Are you a musician who has performed at Smalls or Mezzrow in the past and doesn’t have an artist account then please contact us directly at musician@smallslive.com.
The SmallsLIVE Foundation for Jazz Art & Education is a not-for-profit arts organization.
Our mission is to subsidize the operation of our venues, recording projects, tours and educational initiatives.
During this Covid-19 pandemic our mission is to keep the clubs floating until business can be restored.
We will also sponsor live-streamed concerts from the club that will keep the musicians working during this period.
We will also be offering emergency aid for Jazz musicians in need due to this calamity.
Archive
The SmallsLIVE Archive is an audio/video library of all the shows at Smalls & Mezzrow.
Royalties are paid directly to the musicians by The SmallsLIVE Foundation.
Members sponsor their favorite musicians by listening to their music.
Live Stream
Smalls Jazz Club has been a pioneer in live streaming and began streaming shows live from the venue in 2007.
There is no cost to watch our live streams. During normal operating times the entire evening is streamed.
During this Covid-19 pandemic period there will be special live concerts scheduled in advance.
SmallsLIVE Catalog
The SmallsLIVE Catalog is a collection of individually produced artist projects.
SmallsLIVE Members may sponsor artists of their choice and receive their music as downloads or CDs.
Sponsorships directly support the artist.
Ben Jansson
Tenor Sax
Recently Added
07/21/2010
Smalls
The Ben Jansson Quintet
Upcoming Shows
Michigan based saxophonist Ben Jansson leads his own quartet regularly at clubs in Detroit and throughout the Midwest and Canada. Regular hometown gigs include Detroits legendary Bakers Keyboard Lounge and Cliff Bells in Detroit and Murphys Place Jazz Club in Toledo. Ben studied with Detroits legendary saxophonist George Benson (a contemporary of Tommy Flanagan and Kenny Burrell) in Detroit and with saxophonist Pat Labarbera in Toronto before going on to complete his Masters in Music at Michigan State University, studying and playing with Rodney Whitaker, Wess Anderson, Diego Rivera, Rick Roe and Randy Gillespie. Besides traveling with his own quartet, he plays often in bands led by Detroit area musicians: bassist Paul Keller, drummers Sean Dobbins and Pete Siers, trombonist Vincent Chandler, saxophonist Wess Anderson, and trumpeter Dwight Adams. Recent gigs include playing with Freddy Cole at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, backing up the legendary singer and pianist. Other singers Jansson has accompanied include Aretha Franklin and Diane Schuur. As a leader, the Ben Jansson Quintet has a strong debut recording on PKO records, which was recorded Live at the Firefly Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2006. The album is called Sweetie Pie and has several original compositions by Jansson and features several top notch Michigan musicians including; Randy Napoleon on guitar (NYC), Rick Roe on piano, Paul Keller on bass and Pete Siers, drums. The CD is available at CD Baby, www.pkorecords.com or through the artist. Other recordings include, Organic Roots with the Pete Siers Quartet 2009 (Features trumpeter Marcus Belgrave), Swinging The Praise with the Paul Keller Quartet (2008) and a nationally broadcast PBS DVD: Motor City Blues and Boogie-Woogie Festival (2006) with the Paul Keller Orchestra and featuring Red Holloway. Bens playing is straight-ahead, a mix of fiery bebop and hard driving swing. At this time, Jansson leads his NYC Quintet featuring Randy Napoleon on guitar, a longtime musical collaborator in the front line.