Thanks to a generous gift from CD Enterprises, Inc., Be Mo Jazz will present the Todd Marcus Quintet in concert with Marcus on bass clarinet, Lyle Link on saxophone, Joel Holmes on piano, Eric Kennedy on drums and Jeff Alan Reed on bass.

Based in Baltimore, bass clarinetist and composer Todd Marcus is one of the few jazz artists worldwide to focus exclusively on use of the bass clarinet as a primary soloing instrument.

Jazz Times contributing journalist David Adler writes, “Marcus…brings a saxophonic rigor to the bass clarinet while also generating enough sonic power to front a nine-piece ensemble…With his melodic imagination and technical aptitude on an unorthodox horn, Marcus has something truly new and personal to offer.”

Todd Marcus

Based in Baltimore, bass clarinetist and composer Todd Marcus is one of the few jazz artists worldwide to focus exclusively on use of the bass clarinet as a primary soloing instrument. Jazz Times contributing journalist David Adler writes, “Marcus…brings a saxophonic rigor to the bass clarinet while also generating enough sonic power to front a nine-piece ensemble…With his melodic imagination and technical aptitude on an unorthodox horn, Marcus has something truly new and personal to offer.” He actively leads both the Todd Marcus Quartet and his large ensemble, The Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra.

Self taught in jazz theory and composition, Marcus' work has been performed by jazz musicians such as Greg Osby, Gary Thomas, Michael Formanek, Howard Curtis, and Ingred Jensen. His work also includes international performances, clinics, and radio play. He was recently a featured guest at the 1st World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam, Holland where his work was recognized for both his compositions and unique solo voice.

Lyle Link - alto saxophone & flute

A native of the Washington, DC area, alto saxophonist and flutist Lyle Link has studied at the University of MD, College Park and the University of the District of Columbia. Primarily an alto saxophonist, he also performs on tenor, soprano, baritone, and clarinet. A strong soloist on all horns, he can be heard on recordings of Washington, DC pianists Allyn Johnson, Wayne Willentz, and trombonist/arranger Bobby Felder. Link has featured his original compositions and arrangements with the group while also working on a quartet CD project under his own name.

Joel Holmes - piano

Originally from Northern Virginia, Joel Holmes moved to Baltimore to attend the Baltimore School For The Arts and later Peabody Conservatory where he graduated in 2005. Holmes has studied with jazz luminaries Bobby McFerrin and Roy Hargrove and performed with artists including Gary Thomas, Ingrid Jensen, Sam Rivers, Greg Osby, and Don Braden. Holmes has also performed with R&B groups such as the Persians, The Manhattans, and the Temptations. His own band, The Joel Holmes Trio, recently released its debut CD entitled Eternal Vision.

Eric Kennedy - drums

A drummer, percussionist, vocalist, composer, and educator for more than 20 years, Eric Kennedy has performed, toured and recorded with Curtis Fuller, Richard Wyands, Gary Bartz, Yusef Salim, Charles Davis and Ronnie Mathews to name a few. Kennedy recently toured with the 25th anniversary Broadway musical revue “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and in 2004 he won second place in the Billie Holiday Annual Jazz Vocal Competition. Kennedy also recently composed solo music and worked and performed with world renowned Deaf dancer and choreographer Yola Rozynek for the Gallaudet University dance company. As an educator, Kennedy has taught all ages in the classroom, workshops, clinics and private lessons ranging from Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory of Music to the Rytmisk Konservatorium Gastar Musikhogskolan in Malmo, Sweden.

Jeff Alan Reed - bass

Following acceptance at Towson University in 1996 as a trombone major, Jeff Alan Reed began his study of jazz but soon switched to the electric bass. He later transitioned to the acoustic bass which he studied with Victor Dvoskin. Reed had already been playing professionally upon graduating from Towson in 2002 with a Bachelor of Music degree. While playing regularly with many groups in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area, Jeff has also performed with musicians Gary Thomas, John Hicks, Billy Hart, Antonio Hart, Paquito D'Rivera, Ronnie Matthews, Ron Blake, George Colligan, Mark Gross, Ethel Ennis, Tommy Williams, and Alex Norris and has studied with Eric Revis, Curtis Lundy, and Michael Formanek.

The perennial question is why does the best jazz nightclub in Baltimore call a forlorn strip mall on Loch Raven Boulevard home? The New Haven Lounge doesn't seem to care. It always wins "best jazz venue" awards, and it wins by merit, attracting national acts and keeping the best local jazz cats in business. The New Haven Lounge is the last of a dying breed: a sophisticated venue that caters to fans and musicians alike. From the outside, the New Haven Lounge looks more like a strip-mall pizza joint than Baltimore's last living example of an old-fashioned jazz club.

But to step through the doors of the small, family-owned venue run by Keith Covington and his mother and sister is to undergo a transformation.  “Visually, it's a throwback to the way that jazz bars used to be in the ‘50s and ‘60s- small, smoky, well-lit,” Covington said.

The walls are lined with murals: a scene from “Stormy Weather” featuring King Oliver's band on a street in New Orleans, where the music first took flight; posters of Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and other greats who have passed through Baltimore; memorabilia and various awards that the club has won since its debut in October 1987.

The wooden walls and high ceilings provide great acoustics to keep the musicians happy, while the audience enjoys the experience of sitting close to the band. Beckoning the listener away from the main stage is a lounge with an inviting, homey feeling, where guests can monitor the performance on closed-circuit televisions.

The decor is indicative of the Covington's goal: to preserve the tradition of jazz in Baltimore with a sophisticated, yet welcoming atmosphere.

The New Haven features live jazz every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, drawing an eclectic mix of musicians, jazz fans, and neighborhood regulars.

The New Haven Lounge is right off Loch Raven, in the Northwood Shopping Plaza next to Hechinger.