2023 Concerts in Boston-Edison Season

Florella Strings  May 6th - 3:30 PM 

Florella Strings is Jasmine James on cello (pictured on left) and Carla Rivers on violin (pictured on right).

An accomplished cellist who studied with Maestro Anthony Elliott at The University of Michigan, Jasmine James is a performer, recording artist, and educator based in Metro-Detroit. A product of Detroit Public Schools, she was the 1st Place winner of numerous awards, including the James Tatum Foundation Showcase and the Schrock Scholarship Competition. Having served as Principal Cellist with The Detroit Community Orchestra, an ensemble of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Mrs. James has always been immersed in the community. She was the Strings teacher and conductor at Martin Luther King, Jr. Education Center Academy and was Principal Coordinator and teacher of string studies at the former Jerry Luck School of Music. Mrs. James is dedicated to expanding music education in the Detroit area and currently has a private studio of cello and violin students. When she is not teaching or volunteering, she is recording with such local artists as Bobbi Storm, De'Sean Jones and Ryan Trager, and her list of performances include world-renowned Andrea Bocelli, The Eagles, The Who, Il Divo, Marie Osmond and Trans Siberian Orchestra. She has also performed locally and around the country as well as toured internationally with ensembles and orchestras such as Makaya McCraven (British Columbia Tour), Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra, Aplus Music Group, Florella Strings, and Sister Strings (Detroit Jazz Fest).

Carla Rivers-Johnson is a Detroit native. Born into a family that places a strong emphasis on education and the fine arts, Carla began piano studies at the age of four, and later began her violin studies at the age of seven. As a student in the Detroit Public School system, Carla was a member of school, district, and local ensembles, including DSO Civic Ensembles and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestras. She also performed as a soloist and member of two chamber ensembles for the Detroit Evening of Fine Arts. One of Carla’s significant accomplishments as a youth was earning first place in the Michigan Chapter of the American String Teachers Association (MASTA) Competition as a member of Cass Tech’s string quartet, having performed Schubert’s Death and the Maiden. She went on to earn an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Michigan State University; concentrating on Global Studies, Spanish, and Music. During her time at MSU, Carla played with the graduate school symphony orchestra and was under the tutelage of Professor Walter Verdehr. Over the years, Carla has shared her music internationally as a missionary and has been called to perform in the presence of notable figures, including iconic activist, Rosa Parks. Additionally, Carla has performed with or recorded for such artists as: 2 Cellos, Amp Fiddler, Icewear Vezzo, Brazeal Dennard Chorale, Transiberian Orchestra, McKinley Jackson, Wendell Harrison, and Dames Brown. Carla was a long-standing member of two local ensembles, The Efuru String Quartet and electro-pop violin band, NuClassica before taking an extended hiatus from music. She is now a full-time freelance musician and co-founder of Florella Strings– a violin and cello duo, based out of Detroit. When she is not performing, Carla serves as a weekly volunteer with the Detroit Suzuki Academy of Music.

Allen Dennard  June 17th - 7:00 PM

Allen Dennard is a trumpeter, composer and bandleader who was born and raised in the city of Detroit. Allen attended the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor where he received a full scholarship from the university's jazz department. In 2018, Allen was chosen to be in the horn section for the MC5 reunion in Detroit, sharing the stage with musical icons such as Wayne Kramer; the following year Allen went on to record on one of Alice Copper's latest albums. In January 2019 Allen was chosen by the Detroit MetroTimes as one of ten artists they thought would become famous in that year. Soon after Allen was approached with many interview requests, including with Detroit Public Television/ PBS . Allen has worked with several artists from the Detroit Music Factory label, such as Gayelynn Mckinney, De'Sean Jones and Sean Dobbins. He has also worked with Detroit saxophonist David McMurray from the Blue Note record label. Allen also has shared the stage with New York-based saxophonist J.D Allen, who is with HighNote Records.

Currently, Allen is in-demand as a leader and sideman. He leads three of his own groups, the Allen Dennard Trio, the Allen Dennard Quartet and the Allen Dennard Quintet. All groups have headlined at venues around Detroit, Metro-Detroit and in various cities in the state of Michigan, including the iconic Baker's Keyboard Lounge, Cliff Bell's, The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, Bert's Marketplace, The Blue Llama, and The Whisky Parlor, to name but a few. He has also been the headliner for several major festivals around Detroit, such as "Jazzin at the Vanity", "Jazz on the Ave'' and the "African World Festival". He has made three appearances as a sideman at the internationally renowned Detroit Jazz Festival, and a fourth appearance as a headliner in 2022. Allen's music is a mixture of jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and funk. Allen still resides in Detroit, focusing on furthering his musical career in the local, national and international music scenes.

“Chris Greene is a Chicago jazz treasure. One of my favorite musicians.”-Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune

The Chris Greene Quartet has been a highly visible part of Chicago’s jazz scene since 2005, and has maintained a stable lineup from the beginning, with the exception of Steve Corley, who has held the drum chair since 2011. Damian Espinosa on piano and keyboards and Marc Piane on acoustic and electric basses have been onboard since the beginning. Unique among Chicago bands, most of whom feature, by necessity, constantly shifting personnel, the CGQ has been able to develop a true group sound and feel, harking back to bands from the classic age of jazz when groups could stay together for long periods of time. While honoring the tradition, the CGQ incorporates elements of funk, hip-hop, rock, pop, the blues and reggae, reflecting their diverse backgrounds.

CGQ’s most recent album “PlaySPACE 2 - Play Harder” was voted one of the best albums of 2021 by DownBeat Magazine.” The band was also recently honored at the 2018 Chicago Music Awards with an award for “Best Jazz Entertainer” and have twice won the “Best Jazz Band” category in the Chicago Reader “Best of Chicago” Poll.

LL7 Latin Jazz August 12th - 7:00 PM

Be prepared for dancing under the stars for this concert! Detroit's premier Latin Jazz group, LL7 Latin Jazz features authentic Afro-Cuban Jazz, New York Salsa, and other Latin inspired jazz styles pioneered by greats like Poncho Sanchez, Tito Puente and Horace Silver. They also feature Latin Dance styles like Mambos and Cha Cha.

LL7 is made up of seven of Detroit’s top players, including Andy Wickstrom (trumpet), Bob Maitland (trombone), Jim Wilpula (saxophones), Tony Suhy (bass), Dave Marcaccio (drums), Kurt Schreitmueller (piano) and Armado Vega (Latin Percussion/Vocals)

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See here for a list of our Concerts in Boston-Edison past performers!