Jeff Haas and BIG FUN

Traverse City-based pianist and composer Jeff Haas has led many memorable nights of acoustic jazz in Greater Lansing over the years. This time around, he’s bringing a completely different, eclectic, electric band of musicians to UrbanBeat in Old Town.

Haas describes the band as a mélange of jazz, classical, bluegrass and experimental music, an “unlikely mashup of instruments and styles that comes out the other end sounding like it was meant to be.” The ensemble features Don Julin, a touring partner of Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Billy Strings for over two years, on the electric mandola, a darker cousin to the mandolin. Joe Wilson of Steppin’ In It will work his magic on the steel guitar. The bass will be handled by Jack Dryden, who has played with legends like Bill Frisell and Red Rodney. Dynamic drummer Randy Marsh of Organissimo will lay down the rhythms, with the incomparable Haas whipping up storms worthy of Liszt, Chopin, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and his own bad self on electric keyboard.