This performance is sponsored in part by Howard Berusch, John & Pam Gibbon, and Friends Of The BOP STOP.

*All guests, staff, and performers must show proof of vaccination or produce a negative test result within 72 hours of entering to be admitted to a show. For FAQ's regarding this policy please click here.

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Howie Smith and Chip Stephens have maintained personal and musical contacts since Chip’s studies at CSU, and during the past 14 years they have played together on concerts with Jazz Sextet: the Champaign Connection. This is their second performance as a duo. Tonight, the two perform a concert in front of a live audience that will also be livestreamed.

Tickets to attend in person are $15 each. To access the stream, visit BOP STOP's Facebook page at showtime. Accessing the stream is free but donations are encouraged and appreciated. They can be made here: https://givebutter.com/HowieAndChipDuo

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Howie Smith has presented concerts and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe and Australia, and has worked with musicians, composers and ensembles as varied as Lester Bowie, Anthony Braxton, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gary Burton, John Cage, Dizzy Gillespie, Mark Dresser, Tony Oxley, Elvis Presley, Pauline Oliveros, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and the Tone Road Ramblers. His recorded performances are equally diverse and his catalogue of compositions includes works for conventional big bands and combos; for string, wind and percussion ensembles; for electronics; and for mixed media. Smith is a Professor Emeritus at Cleveland State University, where he was the coordinator of jazz studies from 1979 to 2006 and served as chair of the Art Department from 2003 to 2007. He has been associated with Yamaha as an artist/clinician since 1971.

https://www.howiesmith.com/

Jazz pianist and native Ohioan Chip Stephens has performed on numerous Grammy and Emmy Award winning recordings. Sought after for his hard-swinging, powerful and lyrical pianism, Stephens can be heard on nearly 80 records and compact discs as a sideman and band leader. He has performed on 4 continents with some of the most prestigious names in jazz and his performing credits are many and include: Eden Atwood, Michael Brecker, Jerry Brown, Kenny Burrell, John Fedchock, Maynard Ferguson, Curtis Fuller, George Garzone, Greg Gisbert, Benny Golson, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Charlie Haden, Conrad Herwig, Milt Hinton, Red Holloway, Denise Irwin, Javon Jackson, Ingrid Jensen, Randy Johnston, Steve Kirby, Bill Kirchner, Ernie Krivda, Ralph Lalama, Tony Leonardi, Joe Lovano, Charles McPherson, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Keith Oxman, Tito Puente, Nelson Rangell, Arturo Sandoval, Bobby Shew, Frank Sinatra Jr., Howie Smith, Clark Terry, Frank Tiberi, Roseanna Vitro, The Jim Widner Big Band and Glenn Wilson. He has a BM degree from the University of Akron and an MM from Cleveland State University. He is currently a full professor of Jazz Piano at the University of Illinois.