Buddy Popps - Back for his 18th consecutive year. Buddy has been called the "Funniest Musician Ever." He is a talented guitarist and singer playing easy going contemporary music, such as Jimmy Buffet and Gordon Lightfoot hits, along with his hilarious original tunes. Buddy Popps always provides an entertaining evening.

Playing at Clara's on the River: May 24, June 3, 17, 24, July 29, August 5,12,19 & 26

Edye Evans Hyde has been performing jazz, blues and pop music for over 20 years in West Michigan, Los Angeles and Asia. Edye has shared the stage with world renowned blues singer Linda Hopkins, pop singer Michael Bolton, actress Connie Stevens, the late Ray Charles and Cuban trumpet player, Arturol Sandoval. Edye has also appeared with The Grand Rapids Symphony and The West Shore Symphony performing songs from her acclaimed CD’s Girl Talk, and Lady with A Song. Edye’s stage and screen performances have included principle roles in Dream Girls, Ain’t Misbehavin, Smokey Joe’s Caf.., Little Shop of Horrors, Blues For an Alabama Sky, Nunsense, Barnum(with) Peter Scolari, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ragtime, and Fences and Baby.

Also featuring Terry Lower Pianist/Composer . Terry's web site
After studying composing/arranging and performing at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Terry returned to Michigan and has performed and/or recorded with Benny Golson, Frank Morgan, Eddie Daniels, David "Fathead" Newman, Larry Nozero, Bobby Shew, Hendrik Meurkins, Jim Snidero, Bobby Watson, Kevin Mahogany, Jennifer Holliday, The Manhattan Rhythm Kings, The Mills Brothers, The Osmonds, The Nelson Riddle and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Bloomfield Hills Symphonies to name a few.

Terry has worked for Carnival and Costa Cruise Lines and made numerous appearances at the Detroit/Montreux, Flint, Petoskey, Mackinaw Island, Lansing, and "The Michigan" jazz festivals.

Also a prolific writer, many of Terry's original compositions have been published and recorded on CD's with Larry Nozero, Rick Holland and Terry's own CD "Step By Step" (released in 2005).

In July, 2006 his sextet appeared for a return performance at The Michigan Jazz Festival (Detroit) and captivated the audience during their performance at the renowned "Detroit International Jazz Festival" in September, 2006.

Terry also toured Italy in October and November, 2006 with vocalist & Grammy Nominee Betty Joplin.
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Evan Hyde is our scholarship recipient for the past school year, and attends Western Michigan University. He is the son of vocalist Edye Evans Hyde and guitarist Mike Hyde, with whom he appeared at one of our Jazz Gumbo events last year. All of the players except the pianist are students at WMU.

Evan has been performing in the Grand Rapids area since age 14, and has since developed into one of West Michigan's top up-and-coming drummers.  He has received outstanding soloist awards from the Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University jazz festivals, and he also performed with the MSBOA All-State Jazz Band at the 2007 Detroit Jazz Festival. 

Evan was the recipient of the annual West Michigan Jazz Society student scholarship in 2007, and has been a featured performer for the society on multiple occasions. Evan currently is studying music at Western Michigan University as a jazz studies major.  He is son of local musicians, vocalist Edye Evans Hyde and jazz guitarist Michael Hyde.