This is the fourth season of 2 Stones Events’ monthly concerts in the lower level of Ciao Amici’s restaurant in downtown Brighton (217 W. Main). Previously named Kittens & Crooners, the series has expanded its focus on The Great American Songbook to now also include other styles (gypsy, Latin, New Orleans, etc.) of the jazz genre. Special thanks to our media sponsor — The Marketeer.

Showtimes: 6 and 8:30 p.m.; doors open 30 minutes prior

‘Cash-only’ (literally) bar: Please, only call the restaurant (810-227-9000) for dinner reservations upstairs before or after your show!

$27 tickets: Limited to just 100 per show. Ticket links to Eventbrite are listed below in each show’s description.

11/30/2024: Paxton/Spangler Band

Supporting Show Partner — Cooper & Binkley Jewelers

Lifelong buddy's RJ Spangler & Tbone Paxton started working together in 1980 in the popular Detroit band the Sun Messengers. They toured the East Coast, Midwest and deep south for a number of years. Back then, Tbone was awarded a Motor City Music Award for best trombonist. Since that time, he has also become quite an engaging vocalist. Spangler can be heard on more than 70 nationaly-available CDs. The two are cornerstone members of the Planet D Nonet and as such have toured 11 states, released as many CDs and garnered nine Detroit Music Awards.

Now they offer this stripped-down project – just five musicians, which has released two CDs. On any given night the Paxton/Spangler Band performs great song by Fats Waller, Hoagie Carmichael, Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Earl King, Danny Barker, Duke Ellington, The Stylistics, Roy Ayers, Leon Russell, Jimmy Cliff, Nat King Cole and, of course, Louis Jordan.

TICKETS

6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952761805207?aff=oddtdtcreator

8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952308639777?aff=oddtdtcreator

1/25/2025: Aguanko

Supporting Show Partner — Mannor Law Group

Conga player, bandleader, and composer Alberto Nacif and the superlative musicians who make up the sizzling Latin jazz septet Aguanko have a new, all original Latin jazz recording, the self-produced Unidad, their fifth release as a band. Comprised of 11 creatively fresh Cuban jazz inspired pieces, this recording features the core group of Aguanko musicians from the incredibly rich Detroit area jazz scene.

These tasteful musicians’ interpretation of original music is evocative and sensuous and true to its Cuban roots. Aguanko has received local, national, and international attention, and their live concerts have dazzled capacity crowds at the multiple venues where they have performed.

TICKETS

6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952805495887?aff=oddtdtcreator

8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952809477797?aff=oddtdtcreator

2/22/2025: The Funkalleros

Organ trios were a popular (and still are!) type of jazz ensemble for club and bar settings in the 1950s and 1960s, performing a blues-based style of jazz that incorporated elements of R&B, blues, and gospel — “soul jazz”. The format, characterized by improvised solos and an exploration of different musical moods, traditionally features organ (also handling the bass chores), drums, and guitar or sax. This quartet includes all four — and they are Detroit’s first-call musicians: Dale Grisa, organ; Jesse Kramer, drums; Brett Lucas, guitar; and Bobby Streng, saxophone. All four of these musicians have played our Kittens & Crooners serious with various headliners, and this ‘all-star’ quartet will be a rare treat for live music fans

TICKETS

6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952812567037?aff=oddtdtcreator

8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952815184867?aff=oddtdtcreator

3/22/2025: Heather Black Project

Supporting Show Partner — DA Building

The Heather Black Project is a collective of musicians who honor vintage jazz and blues and frequently incorporate modern soul and R&B grooves. The Project is led by vocalist Heather Schwartz and features a unique and rotating cast of highly-skilled artists from Southeast Michigan.

Black has a versatile performance career spanning over 20 years. She attended Interlochen Fine Arts Camp in Northern Michigan and continued her studies as a vocal performance major at the University of Michigan, School of Music. During her college years, she really started to expand outside of the classical realm and developed concepts for her own productions inspired by vintage jazz culture. She lists Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Erykah Badu as her chief influences.

Whether crooning of love, or belting the blues, Black soulfully sings, always conveying a deeper message and securing her audiences’ rapt attention. This performance will feature Michigan's Ingrid Racine, trumpet; Josef Deas, bass; Chuck Newsome, guitar; and Nick Collins, drums.

TICKETS

6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952819638187?aff=oddtdtcreator

8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952821553917?aff=oddtdtcreator

4/19/2025: Djangophonique

Djangophonique is an award-winning project that delivers the infectious joy, and expressive freedom that is at the heart of Django Reinhardt’s jazz manouche. With respect for the tradition and a fearless creativity that bends the conventions of the style, Djangophonique is keeping the Hot Club revival alive and well. The result is a sound that’s unmistakable to fans of the music and alluring to the uninitiated -- a sound that can bring the lively energy of a Parisian dance hall to the quietest listening room or captivate a buzzing festival audience with the aching nostalgia of a shimmering ballad.

Led by guitar player Andrew Brown, a true disciple of the style, the project has cultivated a community of musicians who channel the tenacious agility that the music demands. In 2022 the group released their first studio album, Introducing Djangophonique, which featured Tyler Rindo on clarinet and Jorian Olk-Szost on double bass and won Best Jazz Album, Traditions Award, as well as earning them Artist of the Year at the WYCE Jammies. In 2023 guitarist Nicholas Martin joined the ensemble on rhythm guitar and the group began a new chapter with the addition of vocalist Katie Smith, whose soulful approach channels the mystery and appeal of an unplaceable era. With a second studio album and a full concert schedule in the works for 2024, Djangophonique is poised to forge a connection with an expansive audience through the resonance of their artistry.

TICKETS

6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952822907967?aff=oddtdtcreator

8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/952824502737?aff=oddtdtcreator