A six-piece ensemble built on five decades of shared musical history.
Pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and drummer Art Lillard first performed together as students at Miami/Dade Community College in 1972. After co-leading the Psalms Quartet and Z Real Band in Boston, then continuing their work in New York, the two musicians reconnected to form this new sextet around original music, arrangements and long-earned trust.
The Lillard/Stevens ensembles performed throughout New England from 1976 to 1980. After both musicians relocated to New York in the early 1980s, they continued their musical relationship for the next decade.
Their paths later diverged into extensive individual touring and recording careers before reconnecting at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The archival releases Forgotten Wish, Original Music for Sextet and Living Green World Blues gave fresh impetus to this new group, which recorded nine original compositions and arrangements by Lillard and Stevens in 2022.
An active performer, educator and recording artist, Don Aliquo has released several recordings and appeared on many more. He has performed with Greg Osby, Pete Christlieb, Scott Robinson and Marvin Stamm, and is Director of Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. His teaching and performances have also taken him to China, Colombia and Spain.
Arranger, composer, trumpeter and educator Jamey Simmons earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the Eastman School of Music. He is Director of Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, has toured internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and has performed with artists including the Temptations, Dave Weckl, Buddy DeFranco, Lee Konitz and Vince Gill.
Rick Simerly has performed with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the bands of Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Nelson Riddle, Les Elgart, Bob Crosby, Jimmy Dorsey, Buddy Morrow and Charlie Spivak. His jazz collaborators include Billy Taylor, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Rufus Reid, Jon Faddis, Bobby Shew and Steve Wilson.
Nashville bassist Jack Aylor studied in New York with Ron Carter, Ben Wolfe, Ugonna Okegwo and James Genus. His performing credits include Delfeayo Marsalis, Chester Thompson, Rahsaan Barber, Roland Barber, Don Sickler, Dave Kikoski and Marc Devine. He is also a recent addition to the MTSU jazz faculty.
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