Set 10:30PM - Jam Session 11:30 - 1:00AM

EMMANUEL MICHAEL - Guitar
Kanoa Mendenhall - Bass

Born and raised in South Dakota as a first-generation Ugandan and Southern Sudanese, Emmanuel is a New York City based artist who believes that without self-reflection and empathy towards himself and others, the foundation of what makes a truthful artist/human would crumble.

Recent artistic endeavors have included making their two-week long debut at the legendary Village Vanguard, playing as a member of The Marcus Gilmore Sextet and recording a live album during their week long residency, as well as playing as a member of Dayna Stephens Quintet at The Village Vanguard the following week, making Emmanuel’s debut at the Village Vanguard an immensely rare circumstance. Emmanuel is also a 2024 recipient of The Jazz Gallery’s prestigious Residency Commission; awarding Emmanuel a year long residency with various performances throughout the year at the historic venue, as well as a grant to write and perform new original compositions November 1st and 2nd at the venue. Other artistic endeavors include leading The Emmanuel Michael Group to play at the Jazz Gallery featuring Harish Raghavan, being a member of the Ambrose Akinmusire Sextet (Banyan Seed) premiering newly commissioned suite written by Akinmusire at The Harlem Stage, leading The Emmanuel Michael Group to play at Duck Creek, playing as a member of the Obed Calvaire Septet for his latest album release (100 Million Gold Francs) at Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center), playing as a member of the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet playing in Warsaw, Poland, New York City, and San Diego, playing as a member of the Joel Ross and Friends at The Jazz Gallery, playing as a member of Kalia Vandeaver Quartet for the grand opening of New York’s newest club Close Up, leading their own double guitar quartet (The Emmanuel Michael Group) throughout a tour of Switzerland (Musig Im Pflegidach) performing and teaching masterclasses, playing as a member of the Aaron Parks: Archetypes Sextet at The Jazz Gallery, playing as a member of the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet for the Doris Duke Foundation, recording two albums as a member of the The Dayna Stephens Now Quartet (2024 Spring release through Cellar Live) and conducting frequent North American tours, co-leading (The Tim Watson & Emmanuel Michael Group) at Nublu featuring Kweku Sumbry and Dion Kier, recording as a special guest for Cameron Campbell’s debut album (unreleased), recording as a special guest along-side Jaleel Shaw for Shuji Watanabe’s debut album (unreleased), recording as a special guest on Henry Plotnick’s debut album (unreleased), recording an EP through Looking Glass Arts as a member of Maya Keren’s sonic-landscape Careful in the Sun and performing throughout New York City, multi-disciplinary artistic residencies with Immanuel Wilkins and Odean Pope, performing as a member of the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet at Duck Creek, recording a studio album as a member of the Kabelo Mokhatla Group (The Key To Authenticity), performing and leading masterclasses as a member of the Imani Rouselle Quartet in Switzerland (Musig Im Pflegidach), performing as a member of Veronica Leahy’s undergraduate Harvard thesis (American Tonic), playing at New York Fashion Week for Dauphinette, leading their own sextet premiering original compositions at WKCR-FM (Columbia University Radio), debuting their own group at The Jazz Gallery with Billy Drummond and Gilad Hekselman, leading their own group for a seven-week residency at Cafe Bohemia, and other frequent public performances in New York City as a leader and ensemble member at historically vital New York City venues including 55 Bar, Smalls, Nublu, Dizzy’s Coca Cola, Bar Bayeux, The Django, Ornithology, Cafe Bohemia, Sisters, Fiction, Room 623, Clement’s Place, Jamaica Center for the Arts, The Blue Note, The National Sawdust, The Jazz Gallery, Close Up and The Village Vanguard, amongst other locations.

Emmanuel was accepted into and currently attends the world-prestigious Manhattan School of Music and has been able to devote themself to learning and challenging their artistic morals by working with many other artists who also continue searching for truth and honesty. These ideals have enabled Emmanuel to work with artists such as Billy Drummond, Dayna Stephens, Aaron Parks, Ambrose Akinmusire, Harish Raghavan, Fabian Almazan, Immanuel Wilkins, Kweku Sumbry, Rashaan Carter, Craig Harris, Gilad Hekselmen, Curtis Nowosad, Domo Branch, Kanoa Mendenhall, Neta Ranaan, Milena Casado, Savannah Harris, Nick Dunston, Jayla Chee, Robert Vega, Felix Moseholm, Tim Watson, S T E P |-|, Lex Korten, Alfredo Colon, Barry Stephenson, Jon Thomas, JK Kim, Adam O’Farrill, Kalia Vandeaver, Isabel Crespo Pardo, Carmen Q Rothwell, Karl-Henrik Ousbäck, Imani Rousselle, Zoe Obadia, Cameron Campbell, Sunhyun Yoo, Jonas Esser, Noam Avnon, Ivanna Cuesta Gonzalez, Joe Giordano, Tim Angulo, Ryoma Takenaga, Gary Jones III, David Mirarchi, Maya Keren, Conner Parks, Odin Scherer, Esteban Castro, Sergio Tabanico, Solomon Gottfried, Abdias Armenteros, Eliza Salem, Miles Lennox, Anna Abondolo, Cole Palensky, Vittorio Stropoli, Jon Beshay, Judette Elliston, Luke Sellik, Rafael Enciso, Taiga Ultan, Miguel Russell, Jillian Willis, Jasper Dutz, Leo Steinriede, Jason Clotter, Geoff Galante, Adam Lamoureux, Nolan Nwachukwu, Quinton Cain, David Zheng, Nicholas Creus, Veronica Leahy, Dion Kerr, mitamu, Eden Girma, Nicola Caminiti, Jaccob Pattrone, Destiny Diggs, Strucky Yi, Christian X Mcgee, Veronica Leahy, Ian Wacksman, Devon Gates, Miranda Agnew, Keyon Harrold, Josh Green, Hamish Smith, Joey Curreri, Chaz Martineau, Julian Miltenberger, Kal Ferretti, Addie Vogt, Dan Finn, Jacob Smith, Mwanzi Harriot, John Murray, Gabe Lee, Chris Bitner, Vinton Hines, Nic Gellin, Lorenzo Wolczko, shado.atlas, Ben Solomon, Davis Whitfield, Jeremiah Edwards, Shakoor Hakeem, Summer Camargo, and world-renowned saxophone vanguard Odean Pope, amongst others artists.

This event is All Ages

Seating is first-come, first-served; the last 10 spots in the room are standing room. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. WE ARE UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SWITCHING SETS OR DAYS.

EMMANUEL MICHAEL - Kanoa Mendenhall - Set and Jam Session

EMMANUEL MICHAEL - Kanoa Mendenhall - Set and Jam Session