Joshua Smith Quartet, Set 1. For over 20 years as a professional jazz pianist and 7 full-length album appearances (3 as leader), Keigo Hirakawa has transformed himself from a student of the jazz masters to an artist with vision and unique sense of expressions. His jazz piano trio is well-known throughout the Midwest for their willingness to be musically spontaneous on stage, exploring original compositions and redefining jazz standards to make it their own.Cleveland native Joshua Smith is a saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist who has been playing for the past 25 years with a Who's Who of creative music and jazz, from Joe Lovano to Chris Jonas and Scott Amendola. Now based in San Francisco, Joshua is one of the Bay Area’s most sought-after collaborators.This August 3rd, 2024 performance features the quartet working out material in advance of Joshua and Keiho heading into the studio to record new music. Featuring Joshua Smith on Saxophone, Keigo Hirakawa on Piano, Connor Smith on Bass and Jeff Mellott on Drums, Daniel Peck is your host for the Joshua Smith Quartet…Live at the Bop Stop.

Sun Records R&B, Pt. 2: 1954-55. On Part 2 of on Sun Records' early R&B releases, Matt The Cat spotlights 1954 and '55. This was the most important year and a half in Sun's history. In July, 1954, a young former truck driver named Elvis Presley entered 706 Union Avenue in Memphis and laid down a song that would lead to the rock n' roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Sun founder, the late Sam Phillips recalls that historic recording as Matt The Cat spins classic Sun R&B from the likes of Billy "The Kid" Emerson, Little Milton, James Cotton and Roscoe Gordon. This is the thrilling conclusion to the tribute to the most important and influential label in the history of rock n' roll.