Show List

Caffe Vivace's Upcoming Shows

Blue Wisp Big Band

Blue Wisp Big Band

Wed, Sep 16

Jeremy Long — alto saxophone Jamie Walkenhauer — alto saxophone Brent Gallaher — tenor saxophone Dan Drees — tenor saxophone Larry Dickson — baritone saxophone Jeff Owen — trombone Clarence Pawn — trombone Brian Stevens — trombone Gary Langhorst — bass trombone Jeff Folkens — trumpet Hank Mautner — trumpet John Zappa — trumpet Kim Pensyl — trumpet Steve Schmidt — piano Mike Sharfe — bass Jim Leslie — drums Cincinnati's legendary Blue Wisp Big Band celebrates its 46th year of swingin' Big Band music at Caffe Vivace. Founded in January 1980 by drummer John Von Ohlen and trumpeter Don Johnson, the Blue Wisp Big Band got its start in and its name from the late Blue Wisp Jazz Club. Von Ohlen, a native of Indianapolis, moved to the Cincinnati area after many years on the road playing with world-class jazz orchestras, most notably those of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. After hearing all of the fine musicians in the area, he felt there was a need to form a group because most of them “weren’t playing any jazz, which is the reason they started playing in the first place.” He felt the desire to start a “world-class big band and wanted to put it in a tavern, a beer joint.” Don Johnson, who had been on the Cincinnati scene for years, suggested which instrumentalists should play in the band. Von Ohlen states, “Don was the horn connection.” Pianist Steve Schmidt and bassist Michael Sharfe were already playing with Von Ohlen at the Blue Wisp in the Steve Schmidt Trio, Wednesday through Saturday nights, so the rhythm section was easily formed. Von Ohlen remembers approaching Paul and Marjean Wisby, the original owners of the Blue Wisp, with the idea, “Wednesday is a slow night. Why don’t we bring in a big band and blow the roof off the place? It worked real good.”Since its inception, the Blue Wisp Big Band has been the top jazz orchestra in Cincinnati. The hard bop-oriented big band started recording in 1981: first, an LP sponsored by the Cincinnati television station WKRC, and then four for the Mopro label, founded by Fred and Helen Morr, in the 1980s. The Mopro LPs were reissued in the mid -’90s on two CDs on the California label Sea Breeze, with one of the sets recorded in Los Angeles during a West Coast tour in 1984. Through the devoted and hard work of Helen Morr, the LPs were distributed around the country and Europe, garnering notice, good reviews, and airplay around the world. Among the group’s more notable members were trumpeter Tim Hagans and bassist Lynn Seaton. The band continued to perform at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club in Cincinnati on Wednesday nights until its closure in the summer of 2014. After a six-month tenure at Japp’s Annex in downtown Cincinnati, a short stint at Pirate’s Den in Westwood, and three years at the Urban Artifact in Northside, the band has a new home at Caffè Vivace in Walnut Hills. A $15 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum. Important Notices: If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resell your seats with no refund. Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future Blue Wisp Big Band show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.
The Five Little Bears

The Five Little Bears

Thu, Sep 17

Brent Gallaher — tenor saxophone

Michael Mavridoglou — trumpet

Ben Tweedt — piano

Aaron Jacobs — bass

Josiah Wolfe — drums


You can expect to hear some classic and newer tunes, swinging and funky, by Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, and other jazz greats, as well as some original songs by some of the Bears! Please come and plan on having fun - without bearly trying! :)


A $15 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum.


Important Notices:


Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

First Annual James Clark Memorial Birthday Concert

First Annual James Clark Memorial Birthday Concert

Fri, Sep 18

Joe Alterman - piano

Aaron Jacobs - bass

Jim Leslie - drums

Join us for a special night of remembrance as we celebrate the life of one our most devoted and beloved Caffè VIvace patrons – James Clark. Mr. Clark was a fixture and a true jazz fan. We think of him every night and miss him dearly. So it’s bittersweet for us to announce the First Annual James Clark Memorial Birthday Concert. A time for us to come together and celebrate as Mr. Clark would have, with jazz music and community. 

We’re happy to invite the Joe Alterman Trio to be the first band to kick off this new tradition! Joe Alterman is a jazz pianist devoted to joy, blending swing, soul, and blues-infused warmth into a deeply personal sound. Mentored by Les McCann and Ramsey Lewis, he has released eight acclaimed albums and performed at renowned venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland, and the Blue Note. He serves as Executive Director of Neranenah and hosts The Upside of Jazz on Atlanta’s NPR affiliate, WABE 90.1.

A $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum.

Important Notices:

If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resale your seats with no refund.

Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

Ann Hampton Callaway - Here’s To Life

Ann Hampton Callaway - Here’s To Life

Sat, Sep 19

“For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times


"Just as Ella Fitzgerald was the greatest jazz singer of her era, so too is the magnificent Ann Hampton Callaway of hers." - Musical Theatre Review


Don’t miss Here’s to Life, the new, uplifting show by Tony®-nominated singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway. Callaway dazzles us with a night of gorgeous songs that celebrate life’s richness, despite our challenges and because of them. She breathes wisdom and passion into Arlen, Porter, Rodgers, and the Bergmans, as well as contemporary writers and her own originals. Come and see why Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times calls her the “…superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Streisand, Ronstadt, Shirley Horn, and Dianne Reeves…”


Ann Hampton Callaway is one of America’s most gifted artists in pop and jazz. A leading champion of the great American Songbook, she’s made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host, and producer. Voted by Broadwayworld.com as “Celebrity of the Year” and two years in a row as “Best Jazz Vocalist,” Ann is a born entertainer. She is best known for her Tony-nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical “Swing!” and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series “The Nanny.” She made her feature film debut opposite Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon in the Robert De Niro film “The Good Shepherd.” Callaway is a multi-platinum award selling songwriter whose songs are featured on seven of Barbra Streisand’s recent CD’s. She’s recorded 83 CDs as a soloist and guest, and her latest critically acclaimed CD, “Finding Beauty: Originals Volume 1,” debuted at #1 on iTunes Jazz. Ann’s honors include The Theater World Award, 17 MAC Awards, several Bistro Awards, The Mabel Mercer Award, The Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting, The Blanton Peale Award for Positive Thinking, and her induction into The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame


If the total amount of beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum, a $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set.


Important Notices:


If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resale your seats with no refund.


Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.