ELI LEDER TRIO

Bassist and composer Eli Leder leads an exciting young trio that has made a niche in the Cleveland jazz scene. Eli met pianist Liam Speaks and drummer Stix Baker through the Tri-C JazzFest Academy precollege program, and they have all been both friends and collaborators ever since. Throughout high school, they consistently performed across the greater Cleveland/Akron area in various bands and projects. Notably, they were also part of a showstopping presentation of young talent at Dizzy’s Club in New York City by Dominick Farinacci’s Spirit of the Groove in May of 2022.

 

Eli Leder is a bassist, arranger, and composer from the Cleveland area. He currently studies Jazz Bass Performance at William Paterson University, 20 miles outside New York City. There, he has the opportunity to study under seasoned NYC professionals, most notably program director Bill Charlap and veteran bassist Marcus McLaurine.

  
Eli treats music as exploratory, searching for new sounds and considering all genres. You may catch him playing Baroque string music, bluegrass, 2010s pop, and straight-ahead swing all in one week. He synthesizes all of his experiences into both his bass playing and writing.

  
Liam Speaks is a multi-instrumentalist and self-taught producer/composer from Cleveland, currently studying Contemporary Music & Digital Instruments at Ohio University. He has honed in on his jazz piano skills from a young age, and is currently a part of several musical groups that span from jazz to fusion to rock. Apart from piano & bands, he composes/produces original alternative music under the name Voxglove, the musical space that’s most his own.

Nehemiah Stix Baker is a prodigious 19-year-old musician from Northeast Ohio, captivating audiences with his exceptional drumming, composition, and leadership skills. Emerging from Cleveland’s vibrant music scene, Stix has rapidly established himself as a rising star in the music world.

Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Stix’s musical journey began at the age of 5, when he started playing drums. He quickly demonstrated a natural aptitude for rhythm and timing. Stix’s early musical influences included various genres, which shaped his unique style and artistic vision.