GRAND PIANO

Jeff Haas learned to crawl in the organ loft of Temple Israel in Detroit, listening to his dad play. He grew up surrounded by classical cats rehearsing chamber music with his dad, Karl Haas. At five, he was at the piano under his dad’s watchful eye. In his early teens, Jeff stumbled upon his first live Motown review (Marvin, Martha, The Temps, Four Tops, Supremes and Little Stevie Wonder) at the MI State Fair. He had gone rogue. The Motown music scene became Jeff’s playground, hanging out at the Grande Ballroom, Easttown and the back door of Bakers Keyboard Lounge, where Jeff could catch the jazz vibe even though he wasn’t old enough to get in.

A bazillion hours at the piano and thousands of gigs later, Jeff is a northern MI jazz staple, performing for decades with his trio and a hosts of jazz legends. Jeff is an extraordinary composer who tends to play by his own rules, challenging traditional forms, melody structures and genre blends. His compositional voice organically blends his passion for jazz, R&B, classical and Judaic music. Jeff is the founder and artistic director for the award winning educational outreach program, Building Bridges with Music.

BASS

Jack Dryden is one of the most versatile bassists, dominating the instrument in all its forms. He first started on the guitar in Junior High cover bands dressed as The Beatles. However, Jack studied classical standup bass at the collegiate level in Boston Berkeley College of Music, yet performs professionally in a plethora of genres, including jazz, funk, and classical. His history of performances highlight his versatility as well, from Broadway pits to his chair in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and even with Aretha Franklin! Jack has been a pillar in the Jeff Haas Trio for 30 years.

DRUMS

Randy Marsh’s stage persona is a throwback to the days of vaudeville. On a typical night, he blends his passion for all things rhythm with lots of humor and Chaplinesque antics, all the while locking into a groove so deep, you could live in it. He is a lifetime traveling percussionist. Randy has been a part of the popular organ trio, Organissimo, since its beginnings.

For 30 years Randy has played with Jeff Haas at Chateau Chantal Winery for their Jazz at Sunset series. Every gig Randy has in Traverse City, he travels 2 hours from his home in Grand Rapids with nothing but enthusiasm for the night ahead.

SAXOPHONES/FLUTE

Laurie Sears, performer on saxophone, flute, and clarinet, works with numerous jazz groups, including the Grand Rapids Symphony, Traverse Symphony Orchestra and Traverse Symphony Jazz Orchestra. Some of the national jazz and popular artists that Laurie has shared the stage with include Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minelli, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Johnny Mathis, Henry Mancini, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and The Four Tops. While in Chicago, Laurie performed on the Chicago Jazz Festival, with orchestral pops presentations at Ravinia, with entertainers at the Chicago Theater and at numerous musical theaters venues. She has maintained an active private teaching studio for over forty years, and has been performing with Building Bridges since 2004.

WATERCOLOR ARTIST

Lisa Flahive is most widely known for her expressive drawings and watercolors of jazz musicians, created live, in the moment, on the bandstand. This allows her to improvise, react, and communicate with the musicians. She chooses watermedia because it reflects the life of the music and must be created boldly, in the moment.

Lisa paints what inspires her, such as cafes or chefs in the kitchen. She also loves to capture the energy of a city in her vibrant street scenes, and paints many en plein air, at night. Lisa paints live on the bandstand as the artist in residence for The Alluvion’s Jazz 4 All Thursday series, as well as Chateau Chantal’s Jazz at Sunset, every Thursday in Summer.