Noce's Upcoming Shows
Sat, Oct 24
The IJCO is a big band made up of the very best jazz musicians from all over the state, dedicated to playing original music by Iowa composers. With members from Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Iowa City, the Quad Cities, and everywhere in between, it’s truly special when this powerful group gets together to play. Their "Fertile Soil Suite" earned Mike Conrad a SONIC Award from the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers and their 2026 release "Our Harvest" showcases dynamic pieces by Bob Washut, Jon Ailabouni, Chris Merz, Dan Padley, and Jon Snell.
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Mike Conrad is a composer and improviser currently serving as Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Iowa. His compositions have earned him four ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards, a SONIC Award from ISJAC, the 2023 Sammy Nestico Award, and many other accolades. His wide-ranging creative projects include the All Angles Orchestra (New Angle), collaborations with Berlin-based “Stegreif” (Escape Valse, Free Eroica), the Iowa Jazz Composers Orchestra (Our Harvest, Fertile Soil Suite), and two jazz trio albums of original music (Reconnect and Pretzel Letters). He is in high demand as a jazz pianist and as a clinician and guest director for jazz ensembles all over the country.
Sat, Oct 24
Vocalist/pianist Max Wellman along with local jazz musicians play standards from the end of Saturday night's primetime show (9:30 or 10:30) until 11:30 or midnight.
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Vocalist Max Wellman is enticing music lovers throughout the region. With a sound evoking the likes of Sinatra and Connick, Wellman’s recordings & performances promise that the Great American Songbook is alive & well for a new generation of listeners.
Wellman co-founded Noce, a state-of-the-art jazz club in the Western Gateway neighborhood of downtown Des Moines. Additionally, Wellman has appeared at some of the great clubs throughout the country, from Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center to Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago to Dazzle in Denver & many in between.
Tue, Oct 27
The Des Moines Big Band was founded in 1959 and has been a driving force in the Iowa jazz scene (yes, there IS one!) ever since. Well known for hundreds of miles around, it has become a regular stop for touring artists such as Bobby Shew, Frank Perowsky, Dick Oatts, John Fedchock, Paul McKee, Richie Cole, John Mosca and Clark Terry to mention just a few.
Our mission is to present large-ensemble jazz without compromise. We regularly commission new compositions from nationally-recognized composers while still keeping the classics in the rotation. Our members are committed to high standards of performance, and we make sure that the band cooks!
We’re also committed to student musicians. We’ve worked hard to give student musicians a venue where they can hear high quality performances in an appreciative, smoke-free, family-friendly atmosphere. We also invite high-school and college bands to share the stage with us most weeks.
We play because we love jazz and we're on a mission to keep it alive and vibrant. Please join us in celebrating a truly original American art form!
Wed, Oct 28
Thu, Oct 29
Join a stellar piano trio led by Tanner Taylor in an evening celebrating the work of the genius jazz composer (& renowned musical partner of Duke Ellington) Billy Strayhorn.
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Tanner Taylor studied under Jack Oatts and Manhattan School of Music’s Garry Dial. Taylor is an in-demand pianist throughout the Midwest, actively performing in the Omaha, Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Kansas City music scenes. Taylor has performed with jazz notables such as Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Lew Tabackin, David “Fathead” Newman, Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, Wes “Warm Daddy” Anderson, Dick Oatts, Eric Alexander, Bobby Shew, Steve Smith, Jaleel Shaw, Delfeayo Marsalis, Barbara Morrison, Connie Evingson,and Randy Brecker. as well as performing on "A Praire Home Companion" with Garrison Keilor. Taylor was inducted into the Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame in October, 2022
