His performances have spanned the Midwest and beyond, with frequent engagements around central Ohio at major live music venues, public stages, and private events, as well as international appearances in Canada and at the Jarasum International Jazz Festival in South Korea.
Lucas works regularly with many of Columbus’ best-known musicians and jazz ensembles, including Sydney McSweeney, FLIPPO, Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra, and the Duke Ellington tribute band Such Sweet Thunder, as well as pop, rock, and funk bands.
Comfortable with both contemporary and traditional music styles, Lucas’ gently swinging playing evokes and honors pianists throughout jazz history, from the joyful stride of Fats Waller to the harmonic sophistication of Herbie Hancock.
Jazz bands throughout Columbus City Schools have been working hard all year preparing repertoire for the annual Columbus City Schools JazzFest. As their families enjoy a rotation of phenomenal musicians inside the Lincoln Theatre Ballroom, each band will be upstairs in the Jazz Academy warming up and participating in educational masterclasses to hone their skills as a jazz musician. The
The Jazz Academy Jam Sessions are a community-focused, curated jam session series held the second Tuesday of each month in the Jazz Academy October 2022-May 2023. Jazz musicians of all ages and experience levels are invited to participate in the jam. Each session will have a theme with a list of tunes that will be drawn from.
We are bringing back our legendary night of jazz with guest star bassist and composer John Clayton, drummer extraordinaire Jeff Hamilton, and renowned pianist Tamir Hendelman guaranteed to knock your socks off for a second time!
We are bringing back our legendary night of jazz with guest star bassist and composer John Clayton, drummer extraordinaire Jeff Hamilton, and renowned pianist Tamir Hendelman guaranteed to knock your socks off for a second time!
Offstage is a chance to engage the outstanding guest artists you saw in the Southern Theatre in a fun, casual, and open environment. You, the audience, will be led in a captivating discussion with our guest artists about their music, inspirations, and life off the stage. Join us at the Jazz Academy or on Facebook @TheJazzAcademy. We encourage you to
We are bringing back our legendary night of jazz with guest star bassist and composer John Clayton, drummer extraordinaire Jeff Hamilton, and renowned pianist Tamir Hendelman guaranteed to knock your socks off for a second time!
Come out and see our youth jazz ensemble, the Columbus Youth Jazz Studio (CYJS), under the direction of Ryan Hamilton, open for the Columbus Jazz Orchestra on their Sunday matinee. The CYJ Studio's talented high school musicians further their experience in America's classical music through a 30-week session during the school year and have performances at Columbus City Schools
We are bringing back our legendary night of jazz with guest star bassist and composer John Clayton, drummer extraordinaire Jeff Hamilton, and renowned pianist Tamir Hendelman guaranteed to knock your socks off for a second time!
Antonio Carlos Jobim was one of Brazil’s most innovative and prolific composers, with over 400 compositions to his credit. His collaborations with Stan Getz, Frank Sinatra and others helped to facilitate his popularity in the United States. This concert will feature some of his well-known songs, in addition to a few more obscure pieces from the Jobim library. The Community Jazz concerts are
Celebrating Women’s History Month, the We Create Jazz Ensemble brings together some of Ohio's brightest female jazz musicians for a PBJ & Jazz concert you don’t want to miss! Presented in partnership with Jazz Alive. PBJ & Jazz concerts are proudly presented by Grange Insurance. These short and interactive concerts are designed to introduce jazz and American music to
Celebrating Women’s History Month, the We Create Jazz Ensemble brings together some of Ohio's brightest female jazz musicians for a PBJ & Jazz concert you don’t want to miss! Presented in partnership with Jazz Alive. PBJ & Jazz concerts are proudly presented by Grange Insurance. These short and interactive concerts are designed to introduce jazz and American music to
For eight weeks, middle and high school musicians across central Ohio have met to develop their skills as jazz singers in our Columbus Youth Jazz Vocal Lab under the direction of Rachel Azbell and Jasmine Spitzer. The Vocal Lab works to expand each students’ abilities in jazz style, improvisation and overall vocal technique through individual and group instruction with the
For eight weeks, middle and high school musicians across central Ohio have met to develop their skills as jazz musicians in our Columbus Youth Jazz Lab. Students involved in the Lab program are placed into one of our five combos and learn standard jazz repertoire, arranging, improvisation and more with our Jazz Academy teaching artists. The CYJ Lab final performance
Join the CYJ Girls Project for their final rehearsal, which will be directed by the Five Play quintet, a small group drawn from the renowned Diva Jazz Orchestra. The CYJ Girls Project returns for its third season in our Jazz Academy. This ensemble is comprised of middle & high schoolers who are female or gender expansive. This is one of
This performance will feature arrangements of Rachel Azbell's and will highlight songs made famous by some of her favorite women in jazz. In celebration of Women's History Month, a talk back will follow this performance with Rachel and Colleen, highlighting their life and careers as women in jazz and discussing Colleen's residency in Columbus as part of the inaugural Jazz
An open invitation to Ohio middle, high school and college-aged students identifying as female or gender-expansive in addition to all Ohio music educators for a day of masterclasses, clinics, fellowship and learning. Jazz Arts Group in partnership with Dr. Colleen Clark and the University of South Carolina School of Music present the inaugural JAZZ GIRLS DAY, an annual initiative that
Come celebrate our CYJ Girls Project ensembles at the Lincoln Ballroom on April 1st at 7pm! Our students have been developing their skills in jazz improvisation, ensemble techniques, and leadership. This performance will be a continuation of our community building event Jazz Girls Day.
