TICKETS are $10 General/$5 Student.

Our Home Grown Series presents the Shelly Cowling Quintet.

Shelly Cowling - vocals

Jeff Carnall - trumpet

Ben Davis - piano

Randy Horst - bass

Clayton Quantz - vibes & percussion

SCQ~ Shelly Cowling Quintet, was formed out of a dream & a series of serendipitous encounters that culminated in a performance for a 90th birthday celebration for Shelly’s father in-law. With decades of individual musical experience, the group blended beautifully together, which led to the decision to keep playing!  SCQ quickly gained recognition for their incandescent sound featuring soothing vocals, whimsical percussion, and rhythmic bass & horns on jazz standards & light pop tunes.

SCQ members include Shelly Cowling (vocals), Jeff Carnall (trumpet), Ben Davis (piano), Randy Horst (bass), Clayton Quantz (drums & vibraphone). SCQ’s thoughtfully crafted arrangements and professional demeanor have impressed audiences and bookers alike, leading to return engagements throughout Michiana at Ironhand Wine Bar, Merrimans’ Playhouse, Yesterday’s in Granger, The Pier & Back Porch Restaurant at the Oakwood Resort, South Bend, Mishawaka & Niles Parks Concert Series, and the Elkhart Jazz Festival.

Shelly Cowling has this way of using her voice to tell a song’s story; strong & clear yet comforting & soulful.  She embraces her vocal stylings like a joyful friend, and you can hear her smile in every note.  She takes on the classics as well as fresh finds and makes them her own.

Shelly developed a love of music & jazz from a young age, growing up in Elkhart, Indiana in a home with musical parents. Being a part of children’s choirs in church & participating in both band & choirs at Concord High School, Shelly fostered a love of studying music & joining her voice with others.   At age 14, Shelly was chosen to sing in a vocal jazz group, Jazz Abroad, that toured Europe alongside a jazz band with the highlight of singing at The Montreux Jazz Festival where Shelly was a featured soloist.  Studying voice at Indiana University, performing with The Singing Hoosiers, The Vocal Jazz Ensemble & working in summer stock productions, Shelly has worked to develop her style of singing a melody & delivering a lyric in a special way that draws in her audience.  She loves giving audiences a variety of styles in her shows. Whether it’s a jazz standard, pop ballad, soulful blues or a swingin’ up tempo jazz piece, Shelly is a delight to listen to!

Shelly & her husband, Addison, have been married for 36 years & share a love of music together. Addison enjoys playing saxophone and managing the sound/tech for SCQ. They have fun attending concerts, visiting used vinyl shops to complete their extensive collection of albums & being new grandparents!

Mr. Jeffrey Carnall was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is a graduate of Northrop High School. He received his undergraduate degree in Music Education with a Jazz Studies Minor from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. While at Ball State, he was awarded the Outstanding Freshman and Outstanding Senior Man while in the Ball State Marching Band.  Jeff was president of the Delta Lambda Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He received his master’s degree from Southern Oregon University and the American Band College in Ashland, Oregon.

Mr. Carnall is currently the Band Director at Schmucker Middle School and an Assistant Director with the Penn High School Marching Band in Mishawaka, Indiana. Jeff serves as President Elect of the Indiana Bandmasters Association. Mr. Carnall resides in Osceola, Indiana with his wife of 26 years, Dorothy, and two children Hillary (24) and Carolyn (21).

Ben Davis is a pianist, teacher, and composer currently based in Michiana. He has led his own trio, as well as Yellow Creek Jazz Project, and has performed with Truth In Jazz, Generations Trio, and the DECK Quartet. His creativity extends beyond his improvisational skills, as he has composed and arranged for a variety of groups, from jazz trio to strings to big band. He holds a degree in Jazz Studies from Ball State University, where he studied with Dr. Scott Routenberg, Mark Buselli, Freddie Mendoza, and Cassius Goens, and was the recipient of the Tom Shah Jazz Scholarship in 2022.

Bassist Randy Horst grew up in Denver, CO. Vocationally, he’s been a professor of Art and Graphic Design for over 30 years in Ohio, Montana, and most recently at Goshen College in Indiana. Avocationally, and equally creative and rewarding, he plays bass in jazz groups such as the Shelly Cowling Quintet and with the Folk and Americana band the Dawg.

Clayton Quantz is a local vibraphone and drums player who joined the Shelly Cowling Quintet when it formed. Clay graduated from Bethel College with a degree in music education and has been involved in a few local groups and music projects since. He is 29 years old, married, a new father to a beautiful baby girl as of January, and has four dogs. While he enjoys all types of music, playing the blues on vibraphone is his favorite.

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from The Esther and George Jaruga Charitable Foundation (2020-2023 seasons).

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.