Show List

Caffe Vivace's Upcoming Shows

Bryan Eng Trio

Bryan Eng Trio

Sat, Jul 11

“Eng’s star wattage is undeniable” — Chicago Sun-Times Bryan Eng - piano/vocalist Stephen Parisi - bass TJ Thompson -drums Multifaceted actor and New York jazz musician Bryan Eng has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in today’s entertainment scene. His artistry has been featured on Broadway, television, film, and in premier venues across the country including the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall, Birdland Jazz Club, Drury Lane Theatre, and Ford’s Theatre. The youngest resident performer in the Carlyle Hotel’s storied history, Eng has been hailed by BroadwayWorld as “the heir apparent to evenings with Bobby Short.” In 2025, the Mabel Mercer Foundation honored him with the Julie Wilson Award, calling him “one of the freshest and most accomplished artists in contemporary performance history.” Recent highlights include headlining performances at the Met Gala Party and Tony Awards Party, opening for Chaka Khan and Sheryl Crow, and captivating audiences ranging from Martin Scorsese and Jennifer Aniston to President Joe Biden. His music has also taken him abroad, including a featured appearance on the Dave Koz Somma Cruise along the French Riviera. A $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum. Important Notices: If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resell your seats with no refund. Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.
Sophia Troyer Trio Play Monk

Sophia Troyer Trio Play Monk

Tue, Jul 14

Sophia Troyer - vocals/bass

Chris Caporale - piano

Alex Merk - drums

Join the Sophia Troyer Trio as they perform selections from Carmen McRae’s album “Carmen Sings Monk” like "Well You Needn't”, "Straight No Chaser", "Ask Me Now", and more! 

"Carmen Sings Monk" is considered the ultimate vocal tribute to one of the most influential jazz pianists and composers in jazz history. The trio collectively brings a modern, vibrant spin to Monk’s innovative compositions. 

Sophia Troyer graduated from the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is currently studying at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (CCM) in their jazz studies program with a focus on upright bass. Sophia recently won first prize in the Vocal Division of the 2023 Cincinnati Arts Association’s Overture Awards at the Aronoff Center. 

Chris Caporale is a Cincinnati-based jazz pianist and educator at Xavier University and Northern Kentucky University and is a  2022 graduate of CCM. His performance accolades include being the Yamaha prize winner and finalist in the 2022 American Jazz Pianist Competition, and a piano honorable mention at the Jazz At Lincoln Center’s 2022 Jack Rudin competition.

Alex Merk is a drummer, pianist, composer and educator who has spent his whole life in Cincinnati. He is a recent graduate of CCM and won Downbeat Magazine's Outstanding Undergraduate Composition for Small Ensemble in 2024. 

If the total amount of beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum, a $15 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set. 

Important Notices: If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resale your seats with no refund. 

Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.

Blue Wisp Big Band

Blue Wisp Big Band

Wed, Jul 15

Jeremy Long — alto saxophone Jamie Walkenhauer — alto saxophone Brent Gallaher — tenor saxophone Dan Drees — tenor saxophone Larry Dickson — baritone saxophone Jeff Owen — trombone Clarence Pawn — trombone Brian Stevens — trombone Gary Langhorst — bass trombone Jeff Folkens — trumpet Hank Mautner — trumpet John Zappa — trumpet Kim Pensyl — trumpet Steve Schmidt — piano Mike Sharfe — bass Jim Leslie — drums Cincinnati's legendary Blue Wisp Big Band celebrates its 46th year of swingin' Big Band music at Caffe Vivace. Founded in January 1980 by drummer John Von Ohlen and trumpeter Don Johnson, the Blue Wisp Big Band got its start in and its name from the late Blue Wisp Jazz Club. Von Ohlen, a native of Indianapolis, moved to the Cincinnati area after many years on the road playing with world-class jazz orchestras, most notably those of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. After hearing all of the fine musicians in the area, he felt there was a need to form a group because most of them “weren’t playing any jazz, which is the reason they started playing in the first place.” He felt the desire to start a “world-class big band and wanted to put it in a tavern, a beer joint.” Don Johnson, who had been on the Cincinnati scene for years, suggested which instrumentalists should play in the band. Von Ohlen states, “Don was the horn connection.” Pianist Steve Schmidt and bassist Michael Sharfe were already playing with Von Ohlen at the Blue Wisp in the Steve Schmidt Trio, Wednesday through Saturday nights, so the rhythm section was easily formed. Von Ohlen remembers approaching Paul and Marjean Wisby, the original owners of the Blue Wisp, with the idea, “Wednesday is a slow night. Why don’t we bring in a big band and blow the roof off the place? It worked real good.”Since its inception, the Blue Wisp Big Band has been the top jazz orchestra in Cincinnati. The hard bop-oriented big band started recording in 1981: first, an LP sponsored by the Cincinnati television station WKRC, and then four for the Mopro label, founded by Fred and Helen Morr, in the 1980s. The Mopro LPs were reissued in the mid -’90s on two CDs on the California label Sea Breeze, with one of the sets recorded in Los Angeles during a West Coast tour in 1984. Through the devoted and hard work of Helen Morr, the LPs were distributed around the country and Europe, garnering notice, good reviews, and airplay around the world. Among the group’s more notable members were trumpeter Tim Hagans and bassist Lynn Seaton. The band continued to perform at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club in Cincinnati on Wednesday nights until its closure in the summer of 2014. After a six-month tenure at Japp’s Annex in downtown Cincinnati, a short stint at Pirate’s Den in Westwood, and three years at the Urban Artifact in Northside, the band has a new home at Caffè Vivace in Walnut Hills. A $15 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum. Important Notices: If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resell your seats with no refund. Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future Blue Wisp Big Band show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.
Phil DeGreg Trio Play Jobim

Phil DeGreg Trio Play Jobim

Thu, Jul 16

Phil DeGreg - piano Aaron Jacobs - bass John Taylor - drums Celebrate the timeless music of Antonio Carlos Jobim with the Phil DeGreg Trio in an evening devoted to the elegance and subtle swing of Brazilian jazz. Jobim’s melodies—lyrical, intimate, and instantly recognizable—helped define the sound of bossa nova and continue to resonate with audiences around the world. Pianist Phil DeGreg is joined by Aaron Jacobs on bass and John Taylor on drums, forming a trio that brings both sensitivity and quiet authority to this repertoire. Together, they explore classics like The Girl from Ipanema, Corcovado, and Wave, along with lesser-known gems, all delivered with a refined touch that suits the room at Caffè Vivace. This is music that invites you to lean in and listen—subtle, sophisticated, and quietly captivating. An ideal night for those who appreciate melody, nuance, and the enduring beauty of Jobim’s songbook. Phil DeGreg is a Cincinnati-based pianist who has made his mark in jazz over the past four decades as a recording artist, composer, and pedagogue. He has toured with The Woody Herman Orchestra and performed with Randy Brecker, Ira Sullivan, Claudio Roditi, J.J. Johnson, Harry Allen, Conrad Herwig, and many others. He has released 12 albums as a leader. As an educator, Phil retired after 27 years as a Professor of Jazz Studies at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He continues to teach private students and master classes locally and worldwide and has taught with Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops for 36 years. A $15 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum. Important Notices: If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resell your seats with no refund. Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.
Virginia MacDonald Quartet

Virginia MacDonald Quartet

Fri, Jul 17

Virginia MacDonald - clarinet

Alex Goodman - guitar

Mark Lewandowski - bass

Maria Marmarou - drums


“[Virginia’s] playing is exemplary, with technical infallibility, a full focused sound, and dexterity reminiscent of Eddie Daniels. Her improvised lines are equally engaging, putting one in mind of what a young Branford Marsalis was pushing in the ’80s. It is refreshing to hear the clarinet making its mark so effectively in a contemporary jazz setting.” – Charles Rees, London Jazz News


Juno Award-winning clarinetist Virginia MacDonald is a leading voice of her generation, known for her lyrical, soulful approach. Based in New York and originally from Toronto, she performs widely across North America and Europe, appearing at venues such as Birdland, Smalls, Ronnie Scott’s, and Dizzy’s, as well as major international jazz festivals.


An in-demand bandleader, sidewoman, and composer, MacDonald has worked with artists including Michael Dease, Dick Oatts, Kirk Lightsey, Eddie Henderson, and Jerry Bergonzi. She is a frequent collaborator with Michael Dease and co-leads projects with trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and bass clarinetist Todd Marcus.


Her debut album In Search Of… (Cellar Music, 2026) features Geoffrey Keezer, Ira Coleman, Curtis Nowosad, and Laura Anglade. She is also a member of the Canadian Jazz Collective, whose album Septology earned a 2024 Juno nomination.


MacDonald has received numerous honors, including first prize at the 2020 International Clarinetist Corona Competition, and has appeared as a featured soloist with the Orchestre National de Jazz de Montréal.


In addition to performing on over twenty recordings, she is an active educator, with guest residencies at institutions including Princeton University, McGill University, and the San Francisco Conservatory, and serves on faculty at the Brevard Music Center.


A $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum.


Important Notices:


If you do not check in by 15 minutes into the start of the set, we reserve the right to resell your seats with no refund.


Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value will be accepted. The transfer must be requested 24 hours before the start of the performance.