Shuffle

Dave Rich, a longtime Akron musician has hundreds of new songs, and he is getting some help from other big names in the music scene to play them live. Chris Butler, David Giffels and "Friday Mike" Wilkinson round out Dave Rich and His Enablers.

Alex Bevan has been writing and releasing his original folk songs for five decades. The Cleveland native joins Shuffle and Applause Performances for a special in-studio performance and interview.

Singer-songwriter Lee Miller Matsos released his debut EP, "Metamorphosis, Pt. 1," in late 2023. It is the first of three albums that chronicle the artist's growth as a musician.

A pair of debut albums from Northeast Ohio bands top the list of this year's favorites for Ideastream Public Media's music podcast Shuffle. Hosts Amanda Rabinowitz and Brittany Nader discuss their picks.

Jazz vocalist Ava Preston learned to pen lyrics and refine her vocals from mentors around Cleveland. Now, she's hitting stages around the country and performing for her music heroes.

Canton rapper Jéan P the MC released his new album Oct. 6. Jéan Pierre Johnson, the writer and emcee behind the moniker, has had a prolific career in Northeast Ohio and says he's ready to reach the next level.

Grace Sullivan found the courage to put her original music out into the world during the pandemic. As her alter ego, Wish Queen, she recorded a debut album to be released Oct. 27.

Northeast Ohio band Soleo pulls from family experiences, Iranian history and Middle Eastern musical traditions on their debut prog-rock album.

Despite years of shyness, singer-songwriter Ngina Fayola found her voice as a musician in Cleveland. She will soon find her way back to her homeland of Guyana to record her next album.

Lorain County native Ri Rosecrans is gaining momentum as a musician after participating in this summer's Artist in Residency program at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The opportunity inspired the singer-songwriter to transform her sound from country to hard rock.

Anya Van Rose is a dream-pop band from Canton that just released its debut full-length album with support from the Realgrey Records studio and local songwriting community.

Akron four-piece band Detention formed when most of its members were in elementary school. The rockers have been a staple of the PorchROKR stage and will headline the festival this year.

Kristy Kline is known for her covers of popular rock songs on the electric harp. Now, the Cleveland singer and harpist is trying her hand at her own pop songs.

Cleveland blues artist Austin Walkin' Cane recently released an acoustic, 15-song album recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Cleveland rapper Marcus Smith released his second solo album this month. Smith considered quitting music until new opportunities to collaborate with renowned hip-hop artist Asher Roth and an artist residency program at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame set him on a path to success.

Nonprofit music organization Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present and Future is working to support area artists with new opportunities and revenue streams after the pandemic.

Electronic artist Zeerak Ahmed broke barriers in her native Pakistan before moving to Cleveland. The musician's new album under the Slowspin moniker explores the immigrant experience and fuses traditional vocals with technological soundscapes.

Longtime Cleveland reggae artist Carlos Jones will perform with the P.L.U.S. Band at the Rock n Reggae Fest May 28.

Greyt Outdoor concert series films music performances in beautiful Northeast Ohio landscapes. Audiences can then watch the videos from wherever they are online.

Asia “Raven” Clark, who goes by Uniity, was named a Panza Foundation grant recipient for 2023. The avant-garde musician will tour nationally this year while working to connect with and unify the local independent scene in Cleveland.

Former basketball star Kahrin Spear is a full-time musician in Cleveland. She will release her sophomore album inspired by her grandfather's poems April 19.

Akron musician Kofi Boakye has been performing for a decade. Last year, he got his big break by appearing in a film and performing at the Apollo theater.

Cleveland jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci's jazz and storytelling performance, in collaboration with Army veteran Jaymes Poling, returns to the stage this month. The pair received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to bring the 'Modern Warrior Experience' to veterans and organizations around Ohio.

Music fans turned to streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music out of necessity during the pandemic, yet these platforms notoriously pay artists very little. Northeast Ohio musicians weigh in on earning money through industry and listener changes.

Anthony Taddeo started the group Alla Boara to bring near-extinct Italian folk songs back to life for new audiences. The project features six Northeast Ohio musicians and will release its debut album this month.

New Philadelphia singer-songwriter Megan Bouman wrote a song about nearly losing her faith, which helped her discover her true passion for music.

The band, which describes its sound as exploratory rock, talks about the pandemic, their alter-ego jazz group and the local music scene.

Grammy Award-winning rapper Kid Cudi will host a festival celebrating his hometown in The Flats called Moon Man's Landing. On this week's Shuffle, we hear from rapper Chip Tha Ripper, who has been on tour with Kid Cudi this summer and will perform at the festival.

Youngstown bassist Dante Basista has a released a prolific amount of “jazztronica” music under the Unc D moniker, and is embarking on a new genre he's calling "mumble jazz."

The popular PorchRokr festival returns to Akron's Highland Square neighborhood to celebrate a decade of art and music.

The popular PorchRokr festival returns to Akron's Highland Square neighborhood to celebrate a decade of art and music.

Music journalist Rob Harvilla revisits the songs that scored his teenage and college years in Northeast Ohio with a popular podcast called “60 Songs that Explain the ‘90s.”

The spotlight is on local clubs during Independent Venue Week, but pandemic struggles continue as venue owners look for new ways to draw in crowds and support.

The spotlight is on local clubs during Independent Venue Week, but pandemic struggles continue as venue owners look for new ways to draw in crowds and support.

Northeast Ohio journalist Eric Sandy is releasing an expanded version of an oral history he wrote in 2016 on the defunct Cleveland venue Speak In Tongues. The book will be released in July and details the significance and lasting impact of the underground club.

Tri-C JazzFest returns to Playhouse Square June 23-25. Some involved in the local scene say more can be done to unite larger events like this one with smaller venues to showcase Cleveland jazz year round.

Chanelle Kazadi is breaking barriers as a Black, gay and female rap artist in a male-dominated industry. Her latest album, "Make It Work," is climbing the charts on streaming platforms, and she's set to tour the album across the country this summer.

Spirit of the Bear formed in 2014 in the Youngstown area when its members were in high school. This past year the band signed a record deal and have begun to release new music.

The pandemic brought gig playing to a halt for many musicians, including Cleveland blues singer-songwriter Taylor Lamborn. But, that hiatus helped her find a new way to share music she mostly had kept to herself.

The pandemic brought gig playing to a halt for many musicians, including Cleveland blues singer-songwriter Taylor Lamborn. But, that hiatus helped her find a new way to share music she mostly had kept to herself.

Singer-songwriter JD Eicher released his first novel and companion album in 2022 after the pandemic halted his usually busy touring schedule.

Guitarist and composer Dan Bruce's modern jazz ensemble, :beta collective, brings improvised grooves to audiences. The group releases its new album April 29.

As Youngstown rockers The Vindys gain a regional following, they're making sure the spotlight continues to shine on their hometown's revived music scene.

Cleveland chamber ensemble Les Délices will return to in-person performance with its production of "The White Cat" this weekend.

A concert Saturday will merge tradition with technology, as the Akron Symphony Orchestra collaborates with Akron's EarthQuaker Devices to add electronic effects to musicians' acoustic instruments.

After taking a year off from in-person programming in 2021, the Brite Winter festival is returning to the West Bank of the Flats Saturday.

Brian Straw released his debut album, “Baby Stars/Dead Languages,” in January after stepping back from music while he struggled with addiction. The album was years in the making, with Straw finally completing the project during his road to recovery.