The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is an exciting jazz group featuring two members of one of America’s most accomplished musical families, Dan Brubeck (drums,) and Chris Brubeck (bass & trombone.) Guitarist Mike DeMicco, and pianist Chuck Lamb complete this dynamic quartet. They have performed at concert series, colleges, and jazz festivals across North America and Europe including the Newport, Detroit, Ravinia, Las Vegas, Sedona, Spokane & Monterey Jazz Festivals.

Their hour long concert at Sierra Nevada Brewery has been broadcast on the nationally syndicated program: “Sierra Center Stage”. The BBQ was chosen to kick off the New Year with an hour long, coast-to-coast live broadcast on “Toast of the Nation” on National Public Radio. Their new Koch release, Classified, has already earned this rave review from All About Jazz: “Once again the BBQ attains that rarefied level where music is both relaxed and expressive, and their joy in its creation is contagious. There’s really nothing out there that comes close to their unique brand of inventiveness.”

These versatile musicians also collaborate with orchestras, and in 2006 ignited the Salt Lake City Jazz Festival by playing with the Utah Symphony conducted by Keith Lockhart. With Chris Brubeck’s compositions as a vehicle, the BBQ has joined with chamber groups to collaborate with musicians from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Russian National Symphony Orchestra. The Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s debut Koch recording, Intuition, impressed the national jazz media and spent several weeks in the top ten radio charts while earning enthusiastic reviews from JazzTimes, Downbeat, Boston Globe and many other respected publications. “Intuition was measure for measure one of the hardest swinging sets of the year.” (Philadelphia Inquirer) Although the quartet’s style is rooted in “straight-ahead” jazz, their concerts reveal an inherent ability to explore and play odd time signatures while naturally integrating the influences of funk, blues and world music. The group’s creativity, technique and improvisation can be heard in their uncompromising music, which reflects their dedication to melody, rhythm, culture and the spontaneous spirit of jazz.

Date & Time

Saturday – April 21, 2018

7:30 PM

Location

Corley Auditorium

Missouri Southern State University

3950 Newman Rd

Joplin MO

Links

Artists’ Website
Program
Biographies
Program notes
Agent’s Website

Emlyn Johnson

Emlyn currently serves as Creative Director of Pro Musica. Emlyn’s background as a classically trained flutist, educator, and presenter eventually led her to Missouri, where she taught in the music department at Missouri State University and was the Executive Director for Pro Musica from 2021 – 2023. She is the co-director of the American Wild Ensemble and performs regularly around the state and beyond, and is an adjunct instructor of Flute at UMKC Conservatory in Kansas City, MO. Emlyn holds a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music and holds additional degrees from Eastman and the University of Michigan. She is responsible for creative and artistic aspects of Pro Musica and guides the selection process of concerts, reporting to the Board of Directors

Joani Zibert

Joani serves as the incoming Executive Director of Pro Musica, bringing more than 17 years of executive leadership experience across nonprofit governance, arts education innovation, K-12 and postsecondary education development, public and private funding strategy, legal compliance, and organizational growth. A nationally recognized school founder and non-profit executive, she has secured millions in public and private funding, built high-performing organizations from the ground up, and guided boards through periods of transformation, scale, and long-term sustainability at the local, state, and national levels.

Joani is the founder and former Board President of Doral Academy of Nevada, where she led the creation and expansion of an arts-integrated school system now serving over 5,000 students, transforming community frustration over the loss of arts education into an award-winning model of creative excellence.

Originally from the 4-States area, with Slovenian grandparents, she has worked nationally gaining a professional background that includes serving in varying roles including President of nonprofits, Director of Operations, Director of Law & Policy, Director of Grants, Director of Marketing, and senior executive advisor roles. Joani is known for aligning missions with measurable impact while bridging vision, governance, and execution. Her work is rooted in the belief that the arts are not an accessory to education or community life, but a catalyst for connection, economic vitality, and generational change.

As Executive Director of Pro Musica, Joani brings a bold, forward-focused approach centered on organizational excellence, financial sustainability, expanded community engagement, and the elevation of Pro Musica’s role as a cultural cornerstone. She leads with clarity, courage, and collaboration while committed to honoring Pro Musica’s legacy as we build the next chapter with strength and momentum.