Steve Allee - Jim Anderson - Lewis Nash - Billy Pierce - Craig Bailey Quintet

2 SHOWS

7p Show | Doors at 5p

9:30p Show | Doors at 9p

Bringing together an unmatched caliber of musical authority and historical lineage, this performance features five of the premier masters of modern jazz: pianist Steve Allee, bassist Jim Anderson, saxophonists Billy Pierce and Craig Bailey, and drummer Lewis Nash. Across over five decades of groundbreaking performance and education, these iconic artists have helped define the trajectory of hard bop, big band swing, and contemporary mainstream jazz. Collectively, their resume spans landmark tenures with legendary bandleaders—including Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Ray Charles, and Buddy Rich—alongside thousands of recordings and decades of dedication to world-class academia at institutions like Berklee, Juilliard, and the University of Cincinnati CCM. Coming together on one stage, these visionary masters deliver an extraordinary evening of virtuoso improvisation, deep swing, and living jazz history.

Steve Allee

Pianist and composer Steve Allee is a Yamaha Performing Artist whose career launched early at age 19 with the Buddy Rich Band. Rooted in Indianapolis's rich musical lineage, Allee has shared stages and studios with icons like Slide Hampton, Benny Golson, and Curtis Fuller, and has spent over 14 years as a central member of the acclaimed Rufus Reid Out Front Trio. Recognized for his work as a big band leader (Naptown Sound, Full Circle) and film composer, Allee has also dedicated decades to jazz education through roles at Indiana University and Cincinnati’s CCM.

Jim Anderson

Jim Anderson is a veteran jazz bassist, composer, and inductee of the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame with over 50 years of experience in performance and education. Educated at the Berklee College of Music and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), Anderson co-founded The Cohesion Jazz Ensemble and currently leads The Semaj A. Consort. Over his storied career, he has toured and performed alongside luminaries such as Benny Golson, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Jason Marsalis. A former faculty member at Xavier University and co-founder of the educational non-profit JazzAlive, Inc., Anderson continues to be a cornerstone of traditional mainstream jazz across the Midwest and beyond.

Billy Pierce

Internationally acclaimed saxophonist and educator Bill Pierce first rose to prominence on the global stage as the musical director for Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the early 1980s. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Pierce went on to become a fixture of the Tony Williams Quintet, the Freddie Hubbard Quintet, and the Kevin Eubanks Quartet, while building an extensive discography as a leader for labels like Sunnyside and Blue Note. Formerly the Chairman of the Woodwind Department at Berklee, Pierce's decades of global touring, festival appearances, and masterclasses have cemented his reputation as one of the preeminent saxophone voices of his generation.

Lewis Nash

Universally recognized as one of the greatest drummers in jazz history, Lewis Nash is among the most recorded musicians in the genre, appearing on more than 600 albums, including 10 Grammy winners. Since arriving in New York in 1981 to tour with vocalist Betty Carter, Nash has performed alongside jazz royalty including Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, and Ray Brown. A landmark figure in jazz education, Nash was part of the inaugural jazz faculty at The Juilliard School and serves as Professor of Practice in Jazz at Arizona State University; his hometown of Phoenix named premier venue "The Nash" in his honor.

Craig Bailey

Saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Craig Bailey is a versatile leading voice in modern jazz, renowned for his 16-year tenure with the legendary Ray Charles as well as work with big bands led by Slide Hampton and Charlie Persip. After graduating from the University of Miami and earning his master's from Queens College, Bailey emerged as a standout leader with dynamic releases such as A New Journey and Music a la Fleek. Currently serving as Associate Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the University of Cincinnati CCM, Bailey continues to tour the world internationally as a soloist, bandleader, and educator.