Music - Jazz in March Series
Enjoy the Drawing Room Chamber Series, Jazz in March, Lucky Lemonade courtyard concerts, Fridays on Prouty summer series, Troy, Ohio PorchFest and a rich variety of in-house and community offerings throughout the year.
2025 Jazz in March
with host Keigo Hirakawa
Stacy Dillard, saxophone; Keigo Hirakawa, piano; George Delancey, upright bass; Cedric Easton, drums
Special thanks to photographer Dan Drodge
Special thanks to photographer Dan Drodge
Jazz in March Concert with Stacy Dillard, saxophone
Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 7:oo pm
Stacy Dillard - was raised in Muskegon Heights, Michigan and studied saxophone at Central State University. He studied with Dr. William Denza, Jim Smith, Chris Berg and Lenard Moses. His first recording was in Cincinnati with trumpeter, Mike Wade. It was a fortunate encounter with Wynton Marsalis over two decades ago in Dayton, Ohio that directed his career to New York. Dillard says that Wynton looked him in the eye and said, “Hey man, this (guy) can play. This MF can PLAY!" They had a long conversation in which Wynton inspired him to leave for New York where he has had the opportunity to play with with Winard Harper, Cindy Blackmon, Lenny White, Norman Simmons, Frank Lacy, Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Reed, Roy Hargrove, Stephon Harris, Ernestine Anderson, Terrell Stafford, Herlin Riley, John Hicks, Frank Wess, Mulgrew Miller, Clark Terry, Victor Lewis, Steve Wilson, Johnny O'Neal, Antonio Hart, Russell Malone, Lewis Nash, Mark Whitfield, the Mingus Big Band, and a host of others in different genres of music, including Shirley Caesar, Alex Bugnon, Stephanie Mills, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, and more.
He currently leads three bands of his own. cPhyve and cPhour are jazz based bands. His band called The Other Side is R&B/funk/hip-hop oriented. Stacy is known for large, rich tone and his gutsy approach to the tenor and soprano saxophone. He plays without cliché and is known for his well-developed ideas and technique. He has become an important part of the New York jazz scene.
He currently leads three bands of his own. cPhyve and cPhour are jazz based bands. His band called The Other Side is R&B/funk/hip-hop oriented. Stacy is known for large, rich tone and his gutsy approach to the tenor and soprano saxophone. He plays without cliché and is known for his well-developed ideas and technique. He has become an important part of the New York jazz scene.
George Delancey - A native of Cambridge, OH, and a student of such prestigious programs as the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Michigan State University Jazz Studies Program, where he studied under Rodney Whitaker. He toured nationally and internationally with the Larry Fuller Trio from 2017 to 2019, and has performed as a sideman with bandleaders including Wessell Anderson, Peter Bernstein, Bobby Broom, Tia Fuller, Philip and Winard Harper, Christian Howes, Willie Jones III, Wynton Marsalis, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Tomoko Omura, Johnny O'Neal, Houston Person, Ben Paterson, Jeremy Pelt, Bria Skonberg, as well as many others in New York and throughout the United States. He is active nationally as a bandleader and educator, and has worked with programs including Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People, Christian Howes’ Creative Strings Workshop, and Keith Hall's Summer Drum Intensive. He is also the director of the Midwestern arts initiative Appalachian Muse. He is the owner of the Sunrise Music Center in Zanesville, Ohio.
Cedric Easton - Expression through music was ingrained in Cedric Easton’s culture early on. His mother played the organ and his father was the pastor of their local Pentecostal church. During his formative years, his love for music thrived. Around age 15, Cedric purchased a recording of Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. This was a pivotal moment that altered the focus of his musical interests. His curiosity for authenticity and depth, via musical expression, began to emerge. Over the next decade, he explored, studied and participated in gospel, jazz and west African musical traditions. Over the course of Cedric’s journey, he has had the opportunity to perform alongside the likes of: Hannibal Lokumbe, Thiossane West African Dance Co., Dorinda Clark-Cole, Marvin Sapp, Pharez Whitted, Wes Anderson, Aaron Diehl, Christian Howes and more. “Overall my intention is to communicate effectively,” he says of his philosophy as a drummer. “In the moment, it is my sincere hope to feel and be felt”.
Keigo Hirakawa is the host of Hayner's Jazz in March concert series - Hirakawa is a complex and diverse talent in his own right. When he came to America from Tokyo at age 11, he was studying classical piano with dreams of becoming an orchestra conductor. Although he began his collage studies majoring in engineering, he discovered jazz and found ways to study under Anthony Branker, Michael Cochrane, Stephen Scott and Walt Weiskopf. Hirakawa would eventually earn a masters and Ph.D. in engineering as well as a master's degree in music in jazz piano performance from the New England Conservatory where he studied with Cecil McBee, Bob Moses, Jerry Bergonzi and Danilo Perez, George Garzone and John McNeil. Today, Hirakawa splits his time as an in-demand jazz pianist as well as an engineering professor at the University of Dayton and has done some groundbreaking research in computational imaging. His pursuit of a dual career is a complicated dichotomy between the study of science and the study of music. Its expression is a brilliant creative improvisation.
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Recorded Concerts:
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Online March 13, 2021
Jazz in March Concert - Recorded Concert
with the Brandon Scott Coleman Quartet
Jazz in March Concert at Hayner with the Brandon Scott Coleman Quartet
Hayner’s, “Jazz in March” concert is an annual series that celebrates Jazz. The 2021 concert will feature a group of young Cincinnati artists. The Brandon Coleman Quartet features Brandon Coleman on guitar, Ben Tweedt on piano, Jeff Mellott, percussion and Matt Wiles on bass. These young men have an impressive influence in our area. They are active performers, composers and educators.
Brandon Scott Coleman’s unique guitar voice may have grown from the study of his three biggest influences, Jimi Hendrix, Chet Adkins and Frank Zappa. Though they represent a wide variety of styles the three intersect in terms of creativity and initiative. Coleman studied music at Morehead State University and received his master’s degree from the University of Louisville. He is a composer and an arranger, and has performed across the country with his groups, Fourth Kind, Spherical Agenda and the Brandon Scott Coleman Quartet.
Ben Tweedt is a pianist, composer, arranger and educator who began his training at a young age. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at the University of Nebraska-Omaha at 17. He completed his master’s degree here in Ohio at the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching music, he also performs with Spherical Agenda, and The Original Farm League Big Band, the Blue Wisp Big Band, the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, and the New Studio Big Band. In 2014 Ben was the winner of the Nebraska Young Jazz Artist competition and in 2019 the American Jazz Pianist Competition.
Jeff Mellott is a fixture of the Cincinnati music scene and incidentally, had performed at the Hayner in 2019 with the Keigo Hirakawa Trio. He is a wildly creative composer who has received national attention through National Public Radio. Jeff completed his undergrad work at The Ohio State University and received his master’s degree in in Jazz Studies from the University of Cincinnati, The College Conservatory of Music.
Matt Wiles received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Kentucky University and is a bass instructor at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center in Wyoming, Ohio. He performs with Spherical Agenda, the Brandon Colman Quartet and has performed with many jazz greats such as Snarky Horns, Gary Versace, Colin Stranahan, Noah Preminger, Fareed Haque, Peter Mazza, Glenn Zaleski, Victor Provost, Bobby Selvaggio and Sam Blakeslee.
The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is proudly supported by the citizens of the Troy City School District through a local tax levy and generous gifts to the Friends of Hayner. Please consider lending your support in favor of the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center renewal levy on May 4, 2021.
Hayner’s, “Jazz in March” concert is an annual series that celebrates Jazz. The 2021 concert will feature a group of young Cincinnati artists. The Brandon Coleman Quartet features Brandon Coleman on guitar, Ben Tweedt on piano, Jeff Mellott, percussion and Matt Wiles on bass. These young men have an impressive influence in our area. They are active performers, composers and educators.
Brandon Scott Coleman’s unique guitar voice may have grown from the study of his three biggest influences, Jimi Hendrix, Chet Adkins and Frank Zappa. Though they represent a wide variety of styles the three intersect in terms of creativity and initiative. Coleman studied music at Morehead State University and received his master’s degree from the University of Louisville. He is a composer and an arranger, and has performed across the country with his groups, Fourth Kind, Spherical Agenda and the Brandon Scott Coleman Quartet.
Ben Tweedt is a pianist, composer, arranger and educator who began his training at a young age. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at the University of Nebraska-Omaha at 17. He completed his master’s degree here in Ohio at the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching music, he also performs with Spherical Agenda, and The Original Farm League Big Band, the Blue Wisp Big Band, the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, and the New Studio Big Band. In 2014 Ben was the winner of the Nebraska Young Jazz Artist competition and in 2019 the American Jazz Pianist Competition.
Jeff Mellott is a fixture of the Cincinnati music scene and incidentally, had performed at the Hayner in 2019 with the Keigo Hirakawa Trio. He is a wildly creative composer who has received national attention through National Public Radio. Jeff completed his undergrad work at The Ohio State University and received his master’s degree in in Jazz Studies from the University of Cincinnati, The College Conservatory of Music.
Matt Wiles received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Kentucky University and is a bass instructor at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center in Wyoming, Ohio. He performs with Spherical Agenda, the Brandon Colman Quartet and has performed with many jazz greats such as Snarky Horns, Gary Versace, Colin Stranahan, Noah Preminger, Fareed Haque, Peter Mazza, Glenn Zaleski, Victor Provost, Bobby Selvaggio and Sam Blakeslee.
The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is proudly supported by the citizens of the Troy City School District through a local tax levy and generous gifts to the Friends of Hayner. Please consider lending your support in favor of the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center renewal levy on May 4, 2021.
March 21, 2020
Jazz in March Concert - Recorded Concert
with the Keigo Hirakawa Trio
The March 21, 2020 concert featured the Keigo Hirakawa Trio.
Keigo is the host of our series and an improvisational pianist in his own right.
In this trio is Keigo Hirakawa on piano, Eddie Brookshire on stand-up bass and Reggie Jackson on drums.
Keigo is the host of our series and an improvisational pianist in his own right.
In this trio is Keigo Hirakawa on piano, Eddie Brookshire on stand-up bass and Reggie Jackson on drums.
Thanks to the support of the local tax levy, these events are presented free and open to the public.
