The Mini Q’s have been a staple on the Philadelphia jazz scene since pianist/ keyboardist Luke Carlos O’Reilly and guitarist Ben O’Neill joined forces to create the hard-hitting organ trio in 2004.

Pulling from a wide range of influences, The Q’s meld the rich and flavorful jazz tradition of Jimmy Smith, Pat Martino and Grant Green with soul sensibilities of Jill Scott, TSOP and an ever-expanding repertoire of spirituals and hymns.  The name ‘The Mini Q’s’ was coined by Ben O’Neill, and it is in reference to an Electro-Harmonix Mini Q-Tron guitar effects pedal he uses often with the group.

For three and a half years, The Mini Q’s ran a legendary Monday night jam session that served as a gathering place and proving ground for many of the cities finest musicians.  Their debut record, ‘Monday Night Jump’ (2006) was a collection of improvisations-turned-songs from that celebrated time.  Since then, they have performed at the Kimmel Center, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, and many other large and small venues in and around the Philadelphia area.

‘The Mini Q’s Ride Again’ (2019) is the long-awaited follow up album and is in every way the product of years of maturation, musical marination and growth.  In five tracks, funky, fluid, swinging and savory, the trio covers ground as diverse as the Great American Songbook, traditional gospel, and deep, “Blue Note” style grooves.

Both Ben and Luke had recently taken a hiatus from the group to release their own projects and travel the world as sidemen with artists such as John Legend, Erykah Badu and Seal.  Now, the group is back in full throttle, and in peak form.

Sittin’ In introduces audiences to new cutting-edge artists. It defies genre, often drawing from everything from straight-ahead jazz to freestyle hip hop and all points in between. There’s an unpredictability to the night, which we enthusiastically embrace! Sometimes you’ll experience a finely tuned set and sometimes you can catch a totally improvised show by seven people who have never played together. The awesome creativity, excitement, and quality always shine through in The Kimmel Center’s informal club-like setting, featuring early warm-up sets by some of the hottest DJs around. And, it’s free!

Come see what all that Jazz is about!

On Saturday November 16th from 4pm-9pm we will host a Jazz Legends art exhibit! Featuring paintings, drawings, and collages from local artists of jazz musicians and culture ! Come find that stunning piece for your home or office space.

To give to the community, our first 1000 tickets will be free.

To give back to the arts, tickets are 1000, will be donation based

Throughout the night we will serve FREE DRINKS.

This event is family friendly! Please invite parents, co-workers, aunt’s, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Get tickets here : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-event-all-that-jazz-art-festival-tickets-71580211339

Follow us on instagram.com/phillyartcollectivegallery for updates.

Visual artists submit work here : phillyartshow.com/submit

Anyone looking to sponsor the event with event coverage, monetary support, and or refreshments email : phillyartcollective@gmail.com

Philadelphia has long been a jazz hub, with cool cats like John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Jimmy Smith, and Benny Golson calling the city home. Such figures were mainstays in the clubs and concert halls that made up an integral part of the mid-20th century urban landscape. This tour will highlight key locations and stories from Philly’s heyday as a jazz mecca in the 1950s and 1960s up until the present. We’ll begin near the site of the famed Earle Theatre at 11th and Market Streets. From there, we’ll head down South Broad Street, a major club thoroughfare. The tour will end at Broad and Fitzwater Streets. Put some pep in your step and come join the fun!

We’ll meet in the lobby of the Reading Terminal Head House (the entrance is under curved Convention Center sign on Market St. just east of 12th St.) PLEASE NOTE: Meeting place is Reading Terminal Head House, not Reading Terminal Market.

Tour leader Jack McCarthy is a longtime Philadelphia archivist and historian who specializes in Philadelphia music history. Jack has a master’s degree in music history and regularly lectures, writes, and gives walking tours on the subject. He has directed several Philadelphia music history projects, including major projects for the Philadelphia Orchestra, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and Mann Music Center, and served as consulting archivist/historian for the award-winning 2013 radio documentary Going Black: The Legacy of Philly Soul Radio. Jack writes on Philadelphia music history for the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia and the Hidden City Daily. He is currently directing a project entitled Documenting & Interpreting the Philly Jazz Legacy, funded by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Questions, concerns, conundrums? Contact Hidden City project director Pete Woodall at 267-259-7112 or pwoodall@hiddencityphila.org