Glenn Holmes Quartet Northeast Ohio master bassist and his all-star band return to BLU for an evening of premier live jazz! Featuring Glenn Holmes, Drene Ivy, Johnny Cochran, Paul Samuels.

A native of Cleveland, bassist & bandleader, Glenn Holmes, has earned degrees in String Bass & Music Theory from Miami University (Ohio) and a Master of Music degree in Theory/Composition from Wichita State University. Glenn has performed as a guest soloist in both the classical and jazz idioms. As a former member of the Wichita State Symphony Orchestra, Glenn has served on the faculty of Wichita State University, Friends University, and is also a published composer.
 
Past performances have included associations with Ignacio Berroa, Charlie Rouse, Andy Narell, Jerry Halen, Richie Cole, Doc Cheatham, Keith Copeland, Eddie Daniels, Joe Williams, Jimmy Heath, Benny Bailey, Clark Terry, Cindy Blackman and many others. As a freelance musician, he has worked with The Eric Gould Trio, The Bill Ransom Quintet, The MKE Ensemble, and the Jazz Heritage Orchestra. Glenn is currently on the teaching staff at the Cleveland Music School Settlement.
 
Check out this exceptional bassist and his all-star band as they return to BLU for a special Friday night show – get your tickets now!
 

About Drene Ivy

Drene Ivy began playing the piano at the age of four. By the time he was eight years old he was skillfully playing classical compositions by Beethoven. He studied piano techniques, and theory at The Cleveland Music School Settlement, and studied classical music at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Drene has worked as an instructor of jazz composition, techniques, and piano theory for the Houston Board of Education as well as an instructor of Jazz History at Cleveland State University, in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
Drene appeared as guest clinician at the famed Edwin Hawkins and Walter Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar where he served as staff clinician teaching keyboard performance. As a composer Drene has written, and recorded “Lift The Savior Up”, with the Music and Arts Seminar Choir, and has also played with Grammy Award winning saxophonist, Kirk Whalum and many others.
 

About Johnny Cochran

Johnny Cochran is a saxophonist from Cleveland, Ohio. As he aimed to share his life story through music, Johnny participated in gospel music, played drums in his church, and sang in the choir as a budding talent. Attending the Cleveland School of The Arts, and Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, he studied saxophone simultaneously with the legend, Ernie Krivda, and has been mentored by of a number of Cleveland’s finest musicians.
 
Since furthering his training at the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Johnny has performed with Mojo: The Generations Big Band, The Jazz Heritage Orchestra, Ernie Krivda’s Fat Tuesday Big Band, and The Swing City Band. He has performed with world renowned artists, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath also. Under the direction of Warren, Ohio trumpeter, Sean Jones, Johnny is currently a member of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, has studied with Gary Bartz, and is a 2013 graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. In addition to playing the saxophones, Johnny is proficient on piano, drums, and various woodwind instruments.
 

About Paul Samuels

Paul Samuels grew up Cleveland Heights, Ohio. His father was a violinist with The Cleveland Orchestra, and his mother a designer, and creator of visual art. As parents they both were very supportive of Samuels’ interest in music. As a teen, Paul with his father attended many concerts featuring McCoy Tyner, Tony Williams, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan. These jazz innovators inspired the young Samuels to become a musician, drummer, and performing artists.
 
As a band leader, and recording artist Samuels’ 2006 self-propelled CD release “Speak” features longtime collaborators Greg Osby on saxophones, Dan Wall on organ, and Cleveland’s Jamey Haddad on percussion. Samuels has also recorded, performed, and or toured internationally with a long list of great musicians: Bill DeArango, James Moody, David ”Fathead” Newman, Hank Crawford, Roy Meriwhether, Lonnie Plaxico, Pat “The Kid” Martino, Jack McDuff, Larry Coryell, Houston Person, Bill Pierce, Dominick Farinacci, popular rhythm and blues recording artist, the late Gerald Levert, and many others.
 

$12