Show List

Caffe Vivace's Upcoming Shows

After The Break Big Band

After The Break Big Band

Wed, Sep 30

Saxophone - Alec Davis, Christian Paradiso, Andrew Brown, Kaleb Swedlund, and Phil Black

Trumpet - Thana Rangsiyawaranon, Kahle Sykora, Layden Dukes, and Gabriel Pimental

Trombone - Spencer Merk, Kosta Brunson, Ethan Dickerson, Adam Wheeler

Guitar - Tristien Krueger

Piano - Zach Karp

Bass - Mason Daugherty

Drums - Alex Merk


Inspired by Eric Lechliter’s Original Farm League Big Band, After the Break is the latest addition to

the Cincinnati area’s flourishing Big Band scene. The band was formed with the desire to give local

composers an opportunity to write while striving to revitalize an interest in large ensemble jazz with

a younger audience. Formed by recent graduates of The University of Cincinnati’s College

Conservatory of Music Alec G. Davis and Thomas Putterbaugh, the band features a range of skilled

writers and soloists from throughout the surrounding area.


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 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.

Mandy Gaines and Steve Schmidt

Mandy Gaines and Steve Schmidt

Thu, Oct 01

Mandy Gaines — vocalist

Steve Schmidt — piano


Mandy Gaines began singing at an early age in school and church. She holds a B.A. from the College of Wooster in Speech/Arts. She has continued her studies through private vocal instruction and workshops emphasizing oral interpretation, jazz improvisation, vocal technique, theatre, and broadcasting/media studies.


Pianist Steve Schmidt was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He took two years of basic piano lessons in grade school but spent more time playing baseball and basketball. An attraction to the guitar - to blues and blues-oriented rock bands - drew Steve into pursuing music. Throughout high school, he spent much of his free time playing guitar along with records and jamming with others around the city. Blues led to jazz, and he switched to piano the summer after high school to teach himself the chords and melodies of jazz.


Ticket price is $15 per person.


If the total amount of beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum, a $15 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.

Ben Levin and Candice Ivory

Ben Levin and Candice Ivory

Fri, Oct 02

Ben Levin - Piano/Vocals

Candice Ivory - Vocals


Ben Levin is a pianist, vocalist, producer, and recording artist. He has released seven albums and his latest, "Ben Levin Presents A Holiday Blues Revue" features collaborations with legendary blues artist Lil' Ed and Grammy nominated vocalist Candice Ivory. In addition to his own work, Ben is an in-demand session musician and has been featured on several prominent albums including "Bob Is Back!" by Bob Stroger. Ben maintains a busy touring schedule and has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Brazil, and Japan.


Candice Ivory is an internationally acclaimed Grammy nominated vocalist, composer, and recording artist. Candice has been featured on and produced several critically acclaimed albums across genres. A veteran in the industry, Candice has performed across the United States and Europe as well as in Brazil. In addition to her love of performance, Candice also has a passion for teaching and was a guest lecturer for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Swing U.


At this concert, the highly acclaimed duo of Candice Ivory and Ben Levin will present a program of original songs and traditional favorites.


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 show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

The Ben Levin Quartet Featuring Candice Ivory

The Ben Levin Quartet Featuring Candice Ivory

Sat, Oct 03

Ben Levin - Piano/Vocals

Candice Ivory - Vocals

Joe Polen - Tenor/Baritone Saxophone

Jim Anderson - Bass

Art Gore - Drums


Ben Levin is a pianist, vocalist, producer, and recording artist. He has released seven albums and his latest, "Ben Levin Presents A Holiday Blues Revue" features collaborations with legendary blues artist Lil' Ed and Grammy nominated vocalist Candice Ivory. In addition to his own work, Ben is an in-demand session musician and has been featured on several prominent albums including "Bob Is Back!" by Bob Stroger. Ben maintains a busy touring schedule and has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Brazil, and Japan.


Candice Ivory is an internationally acclaimed Grammy nominated vocalist, composer, and recording artist. Candice has been featured on and produced several critically acclaimed albums across genres. A veteran in the industry, Candice has performed across the United States and Europe as well as in Brazil. In addition to her love of performance, Candice also has a passion for teaching and was a guest lecturer for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Swing U.


For this special performance, Candice and Ben will present an eclectic blend of blues and jazz with an avant soul approach.


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 show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

The Love of Country Jazz Quintet presents Cowboy Bossa Nova Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Merle Haggard, & Willie Nelson meets Antonio Carlos Jobim

The Love of Country Jazz Quintet presents Cowboy Bossa Nova Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Merle Haggard, & Willie Nelson meets Antonio Carlos Jobim

Tue, Oct 06

Featuring: Matt McAlister on Drums and percussion, Aaron Jacobs on Bass, Nick Fryer on Pedal Steel Guitar, special guest Michael Mavridoglou on Trumpet and Vocals, and Brad Myers on Guitar and Vocals.

After TWO sold out performances, The Love of Country Jazz Quintet is BACK at Caffe Vivace! For this show, special guest trumpeter, vocalist, and Caffe Vivace favorite, Michael Mavridoglou will join the band to bring these tunes to life. Cincinnati Jazz Guitarist and vocalist Brad Myers aka Tex Message presents his new project, The Love of Country Jazz Quintet as an open marriage, of sorts, between Classic Country & Western Swing songwriting and Brazilian Rhythms and deep compositions of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Seen through the filter of jazz improvisers, these tunes are re-imagined in a way which proves that timeless classic songs are not beholden to the limits of genre and a good song is a good song. Period. Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and more meet Antonio Carlos Jobim in Cowboy Bossa Nova: Old Country with a New Flair.

Brad Myers, as a guitarist, he is known to be a musical shape shifter, of sorts, moving between gigs accompanying Mandy Gaines, swinging with the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, getting funky with Steve Schmidt’s Organ Trio and John Zappa’s Now Hear This, or deep musical conversations with Michael Sharfe and an array of Cincinnati’s best drummers in the Sanguinaria Trio. He also is part of Tinfoil Hat Cowboys: A Country Western Conspiracy, Aja: a Tribute to the Music of Steely Dan, Joe’s Truck Stop, The Hiders, and Ray’s Music Exchange. He also teaches at UC’s College Conservatory of Music and the CCM Prep Jazz Department.

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 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.

Blue Wisp Big Band

Blue Wisp Big Band

Wed, Oct 07

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.