspiracy theorist, but he is a roaddog, logging 92 shows in 2024. He’s off to a strong start in 2025, too, with a tour that will bring him to the Little Rose Tavern for a duo gig with eruptive drummer Weasel Walter presented by New Ghosts.

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