Show List

Caffe Vivace's Upcoming Shows

Dan Dorff Jr.’s Spare Parts Trio w/ Special Guests

Dan Dorff Jr.’s Spare Parts Trio w/ Special Guests

Tue, Aug 04

Dan Dorff Jr. – drums

Alexis Marsh — guitar

Justin Dawson — bass


Drummer and soundsmith Dan Dorff Jr. is known in Cincinnati as a working drummer and keyboardist. He has also spent the last two decades collaborating with artists such as Ben Sollee, Ray Lamontagne, Jim James, Blessid Union of Souls, and DYAN in the studio and on the road. Trained in classical and jazz styles, Dan brings a utilitarian sense of playfulness and curiosity to his composition and improvisation. Dan will be joined by his frequent collaborators, guitarist Brandon Coleman and bassist Justin Dawson, for an unforgettable evening of music.


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 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, Aug 05

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.
The Slideshow

The Slideshow

Thu, Aug 06

Spencer Merk - trombone

Kosta Brunson - trombone

Phil DeGreg - piano

Teddy Mechly - bass

Alex Merk - drums


No valves. No keys. No prisoners. Bear witness to a celebration of music written by trombone players, for trombone players.



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.



Brandon Meeks Trio: Unsung Giants

Brandon Meeks Trio: Unsung Giants

Fri, Aug 07

Brandon Meeks – bass

William Menefield – piano

Cassius Goens – drums


Bassist and composer Brandon Meeks brings his trio to Caffè Vivace for an evening of original music from Unsung Giants and his album On the Shoulders of Giants. Featuring William Menefield on piano and Cassius Goens on drums, the performance honors the overlooked voices, histories, and creative legacies that continue to shape jazz and Black American music. Rooted in ancestral memory, storytelling, and collective improvisation, the trio offers a powerful musical reflection on inheritance, legacy, and artistic lineage.


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.


Michael Wade Sextet: Miles 100

Michael Wade Sextet: Miles 100

Sat, Aug 08

Michael Wade - trumpet

Marc Fields - trombone

Dan Drees - tenor saxophone

Ben Tweedt - piano

Peter Gemus - bass

Ethan Kimberley - drums


Trumpeter Michael Wade pays tribute to the music and legacy of Miles Davis in celebration of the jazz icon’s centennial year. Few artists shaped the direction of modern music more profoundly than Miles, whose sound evolved constantly—from cool jazz and hard bop to modal exploration and electric fusion. Wade and his group will revisit music from several eras of Davis’ remarkable career, honoring the spirit of invention, lyricism, and swing that defined his work.


A longtime fixture of the Cincinnati jazz scene, Michael Wade brings both fire and subtlety to the music, capturing the emotional depth and rhythmic edge that made Miles Davis one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Expect an evening of classic repertoire, inspired improvisation, and timeless jazz performed in the intimate listening room of Caffè Vivace on Saturday, August 8, 2026.


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.