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Musician

Joe Syrian

Born:

Joe Syrian is a veteran jazz drummer, bandleader, arranger, and producer best known as the founder and leader of the Motor City Jazz Octet, a Detroit-rooted ensemble devoted to hard bop, soul-jazz, and large-ensemble jazz arranging. Drawing from both classic jazz repertoire and American popular song, Syrian has developed the Octet into a flexible “little big band” featuring musicians from Detroit, New York, and beyond.

The Motor City Jazz Octet’s recent recordings include 2024’s Secret Message and 2026’s A Blue Time. The group’s repertoire blends jazz standards with inventive treatments of material by artists including the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Leon Russell, and Fleetwood Mac. Syrian has described the band’s approach as taking familiar songs and reshaping them through a modern jazz vocabulary while preserving strong melodies and groove.

Album

A Blue Time

Label: Circle 9 Records
Released: 2026
Track listing: Jordu; Agua De Beber; Teach Me Tonight; Norwegian Wood; Black Magic Woman; Charade; Blue Bossa; Nature Boy; Sway; A Blue Time.

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Article: Radio & Podcasts

New Music From Harry Skoler, Joe Syrian, Emie R Roussel, Ava Mendoza And More

Read "New Music From Harry Skoler, Joe Syrian, Emie R Roussel, Ava Mendoza And More" reviewed by Bob Osborne


This selection offers a sophisticated journey through the contemporary jazz landscape, balancing melodic tradition with rigorous avant-garde exploration. The sequence moves seamlessly from the elegant, Goodman-inspired tones of Harry Skoler and the rhythmic drive of the Motor City Jazz Octet into the more abstract, adventurous territories of Ava Mendoza and Joel Futterman. Featuring a rich blend ...

1

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Four New Jazz Releases from John Beasley, Mike Clement, Catherine Russell and Joe Syrian

Read "Four New Jazz Releases from John Beasley, Mike Clement, Catherine Russell and Joe Syrian" reviewed by George Graham


George Graham presents four new jazz releases from John Beasley and the SWR Big Band, Guitarist Mike Clement, vocalist Catherine Russell and drummer Joe Syrian and the Motor City Octet. Playlist John Beasley and the SWR Big Band “Invisible Piano" from Invisible Piano (o-tone) 7:26 John Beasley and the SWR Big Band “Galaha" from ...

1

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Catherine Russell, Nat Reeves, Bobby Broom & John Beasley

Read "Catherine Russell, Nat Reeves, Bobby Broom & John Beasley" reviewed by Joe Dimino


We kick off Episode 957 of Neon Jazz with a true living legend--John Beasley--a masterful bridge between jazz's rich past and its ever-evolving present. Teaming up with the powerhouse SWR Big Band, he sets the tone with his stunning 2026 release Invisible Piano. From there, the journey rolls through a lineup of modern greats and enduring ...

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Article: Radio & Podcasts

Blue Moods, Bobby Broom, Billy Childs, Catherine Russell and more

Read "Blue Moods, Bobby Broom, Billy Childs, Catherine Russell and more" reviewed by Benjamin Boddie


Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Blue Moods, Bobby Broom, Billy Childs, Catherine Russell, Erica Von Kleist, Mike Clement, Nat Reeves, Judith Owens, Taylor Roberts, Bobby Matos Heritage Ensemble, Bobby Sanabria Big Band, Joe Syrian Motor City Jazz Octet, Juan Carlos Quintero, Rebecca Rafla, Joe Gransden, Chick Corea, Audrey Ochoa, Andrea Miller, Steve Wilson, Ben Markley ...

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Article: Album Review

Joe Syrian: Secret Message

Read "Secret Message" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


A title like Secret Message does make a listener wonder what it might be. Is it deeply subversive, like the Zimmerman Telegram, or apocalyptic, like Fatima? Of course, as someone is reputed to have said, 'Sometimes, a cigar is just a smoke.' So it is possible to over-interpret a title, which may, in the final analysis, ...

1

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Jonah David, Leon Anderson, Russ Spiegel, Shuffle Demons and more

Read "Jonah David, Leon Anderson, Russ Spiegel, Shuffle Demons and more" reviewed by Benjamin Boddie


Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Jonah David, Leon Anderson, Russ Spiegel, Nnenna Freelon, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Shuffle Demons, Kevin Fort, Renegade Queens, Posi-Tone Swingtet, Jeremy Pelt, The Empress, MTB, Artemis. Christopher Boscole, Steve johns, Yellowjackets, Max Leake, Fred Hersch, WDR Big Band, Rachel Therrien, Rodney Jordan, John Ellis, Chacho Ramirez, Diane Marino, Nels Cline, and ...

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Article: Radio & Podcasts

Ensemble C (Claire Cope), Omar Thomas, and Isaiah Collier

Read "Ensemble C (Claire Cope), Omar Thomas, and Isaiah Collier" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


This show features groups such as the Omar Thomas Large Ensemble and Ensemble C led by Claire Cope. It also includes music from Isaiah Collier, Oscar Brown Jr., and Anat Cohen. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air ...

3

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Rachel Therrien, Rodney Jordan, Diane Marino, Rodney Whitaker and more

Read "Rachel Therrien, Rodney Jordan, Diane Marino, Rodney Whitaker and more" reviewed by Benjamin Boddie


Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Rachel Therrien, Dr. Purgatory, Rodney Jordan, Diane Marino, Ross Valory, Rodney Whitaker, Max Leake, The Reddish Fetish, Tomas Martin Lopez, Willie Morris, Steve Smith, Yellowjackets, Jeremy Pelt, Ryan Middagh, Nick Hempton & Cory Weeds, Posi-Tone Swingtet, Fernando Ferrarone, Jenna McLean, Artemis, Kasan Belgrave, Michelle Nicolle, Mafalda Minnozzi, MTB, and more. ...


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