Fri, Apr 15
|Merrimans' Playhouse
Pieces
New York City jazz trio featuring Olin Clark on guitar, Louie Leager on bass, and Adam Ray on drums, committed to writing and performing original compositions that meld rock, avant-garde, and straight-ahead jazz in an exciting new take on the guitar trio sound.


Time & Location
Apr 15, 2022, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Merrimans' Playhouse, 401 E Colfax Ave, Suite 135, South Bend, IN 46617, USA
Guests
About the Event
TICKETS are $10 General/$5 Student. Concert end time is only an estimate.
https://www.piecestheband.com/gallery?pgid=krqq0hgi-88193aad-2a96-4818-b237-2875129e8847
Olin Clark, Adam Ray and Louie Leager are Pieces, a New York City jazz trio committed to writing and performing original compositions that meld rock, avant-garde, and straight-ahead jazz in an exciting new take on the guitar trio sound. Formed during COVID-19 lockdowns, Pieces began by live streaming concerts as a way to stay musically active and to process the effects of the pandemic. Throughout 2020, the band continued to grow their audience and in turn, developed a unified musical voice that is documented on their debut album, 1A. The compositions from this period are stylistically adventurous and emotionally raw, evoking the wide range of feelings brought to the surface during the early days of the pandemic. Since the release of 1A in September of 2021, Pieces has performed for sold out crowds in New York City, toured the East Coast of the US, and reached over 30,000 listeners worldwide. Pieces is also preparing for the release of all-new music with an upcoming EP.
In a sense, the band Pieces was many years in the making. Olin Clark and Louie Leager, guitarist and bassist, met 10 years ago at Michigan State University, sharing many formative experiences on and off the bandstand and developing a deep musical bond in the process. In early 2019, Olin and Louie met Adam through the New York City music scene. After playing together on and off in different settings, their musical relationship was solidified as the long-term rhythm section for vocalist Richard Cortez. This band played two weekly gigs and a regular monthly showcase, which allowed them to display their own abilities as composers and arrangers.
It is a rare circumstance in the modern New York scene for a group to be able to perform together on such a frequent basis, and this consistency allowed Olin, Louie and Adam to develop a valuable sense of trust, both musically and personally. On these gigs, they pushed each other, forged an assured supportiveness as a unit, and grew to share a strong familiarity with each other’s musical vocabulary.
Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, they came to be roommates. Able to play in their apartment, they began a livestream concert series where they premiered original compositions and new arrangements. In the grim envelope of lockdown, every one of these concerts and rehearsals provided much needed relief, joy and a sense of togetherness. In October of 2020, Pieces went into the studio and recorded nine tracks of music, documenting not just this difficult period but also the culmination of a beautiful musical relationship. The result is their debut offering, “1A.”
Louie Leager is bassist, guitarist, and composer from Portland, OR. Since moving to New York in 2017, Louie has toured worldwide, recorded on over a dozen of albums, performed with a wide variety of artists in multiple styles (Jazz, Rock, Blues, Folk, Hip-Hop, Country, Brazilian), and had taught students all along the way. Louie has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Randy Napoleon, Etienne Charles, Philip Harper, Randy Gillespie, Brian Lynch, Peter Bernstein, and played at venues such as Orchard Hall (Tokyo), Muriel Kauffman Theater (Kansas City), Smalls Jazz Club (NYC), Banyan Bowl (Miami). Louie has also performed in bands that have opened for Chance The Rapper, Vulfpeck, Slick Rick, and Big Krit.
Louie is a passionate educator with experience teaching all ages and skill levels. He excels at coaching students in improvisation, music theory, playing in a variety of styles (Jazz, Classical, Rock, Folk, and Funk to name a few), and he takes pride in helping students develop greatness in their own unique musical journey.
Adam Ray is a drummer, educator and composer living and freelancing regularly in New York. He has experience as a professional musician starting at age 16 and was fortunate to study under the mentorship of the great Quentin Baxter at College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. After graduating, Adam quickly rose as one of the most in-demand musicians in the Southeast. After performing with regional professional big bands and in small groups of many styles, as well as orchestral and musical theatre productions, he decided to move to New York to further his pursuits.
Since moving to New York, he has performed in Minton's, Jazz at Kitano, Rockwood Music Hall, Bowery Electric and many other renowned venues. He has also been fortunate to work with Dave Schnitter of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, trumpet greats Josh Evans and Warren Vache, Claire Daly, Victor Provost, Jack Wilkins, Reuben Studdard and many other known artists. Notably, he had the opportunity to perform with the great Peter Mihelich of John Hendricks's and Jimmy Cobb's groups during a month-long residency performing on Mackinac Island, MI. He is also proud to be part of the co-led trio Pieces whose debut album “1A” has been very successful. His reputation as a drummer and composer has been steadily rising on the New York scene and he looks forward to what the future holds.
Olin Clark is a Michigan native and current resident of Brooklyn, NY. As a composer and arranger, Olin's music has been performed by many ensembles around the United States and abroad. Olin has performed with Etienne Charles’ Creole Soul, Patrick Bartley’s J-MUSIC Ensemble, Peter Nelson, Marcus Elliot, Randy Napoleon, Brad Fritcher's MOODS, and MSU Jazz Orchestra I. He also leads his own group, the Olin Clark trio, that has performed at venues all around the Midwest as well as NYC, including regular gigs at Cliff Bell's in Detroit and Bar Next Door in NYC. Olin self-released his debut album 'Bright' in January 2018, as well as “Live at Bar Next Door” in May 2020. Most recently, he has been writing and performing with Pieces, a co-led jazz trio from NYC. Pieces released their debut album in September of 2021, which featured four of Olin’s compositions.
Outside of jazz, Olin has played with artists across many different genres including rock, reggae, and hip-hop. He completed a Master’s in Jazz Performance at Michigan State University in 2017, where he also earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies in 2015. Olin has studied with Randy Napoleon, Peter Bernstein, Perry Hughes, and Michael Hyde. He also has made appearances in recordings with the Olin Clark Trio, Pieces, Lee “Scratch” Perry, HUSH, Speak Easy, Cameron Blake, Jahshua Smith, and Malena quartet.
Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from the Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services Private Trusts and Foundations, through grants provided by the Stanley A. and Flora P. Clark Memorial Community Trust Foundation (2020-2021 season), the John, Anna, and Martha Jane Fields Memorial Trust Foundation (2021-2022 season), and the Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust (2021-2022 season).
Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from The Esther and George Jaruga Charitable Foundation (2020-2021 and 2021-2022 season). The Student and Home Grown Series concerts made possible, in part, with support from the ArtsEverywhere Grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, and the Arts Project Support Grant and the Arts Recovery Grant through the Indiana Arts Commission.
Tickets
General
General Advanced or Door
$10.00Student
Student Discount - College students please have ID.
$5.00
Total
$0.00