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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 5:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Justin Varnes - Drums and Narration
John Sandfort - Tenor Saxophone
Noel Freidline - Piano
Kevin Smith - Bass
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Rodney Shelton
LISTEN
WATCH
Music Is His Gift. Rodney “Keys” Shelton is the quiet storm in the music industry. Rodney began his career at the tender age of 13. Deriving from humble beginnings as a native of Martinsville Virginia, Rodney started his own band and while performing at schools and local clubs, he landed his first gig opening for artists “Betty Wright and King Floyd”.
While pursuing a degree at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rodney continues to develop his gift of music. Unwearingly in his work ethic, the young Rodney Shelton started touring the east coast with the show band “Time Square” and only after a few years of touring, Rodney moved into his calling as a songwriter/producer creating hundreds of songs for signed artist.
In the early 90’s after meeting with the Legendary Music promoter/manager “Howard Rosen”, that Rosen encounter lead to another encounter with the Legendary producer Stewart Levine and Jolie Jones (daughter of Quincy Jones) in king a production deal.
With the legends at work, shopping “the demo” to top record labels, the band “Curio” signed a deal with Motown records. During the recording of their album, the band unique sound, the band performed in the HIT movie “Another 48 hours” featuring Eddie Murphy, doing three songs on the movie soundtrack.
TRS
This exciting neo-soul, jazz and R&B trio was formed in the QC in 2014. Thia Reynolds, Ruby Edwards, and Sherretta Ivey are dynamic and versatile vocalists with an impressive history of performance experience. Collectively and individually they have sung with a long list of celebrity artists including Fantasia, Shania Twain, Israel Houghton, Fred Hammond, Eric Williams, and Travis Green. They are featured every year in the On Q Production of Soulful Noel.
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
NOEL FREIDLINE (Bandleader/Piano)
Pianist, vocalist, writer, arranger and educator, doesn’t come close to all things Noel Freidline! As a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of North Florida, with a BA in Music, Noel has been the bandleader of The Noel Freidline Quintet for over 26 years. He has numerous recordings to his credit, and has performed at jazz festivals from the Jacksonville Jazz Festival (FL)…to the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland)…not to mention, a 3-year stint at the world famous Bellagio in Las Vegas, as the house band, leading his NFQ, where he performed for actress Julia Robert’s surprise 35th birthday party.
Noel was named Best Jazz Musician by Charlotte Magazine in 2006 and in 2009 and was named “Best Musical Director”, by the Metrolina Theatre Association of the Carolinas. In 2011 Freidline was chosen for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Association - Center Stage Award (Charlotte, NC), in recognition of his excellence in service to the arts. And in May, 2015, Noel Freidline was inducted into the Jacksonville Jazz Hall of Fame.
MARIA HOWELL (Vocals)
For over 35 years, this petite NC native, who splits her time between both the east coast and the west coast, has developed her career as a singer, actor, and voiceover artist. Her debut acting role was the choir soloist in the Oscar Nominated film, “The Color Purple”. She has gone on to appear in hit TV shows as Lifetime’s “Army Wives”, NBC’s “Revolution”, and CBS’s “Criminal Minds”. Feature films…“The Blind Side”, “Hidden Figures”, and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”. As a song stylist, Maria has shared the musical stage with legendary artists as, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Ray Charles, Earl Klugh, brothers Ronnie and Hubert Laws, and veteran actor/singer, Keith David.
Join Noel & Maria and special guest Adrian Crutchfield as they celebrate what the world needs now: Love, Sweet Love. The best of the love songs, from classics to contemporary. 
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Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
NOEL FREIDLINE (Bandleader/Piano)
Pianist, vocalist, writer, arranger and educator, doesn’t come close to all things Noel Freidline! As a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of North Florida, with a BA in Music, Noel has been the bandleader of The Noel Freidline Quintet for over 26 years. He has numerous recordings to his credit, and has performed at jazz festivals from the Jacksonville Jazz Festival (FL)…to the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland)…not to mention, a 3-year stint at the world famous Bellagio in Las Vegas, as the house band, leading his NFQ, where he performed for actress Julia Robert’s surprise 35th birthday party.
Noel was named Best Jazz Musician by Charlotte Magazine in 2006 and in 2009 and was named “Best Musical Director”, by the Metrolina Theatre Association of the Carolinas. In 2011 Freidline was chosen for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Association - Center Stage Award (Charlotte, NC), in recognition of his excellence in service to the arts. And in May, 2015, Noel Freidline was inducted into the Jacksonville Jazz Hall of Fame.
MARIA HOWELL (Vocals)
For over 35 years, this petite NC native, who splits her time between both the east coast and the west coast, has developed her career as a singer, actor, and voiceover artist. Her debut acting role was the choir soloist in the Oscar Nominated film, “The Color Purple”. She has gone on to appear in hit TV shows as Lifetime’s “Army Wives”, NBC’s “Revolution”, and CBS’s “Criminal Minds”. Feature films…“The Blind Side”, “Hidden Figures”, and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”. As a song stylist, Maria has shared the musical stage with legendary artists as, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Ray Charles, Earl Klugh, brothers Ronnie and Hubert Laws, and veteran actor/singer, Keith David.
Join Noel & Maria and special guest Adrian Crutchfield as they celebrate what the world needs now: Love, Sweet Love. The best of the love songs, from classics to contemporary.
More Information
Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 5:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
NOEL & MARIA
WATCH
NOEL FREIDLINE (Bandleader/Piano)
Pianist, vocalist, writer, arranger and educator, doesn’t come close to all things Noel Freidline! As a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of North Florida, with a BA in Music, Noel has been the bandleader of The Noel Freidline Quintet for over 26 years. He has numerous recordings to his credit, and has performed at jazz festivals from the Jacksonville Jazz Festival (FL)…to the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland)…not to mention, a 3-year stint at the world famous Bellagio in Las Vegas, as the house band, leading his NFQ, where he performed for actress Julia Robert’s surprise 35th birthday party.
Noel was named Best Jazz Musician by Charlotte Magazine in 2006 and in 2009 and was named “Best Musical Director”, by the Metrolina Theatre Association of the Carolinas. In 2011 Freidline was chosen for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Association - Center Stage Award (Charlotte, NC), in recognition of his excellence in service to the arts. And in May, 2015, Noel Freidline was inducted into the Jacksonville Jazz Hall of Fame.
MARIA HOWELL (Vocals)
For over 35 years, this petite NC native, who splits her time between both the east coast and the west coast, has developed her career as a singer, actor, and voiceover artist. Her debut acting role was the choir soloist in the Oscar Nominated film, “The Color Purple”. She has gone on to appear in hit TV shows as Lifetime’s “Army Wives”, NBC’s “Revolution”, and CBS’s “Criminal Minds”. Feature films…“The Blind Side”, “Hidden Figures”, and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”. As a song stylist, Maria has shared the musical stage with legendary artists as, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Ray Charles, Earl Klugh, brothers Ronnie and Hubert Laws, and veteran actor/singer, Keith David.
Join Noel & Maria and special guest Adrian Crutchfield as they celebrate what the world needs now: Love, Sweet Love. The best of the love songs, from classics to contemporary.
More Information
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
NOEL FREIDLINE (Bandleader/Piano)
Pianist, vocalist, writer, arranger and educator, doesn’t come close to all things Noel Freidline! As a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of North Florida, with a BA in Music, Noel has been the bandleader of The Noel Freidline Quintet for over 26 years. He has numerous recordings to his credit, and has performed at jazz festivals from the Jacksonville Jazz Festival (FL)…to the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland)…not to mention, a 3-year stint at the world famous Bellagio in Las Vegas, as the house band, leading his NFQ, where he performed for actress Julia Robert’s surprise 35th birthday party.
Noel was named Best Jazz Musician by Charlotte Magazine in 2006 and in 2009 and was named “Best Musical Director”, by the Metrolina Theatre Association of the Carolinas. In 2011 Freidline was chosen for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Association - Center Stage Award (Charlotte, NC), in recognition of his excellence in service to the arts. And in May, 2015, Noel Freidline was inducted into the Jacksonville Jazz Hall of Fame.
MARIA HOWELL (Vocals)
For over 35 years, this petite NC native, who splits her time between both the east coast and the west coast, has developed her career as a singer, actor, and voiceover artist. Her debut acting role was the choir soloist in the Oscar Nominated film, “The Color Purple”. She has gone on to appear in hit TV shows as Lifetime’s “Army Wives”, NBC’s “Revolution”, and CBS’s “Criminal Minds”. Feature films…“The Blind Side”, “Hidden Figures”, and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”. As a song stylist, Maria has shared the musical stage with legendary artists as, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Ray Charles, Earl Klugh, brothers Ronnie and Hubert Laws, and veteran actor/singer, Keith David.
Join Noel & Maria and special guest Adrian Crutchfield as they celebrate what the world needs now: Love, Sweet Love. The best of the love songs, from classics to contemporary.
More Information
Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Benson, Herbie Hancock, and Kirk Whalem. A native of New York City, Springer has recorded on such labels as Atlantic, Transparent and Verve/ Forecast. Springer, a first-alto, boasts a versatile and sultry style known to transport audiences from church pews to Delta juke joints to downtown jazz cafes. Her latest album, The Acoustic Project, is an eclectic collaboration with guitarist and songwriter Greg Cagle.
JAY D. JONES
"Jay D. Jones is one sure act that’s hard to follow and one you definitely don’t want to miss. He is a Charlotte native and personifies the true quality of music at its finest. This modern-day “Crooner” is bellowing his way to the top in the Indie industry of music and into the hearts of his fans with his soulful sounds and distinguished gentlemanly image. His artistry is credited to inspiring artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, and his all-time favorite, The Temptations, and that’s only a few. Jay D. Jones gives honor to the Most High for his accomplishments and makes no excuses for anyone. “It is this solid foundation/rock on which I stand that has elevated me to the highest places and I’m still climbing.”
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
“A remarkable, contemporary bluesman…a powerhouse young guitarist and soulful vocalist. A major player…highly recommended” –Rolling Stone
“Rising blues star Selwyn Birchwood is the real deal. Birchwood puts his own fresh spin on the blues, taking the tradition and making it into something new.” –Guitar World
“A skilled, energetic and original artist…His songwriting is observant, clever and pointed. His voice is smooth; his singing on target. His guitar fluency generates new licks and rhythmic surprises. Expectations have been high for Mr. Birchwood—and he lives up to them.” –Wall Street Journal
Birchwood and his band have crisscrossed the U.S. and Europe repeatedly, delivering unforgettable live performances. They have appeared domestically at festivals including The Chicago Blues Festival, Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival, The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, The Tampa Bay Blues Festival, The North Atlantic Blues Festival, The King Biscuit Blues Festival as well as on The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea. Internationally, they have performed at The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, Jazz a Vienne in France, the Rawa Blues Festival in Poland, the Moulin Blues Festival in the Netherlands, the Ottawa Blues Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, as well as playing concerts in Spain, Norway, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Belgium and Mexico.
“I write and sing what I know,” says Birchwood, whose musical innovations are as expansive as his influences are deep. With Living In A Burning House, Selwyn Birchwood is looking forward to winning over thousands of new fans. “They say everything is better when it’s made with love,” says Birchwood. “That’s how we play our music and that’s how we made the new album. I want my audience to say, ‘I know exactly what that feels like,’ when a song hits them. Because that’s when it stops just being music and starts being medicine. After all, we are all stricken with the condition of being human.”
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
More Information
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
More Information
Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
More Information
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
More Information
Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Fat Tuesday: the Mardi Gras Party
Featuring Carolina’s own Soda City Brass Band
WATCH
Join us for a Mardi Gras celebration like none other with sounds from the streets of New Orleans! The Soda City Brass Band presents the best of the Dirty Dozen, Soul Rebels, Rebirth, and Preservation Hall brass bands.
The musical love child of drummer Chris Church and trumpeter extraordinaire Mark Rapp, the Soda City Brass Band was born in the dead of winter in South Carolina's capital city. SCBB brings together modern and traditional sounds found on the streets of New Orleans from Preservation Hall Jazz Band to the Youngblood Brass Band. SCBB performs traditional to contemporary New Orleans' Brass Band music.
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Ron Brendle
A freelance bassist in the Charlotte, Ron area has performed and recorded with many notable jazz artists of international stature, including John Abercrombie, Chris Potter, Clark Terry, Hank Crawford, Andrew Hill, and more.
Teddy Johnson
Originally from New York, Teddy Johnson has played drums with a Classic Funk, Fusion, and Rock feel joining notable musicians on stage such as Michael Anthony of Van Halen, Rami Jaffe of the Foo Fighters, and regionally with Game Face and Living Temptation.
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Personnel: Chris Gray - drums; Archie "Snoop" Pearson - bass; Brad Moody - keys; Zyyayre Williams - guitar; Charlie Fisher - trombone; Jorge Wesly - sax; Phillip Howe - sax/trumpet; Stephanie Massey Streater - vocals; LaVita Hill - vocals; Cara Watson - vocals; Devon Brown - vocals; Eddie Bibbs - production manager; Jason Singleton - swiss army knife
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Instagram: https://www.
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Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Instagram: https://www.
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Instagram: https://www.
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Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
Instagram: https://www.
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Craft cocktails and small plates begin at 6:00 pm.
Middle C Jazz has General Admission seating available on a first-come basis. We also offer preferred seating for our Baby Grand members.
