Olivia Van Goor is a Detroit-based jazz vocalist, band leader, arranger, and composer. She has built a reputation for not only being an excellent vocalist, but a creative force to be reckoned with. Her hard work has yielded two EPs, first “When the Shadows Fall” in 2021 and the second being “Don’t Be Mad At Me” in August of 2023. These recordings have taken her to tour in surrounding major cities such as Ann Arbor, Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Southbend, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. Additionally, she received nominations for Best Vocal Jazz Album of 2021 by the Detroit Music Awards, Outstanding Vocalist in 2023, and recognition by many Michigan-based publications. Beyond recording, she has produced the show “Duets” with vocalist/bassist Reuben Stump exploring the history of vocal jazz duets and some of her own arrangements as well as an “Anita O’Day Tribute” in which she pays tribute to the legendary vocalist Anita O’Day. She has worked with musicians like Detroit pianist Scott Gwinnell, 2-time JUNO award winning vocalist Caity Gyorgy, prolific Ann Arbor bassist Paul Keller, Lansing guitar great Randy Napoleon, and many others. Olivia continues to collaborate with many Michigan leaders in jazz in addition to surrounding midwest musicians to spread musical joy.
Josephine Ala is an aspiring jazz trumpet player from Windsor, Ontario. She picked up the trumpet at age ten after hearing the sounds of Chet Baker, Miles Davis and Louis Prima. Though her musical roots are as a classically trained pianist, she discovered Detroit’s jazz scene four years ago and hasn’t looked back since. She is an alumnus of the Detroit Civic Youth Ensembles, to which she accredits her greatest musical influence. She has played alongside the Civic Youth Jazz Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra where she was able to come out of her shell and discover her true passion for the trumpet. She is currently in her sophomore year at the University of Michigan where she studies jazz trumpet, and recently performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival with the University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble. Her goals for the coming year are to expand her own repertoire of music and to find more opportunities to play alongside her peers and influences in Detroit.
Joining them to round out the quartet is Peter Kopera and Samuel Chase Harris.
$10 Cover.
