TICKETS GO ON SALE AT 9 A.M. ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2025!
This is the fifth 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, fusion, etc.) of the jazz genre. Special thanks to our media sponsor — The Marketeer. This is a 21+ event.
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.
11/29/2025: Third Coast Swing
Third Coast Swing has been playing the music of the late Belgium born Romani Gypsy, Django Reinhardt & his band, The Hot Club Of Paris 1930’-1940’s. Think Louis Armstrong with a French accent. Third Coast Swing has changed it up a bit and has toured with the Detroit native Dave Bennett, violinist Grant Flick, vocalist Ella Jury Jarvis and pianist Andrew Henley. Ella and guitarist Kaedin Plummer did a deep dive on early jazz classics by Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Billy Holiday and then arranged these songs to fit Third Coast Swings eclectic style.
Third Coast Swing has performed with national touring acts such as Frank Vignola, Denis Chang, Jimmy Grant, Dave Bennett, and at many festivals, including The Midwest Gypsy Jazz Fest in Madison, Wisc. (2022 and 2023) as well as Brighton’s Smokin’ Jazz & BBQ Blues Festival in 2022.
Based on the west side of Michigan, the band performs regionally at The West MI Jazz Society, The Ludington Amphitheater, The Ludington Area Center for the Arts, Bell’s Kalamazoo, Detroit Jazz Society, Crooked Tree Art’s Center, Kerrytown Concert House, Playhouse at Whitelake Ramsdell Theater, Westshore Performing Arts and more.
The musicians for the Ciao!Jazz show include Steve Plummer, guitar; Grant Flick, violin; Ella Jury, vocals; Kaedin Plummer, guitar; and Tom Knific, upright bass.
TICKETS
6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623278723359?aff=oddtdtcreator
8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623270037379?aff=oddtdtcreator
1/24/2026: Scott Gwinnell’s Burt Bacharach Tribute
Scott Gwinnell is an award-winning pianist, composer/arranger, and educator born in Detroit and residing in the Metro-Detroit area. He currently freelances as a sideman and leads various groups; the most well-known being the 16-piece Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra. He is also an educator at various institutions.
In his career as a pianist, Gwinnell has played with many musical people of note, jazz and otherwise, including Aretha Franklin, Vanessa Williams, Sheena Easton, Roberta Flack, Joe Lovano, Steve Turre, Richie Cole, Dave Liebman, John Clayton, Karriem Riggins, and Jon Hendricks. Scott was music director for Jon for three years. He has recorded over 30 professional recordings as a sideman and has recorded four of his own, including, Cass Corridor Story (2012) and Mulgrew-ology (2019), released by Detroit Music Factory, a part of the world-famous Mack Ave. jazz label
As a BMI composer, Gwinnell has written over 400 compositions, from solo piano works to big band, to symphony orchestra to marching band. He has won awards and/or been recognized by Downbeat Magazine, IAJE, ASCAP, and the Detroit Music Awards. The DMAs have awarded Gwinnell 16 times, and he continues to compose, arrange, and freelance for clients, writing in every type and style. For his Ciao!Jazz shows, Gwinnell’s quintet will be paying tribute to the great songwriter, Burt Bacharach.
ABOUT BACHARACH
Burt Bacharach worked in the famous Brill Building, where numerous songwriters cranked out hits. He served as Marlene Dietrich’s accompanist from 1958 to 1964, traveling with her on tour. The legendary actress and performer came to adore the burgeoning songwriter. Although the two had markedly different personas, Bacharach also began to work regularly with Hal David in the early 1960s. Around this time Bacharach heard backup singer Dionne Warwick perform with the soul group the Drifters. He was impressed by her talent and Warwick was soon interpreting many of the pair’s songs.
Between 1962 and 1968, Warwick took a whopping 15 Bacharach/David songs into the Top 40. Their collaborations included “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “Reach Out for Me,” “I Say a Little Prayer” (later made famous as well by Aretha Franklin), “Message to Michael,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?,” “You’ll Never Get to Heaven,” “Walk on By,” “Trains and Boats and Planes,” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.”
Bacharach and David next branched out into film, writing the theme songs for What’s New Pussycat? (performed by Tom Jones) and Alfie (by Cilla Black and later Warwick), with both title tracks receiving Academy Award nominations. Bacharach and David received their third Oscar nod for the sultry “The Look of Love,” as sung by Dusty Springfield for the cinematic spoof Casino Royale (1967).
Then in 1968, Bacharach received a Grammy for his instrumental arrangements on Alfie. The score for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) earned Bacharach another Grammy as well as an Oscar. With David, Bacharach also won a second Oscar for the film’s easygoing theme song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” as performed by B.J. Thomas.
Helping to define what would become popularly labeled as “lite” music, Bacharach established an enduring sound known for its complex time signatures, lush textures and affable, tender charms. Melody lines seem to come alive and float in the songwriter’s world, with the flugelhorn often appearing prominently. In 1968, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass reached No. 1 on the U.S. charts with a song that arguably epitomized Bacharach’s style: “This Guy’s in Love With You.” Then in 1970, the Carpenters had a U.S. chart-topper with another trademark Bacharach/David tune, “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” the same year that the 5th Dimension reached No. 2 with the broken-heart song “One Less Bell to Answer.”
Bacharach was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. He wrote dozens upon dozens of hits that appeared in the top 40 in both the U.S. and U.K. Over time, classic Bacharach tunes (some of which wouldn’t jibe with more progressive notions around gender and romance) have been remade across a range of genres. Bacharach died at his home in Los Angeles on February 8, 2023; he was 94.
TICKETS
6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623247239189?aff=oddtdtcreator
8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623238172069?aff=oddtdtcreator
2/21/2026: The Brothers Groove
The Brothers Groove were formed in 1999 by Chris Codish, James Simonson and Michael Jay Caskey. The band released their first CD "Clamp It Down" in 2001. After Mike Caskey left the band in 2002 guitarist Erik Gustafson and drummer Todd Glass joined the group and eventually their second full length CD "So Glad You Came" was released. Drummer Skeeto Valdez joined the band in 2003.
Chris Codish is one of the most sought-after musicians working in Metro Detroit today, playing piano, organ, keyboards, and synth. His exciting mix of jazz, funk, and blues, layered with his unique voice captivates any crowd. It’s his unique ability entertain his audience while maintaining his artistic point of view that sets Codish apart.
He has been playing professionally for over 30 years and honed his skills by touring internationally with some of the world’s top jazz and blues artists, including Hiram Bullock, Alexander Zonjic, Harvey Mason, Roy Ayers, The Blues Brothers, Lucky Peterson, Johnnie Bassett, Larry McCray among countless others.
The Brothers Groove has won a total of 16 Detroit Music Awards:
•Outstanding Urban/funk artist/group: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2004, 2003, 2002
•Outstanding Modern Jazz Artist/Group: 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2001
•Outstanding Live Performance: 2007
•Outstanding Jazz Recording “Clamp it Down” 2001
•2010 (not eligible) Special Honoree for winning three years in a row Outstanding Modern Jazz Artist or group
•2005 (Not eligible) Special Honoree for winning three years in a row Outstanding Urban/funk artist/group
The Detroit Free Press Top 5 Discs of Detroit 2001 included the band’s Clamp it Down, and in 2007 the trio was named the “Next local band to make it big” by Hour Detroit Magazine.
TICKETS
6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623224932469?aff=oddtdtcreator
8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623204952709?aff=oddtdtcreator
3/21/2026: The Kerrytown Stompers
Holding traditional jazz deep in their hearts, these musicians have a deep passion for the early formation of jazz in all of its aspects: culture, structure, improvisation, and virtuosity.
This is high powered Traditional New Orleans Jazz, with the best guys in the Midwest: Chris Smith, trombone; Dave Kosmyna, cornet; Chris Tabaczynsk, bass sax; Alex Belhaj, guitar; and Pete Siers, drums (and maybe washboard!).
TICKETS
6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623155996279?aff=oddtdtcreator
8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623129878159?aff=oddtdtcreator
4/25/2026: Ramona Collins
For her Ciao!Jazz shows, this fabulous singer will be backed by an all-star lineup featuring Cliff Monear, keys; Jeff Pedraz, bass; Sean Dobbins, drums; and Ingrid Racine, trumpet.
The following excerpt was written by Christy Frank for One In Six:
Ramona Collins, 76, is a powerhouse entertainer from Toledo, Ohio, known for her versatile talents as a singer, songwriter, actress, emcee, educator, and radio personality. A staple of the regional music scene for over 50 years, Ramona has captivated audiences with her sultry voice and masterful delivery of jazz, blues, Motown classics, and more. Whether performing solo or with a group, she has a knack for connecting with diverse crowds, from intimate jazz clubs to large festivals. She frequently performs at senior centers, where members end up joyfully dancing to her songs.
Born in Toledo and raised in Lansing, Michigan, Ramona grew up under the influence of her mother, the late Alice Carter, a jazz pianist and singer who fostered her daughter's musical passion. This early encouragement helped Ramona overcome her shyness and transform into the dynamic performer she is today. Her rich repertoire, coupled with her natural charisma, has made her one of the most in-demand entertainers in the region.
With performances spanning Toledo, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and beyond, Ramona remains a beloved figure in the region, celebrated not only for her incredible voice but also for her unwavering dedication to the art of entertainment. Fans and audiences alike eagerly anticipate every opportunity to experience this remarkable talent live.”
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT RAMONA
“Ramona Collins has a strong, satiny voice with a lot of blues and soul seasoning and a very hip sense of time.” - Jerome Wilson — Cadence Magazine
“Review of performance at Juneteenth Celebration, Toledo Museum of Art - 6/21/2008… Her one-hour set wasn’t the finale, but it probably should have been because what could top that voice, that sound, the imagery she concocted with a trill?” - Geneva J. Chapman, Reporter — The Sojourner's Truth
“Top talent wows crowd at Idlewild Jazz Fest IDLEWILD – The sun had just begun to set on the 2007 Idlewild Festival when headliner Ramona Collins came to the stage….Collins has a terrific voice and she demonstrated time and again why she got the nod for the closing of the one-day jazz extravaganza as she performed classics like “Watermelon Man” and “Body and Soul,” which she sang as an upbeat piece rather than a lament…” - Brett M. Fischbach, Editor — Lake County Star
“Collins knows how to belt out a tune and her effervescent personality helps make her a strong stage presence and a real treat to hear… Ramona Collins is a regional performer worthy of wider recognition”” - C. Andrew Hovan, Jazz Writer & Photographer — All About Jazz
“Damn, this swings: Ramona Collins "Live & Lovin' It." Toledo native Ramona Collins shows that the old school is the gold school. This is classic jazz: swingin', hot and cool, and foot-tappin'.. it shows Ramona Collins the entertainer as well as the song stylist, an all-around talent. She is definitely a Toledo treasure that should be cherished. Definitely get this one.” - Steven J. Athanas — Toledo City Paper
“…Her voice hit all the flavors from honey to hot sauce, her delivery was always captivating, and her rapport with the listeners was instant and continuous. She flirted, she told funny stories and jokes, she teased and flattered the musicians - in short, she was fun, funny and fantastic. . .” - Betty Forest, Widow of Trumpter Jimmy Forest
“Ramona Collins, Toledo-based vocalist, has a commanding stage presence and a soulful voice. "The penetrating appeal of Ramona's performance derives in large measure of course, from her rich, nimble and evocative voice, but there's more. Her interpretations of familiar tunes convey wisdom, humor an almost ethereal goodwill that combines to create the impression of, not just a great singer, but a remarkable person sharing music and something more.” - Fritz Beyer — WGTE 91.3, Jazz Spectrum
TICKETS
6 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1623002627549?aff=oddtdtcreator
8:30 p.m. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1622911575209?aff=oddtdtcreator
