Protest In Jazz: A Presentation of Protest Music in Jazz with Carl Michel & Tribute

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Protest In Jazz: A Presentation of Protest Music in Jazz with Carl Michel & Tribute!

Alex Coke - Tenor Saxophone & Flutes

Matthew Chavez - Alto Saxophone

Rachel Spencer - Trumpet

Andre Hayward - Trombone

Carl Michel - Guitar & Arrangements

Carolyn Trowbridge - Vibraphone

Daniel Durham - Upright Bass

Mike Gordon - Drums

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Akina Adderley - Vocals

Zell Miller III - Poetry

With a distinctive sound and an inclination toward experimentation, Alex Coke exemplifies the traditions pioneered by fellow Texas tenors and jazz flutists, while expanding the possibilities of extended technique. Coke's extensive discography includes his own multifarious projects and as a featured soloist with The Austin Jazz Workshop, Greezy Wheels, White Denim, Maryann Price, Accra Trane Station, KlezEdge, Reeds and Deeds, and many others.

Andre Hayward is an gifted trombonist with the sound and clarity reminiscent of the late J.J. Johnson. His gospel-tinged approach is refreshing and will warm the hearts of anyone he comes in contact with. In 2003, he received first place at the International Thelonious Monk Trombone Competition. He has performed with Roy Hargrove, Betty Carter, Mingus Dynasty, Dave Holland Big Band, and The San Francisco Jazz Collective.

Guitarist/composer/arranger Carl Michel was a co-leader of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra with the innovative vocalist, Tina Marsh. He has released several projects under the Play On Records label including “Food Of Love,”” The Carl Michel Group,” “The Carl Michel Group (+),” “Music In Motian: (The Compositions Of Paul Motian)” and with the Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet on “The Emissary”, “Emergence” and “Situation.”

Carolyn Trowbridge is an Austin-based percussionist who specializes in vibraphone, marimba, steel pan, and world percussion. An active recording artist and collaborator, she performs with live DJs and the bands Star Parks, Adrian Quesada, Hard Proof, The Azmaris, Simon Says, The Baffles, KP and the Boom Boom, and The Alex Coke/Carl Michel Sextet as well as her own project, Found Memories. Carolyn is an Austin Music Award winning artist.

Matthew Chavez is a 20 year old Austin native and an up-and- coming musician in the Live Music Capital of the World. Matthew has performed in the Austin scene since 2018, winning various awards and honors. Matthew has performed with artists such as Lewis Nash, Branford Marsalis, and Melissa Aldana. Matthew is currently completing his Jazz Studies/ Performance degree at UT.

Austin-based trumpeter Rachel Spencer is known for her expressive tone, stylistic agility, and dynamic presence as both a side musician and bandleader. She has toured internationally, most recently serving as lead trumpet on the North American Broadway tour of The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy. Described as soulful and honest with a clear and expressive tone, her music takes inspiration from her musical heroes Kenny Garrett, Blue Mitchell, Roy Hargrove, and Bobby Shew. In September 2026, she released her debut album The Next Right Thing.

Native Austinite Daniel Durham has been performing professionally for 20 years now. In 2008, he left Austin to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. After years of intensive study with some of the greatest musicians alive, he returned home to pursue a career in music. Daniel has played with nearly everyone in the Austin jazz scene and many others. He currently holds down a residency at Nica Jazz Bar in downtown Austin.

Mike Gordon is an Austin-based drummer and educator whose playing blends the tradition of New York’s jazz scene with the creativity of Austin’s vibrant music community. A regular performer at the Elephant Room, Parker Jazz Club, Monk’s Jazz Club, and other venues throughout Central Texas, he performs with many of the area’s leading jazz musicians while maintaining a private teaching studio.

Akina Adderley is much more than “the little woman with the big voice.” A soul/jazz vocalist, songwriter, bandleader, and educator based in Austin, TX, Akina springs from a towering musical legacy. Her father is Nat Adderley, Jr. (jazz pianist and long-time bandleader for Luther Vandross), and her grandfather and great uncle were jazz legends Nat Adderley, Sr. and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. Akina has shared the stage with acts such as Booker T., Budos Band, Bill Frisell, and Gary Clark, Jr., and worked with artists Jackie Venson, Carrie Rodriguez, and James McMurtry. She has released several records with her various projects, and most recently, Walking Foot with alt-jazz outfit Nori. Nominated for 4 Austin Music Awards, Akina is a Sonic Guild artist, a member of the Recording Academy, and was honored by a mayoral proclamation of Akina Adderley Day in Austin.

Zell Miller III is a poet, theater artist, and creative force known for thought-provoking works that explore identity, culture, and the human experience. With a passion for storytelling and performance, Miller has made significant contributions to the local arts scene. In 2004, he was voted the best/poet writer in the Austin Chronicle. In 2017, he was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame, and in 2025 became Austin's first Poet Laureate. Miller's approach to both poetry and theater is marked by an intense focus on language, rhythm, and the connection between artist and audience. His performance style, taught to him by his mentor Laurie Carlos, is steeped in the Jazz aesthetic. He brings a raw and genuine energy to his art, drawing viewers into the intimate spaces he creates with words and movement.