Silk Jazz Festival
lineup 2026
Silk Jazz Festival
lineup 2026
Jeff Sipe Trio
Drummer Jeff Sipe was a member of Colonel Bruce Hampton's Aquarium Rescue Unit and has played with many other musicians. But probably his most visible association was the power trio with Jonas Hellborg and Shawn Lane, followed by a more recent trio with guitarist Alex Machacek. So he is clearly very comfortable in an improvising rock/jazz guitar trio.
He says of the format: "The trio format is still exciting to me," Sipe explains. "It's very transparent. There is nobody there to lean on—you have to play. You've got to be supportive and expressive at the same time. It's a challenge to play in a way that fills out the sound without grandstanding. It demands that melody, rhythm, and harmony all be active." - Mark Sullivan, AllAboutJazz
Jeff Sipe - drums
Mike Seal - guitar
Taylor Lee - bass
Cecil Alexander Trio
Cecil Alexander is a guitarist, composer, and arranger from Muskegon, Michigan. A 2016 graduate of Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in Jazz Composition, he went on to earn his M.M. in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University in 2019. His versatility and artistry have earned him top honors, including 1st place at the 2017 Wilson Center Jazz Guitar Competition and the 2018 Lee Ritenour Six String Theory Competition. In 2019, he was named a finalist in the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Guitar Competition.
Cecil has performed and recorded with esteemed artists such as Bill Charlap, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), Antonio Hart, Lee Pearson, Luis Perdomo, Nathan East, and Steve LaSpina. In addition to his work as a jazz musician, Cecil co-founded the folk-rock group Visen in 2016, which released its debut EP, Shoulder Deep, the following year.
From Fall 2021-2023 Cecil was a member of the faculty at Berklee College of Music as an Assistant Professor of Guitar. In the past, he has been a faculty member at UCLA (Global Jazz Studies) and Borough of Manhattan Community College. He is currently signed to Heartcore Records, the Berlin-based label founded by legendary guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. His debut album on the label, Introducing Cecil Alexander, was released on September 23, 2022.
Cecil Alexander - guitar
Rob Linton - bass
Danny McGonegle - drums