Jazz Sunday with JSQ! and The Sam Hirsh Trio

JSQ is an LA based group of musicians, producers, and visual artists with a unique style and approach to modern improvised music. With a wide range of influences from several different genres, JSQ's music features a blend of creative original compositions with unique covers of their favorite songs. JSQ's live performances are interactive and engaging, always leaving the audience with a strong sense of community and depth.

Pianist, composer and educator Sam Hirsh has been an active member of the Los Angeles jazz scene for a decade and is gaining recognition for his soulful, energetic sound. “Hirsh finds new poetry in the rich vocabulary of the hard bop to post-bop continuum” (Andrew Gilbert). Sam aims to carry on the tradition of this art form and simultaneously create his own voice in the music. He’s performed with various acts along the West Coast, Taiwan, Bolivia and New York City. 

He can be seen playing with the Bill Holman Big Band, Melissa Morgan, Henry Franklin, Carl Saunders, Gilbert Castellanos and Roy McCurdy, among others.

Hirsh’s debut album Quite Frankly, featuring saxophone icon Ralph Moore, New York heavyweight John Webber on bass, and Los Angeles drummer Kevin Kanner, was released on all platforms in February 2020 and made JazzWeek Radio Chart’s top 20. 

Instagram: @sam.hirsh

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sam.hirsh.71

Twitter: @s_samhirsh

Originally from Lecce, Italy, Luca Alemanno is considered by critics and musicians “among the finest young and modern jazz musicians that currently Italy has to offer”.He was awarded 1st Prize at the 2009 European Bass day. At the age of 19, he received 2 scholarships to attend Berklee School of Music (Boston).He achieved a diploma in Classical Double Bass at “T.Schipa Conservatory of Music” (Lecce) and a second one in Jazz Electric Bass at “G.Martucci Conservatory of Music” (Salerno).

In 2016 Luca won the audition at the world renewed “Thelonoius Monk Institute of Jazz Performance” class of 2018 in Los Angeles. The panel was composed of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath and Kenny Burrell among the others. Luca is the first Italian musician who achieved this goal.

Touring, recording and performing in all over the world he is currently part of several projects, including Fabrizio Bosso Quartet, Anne Ducros Quartet, Stanley Jordan Trio, Nicola Conte Jazz Combo.

A musician with diverse interests and a wide range of abilities, Luca has performed with international jazz artists such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joe Lovano, Geroge Garzone, Stanley Jordan, Kenwood Dennard, Maria Schneider, Jerry Bergonzi, Mark Giuliana, Jason Lindner, Enrico Pieranunzi and Fabrizio Bosso among the others.

Kevin Kanner, a native of Southern California, has already amassed a large number of jazz credits including recordings with Paul Anka, Bill Holman (including 2006 and 2007 Grammy® nominated recordings), Gilbert Castellanos, Melissa Morgan, Annie Sellick, Gail Wynters, The Bud Shank Big Band, Josh Nelson and Michael Buble. 

Kevin has also toured and performed with many artists and including John Pizzarelli, Maureen McGovern, The Gilbert Castellanos Quintet, The Bill Holman Band, The Gerald Clayton Trio, The Clayton Brothers, The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Lee Konitz, Bob Brookmeyer, Larry Goldings, Charles McPhearson, Benny Green and many more.

In addition to the vast amount of sideman work, Kevin has also led perhaps the most well remembered jazz jam session in recent Los Angeles history at the historic venue, the Mint. This session, called Groove Pocket, featured prominent underground hip hop DJ stars as well as a weekly band that over the course of six years consisted of, Ambrose Akinmuserie, Tim Green, Gerald Clayton, Harish Ragahavan, Joe Sanders, Larry Fuller, James Westfall, Charles Altura, Hamilton Price and Josh Nelson.