Beginning with an impromptu a cappella clip of “Over the Rainbow,” Stella Cole has become a global viral sensation for simply doing what she has been passionate about her whole life - singing songs from the Great American Songbook. Buoyed in part by her weekly livestream concerts on Tiktok from 2020 to 2022, the multi-talented singer’s ever-growing numbers both embody and defy every superlative cliché (staggering, mind blowing, through the roof). Her most viral singing video has a whopping 27 million views. With a combined social media following of over 1.6 million, Stella has caught the attention of superstars David Foster, James Taylor, Michael Buble, John Mayer and Meghan Trainor. Countless devoted fans from social media flock to see her perform, many of them traveling cross country and overseas to attend her sold out headlining concerts around the world. She has performed in venues like Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Birdland and the Cafe Carlyle. In 2023, she toured the United States, Australia and New Zealand with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. She released a stylish, swinging rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” with the group in 2023 to mass acclaim, racking up more than 6 million views. Stella’s enduring influence as a viral artist and live performer lays a promising foundation – and gives her an eager built-in audience - for her highly anticipated self-titled debut album, an exquisite collection produced by Matt Pierson. Among Pierson’s hundreds of credits in the pop and jazz worlds is Samara Joy’s Linger Awhile, a 2023 Grammy winner for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album. A testament to Stella’s vast artistry, the singer worked on the project with some of the top studio talent in the industry, including multiple Grammy-winning arranger/pianist Alan Broadbent, Brazilian guitar master Chico Pinheiro, pianist/keyboardist Ben Paterson and bassist Neal Miner. The first half of the album features a lushly orchestrated string section arranged by Broadbent, while Stella is backed on the latter half by the trio of Paterson (on piano or Hammond B-3 organ), Miner on double bass and Keith Balla on drums. True to her eclectic tastes, Stella Cole features both very familiar and delightfully obscure Songbook tunes including “Over the Rainbow,” “(Love Is) The Tender Trap,” the Judy Garland classic “The Boy Next Door,” the Streisand-inspired “When the Sun Comes Out,” “Detour Ahead” and “Moon River,” the iconic Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer tune she has chosen as the album’s lead single.“We picked ‘Moon River’ because it’s a very important song for me,” Stella says. “When I started posting on social media, the first well known musician to notice me was James Taylor, reposting a video of me singing ‘Moon River’. That was a big moment!” Stella also cites the song as symbolic of her goal for the entire album. “What I’ve been trying to do with this music is comfort people. To me, ‘Moon River’ always feels like a deep breath; hopeful, calming and nostalgic. There’s so much negativity and chaos in the world and I want people to stop, listen and feel they can breathe again.” Among Pierson’s suggestions to the track list were “P.S. I Love You” and one of the album’s greatest surprises, Billie Eilish’s Top Ten hit “My Future.”Performed as a vocal-acoustic guitar duet with Pinheiro, the Billie Eilish song serves as a uniquely contemporary love story in an album of songs from the midcentury. The track list also includes the ballads “My Foolish Heart” and “Blame it On My Youth” and a spirited, swinging rendition of “On the Street Where You Live” featuring Jerry Weldon on tenor sax. “Many people of my generation aren’t familiar with these songs, and I’m excited about the opportunity to introduce this timeless music to a new audience,” says Stella. “Often when people hear my voice, they tell me I was born in the wrong decade. I definitely feel an artistic connection to those earlier time periods, but I don’t want to overly romanticize the past. Right now is the perfect time for me to be singing because the world needs this soothing and joyful music now just as much as they needed it in the 40s and 50s.” Stella’s musical story began when, at three years old, her mom pressed play on a VHS tape of The Wizard of Oz. Stella was immediately obsessed with the film, watching it at every opportunity. By kindergarten, her VHS collection had grown to a large stack of classic movie musicals, setting the stage for a remarkable journey. “I’ve been singing since I could talk and began voice lessons really early,” says Stella. “Throughout middle school and high school, I was in musicals both in school and local community theatre, sometimes two shows at the same time. I remember when I was a teenager, I didn’t listen to pop music, instead I loved singing along with Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, slowly realizing my range or tone sounded a bit like them. But I lacked confidence when I was starting out. I had no idea if there was an audience for the kind of songs I loved.” Enrolled at Northwestern University with a double major of theater and international relations, Stella continued to look for spaces for her voice. Fortunately, towards the end of college, she took a Great American Songbook class, an important step in rediscovering her passion for her first musical love, eventually allowing her to grow in skill and confidence. The pandemic caused a temporary move back home, and her dad came up with a wild idea, encouraging her to post singing videos on social media. Fresh out of the shower and wearing a bathrobe and green clay face mask, she posted “Over the Rainbow.” Quickly encouraged by the growing number of viewers, she made it her daily job. Stella knew she was on to something after her clip of Stephen Sondheim’s “Everybody Says Don’t” hit 40,000 views. Amidst her burgeoning viral success, she graduated from Northwestern and moved to New York, where she began singing at clubs and restaurants (starting with a regular weekend gig at Giovanni’s in Brooklyn), developing her repertoire and becoming part of a local creative community of singers and actors.“I think what makes me stand out as an artist is that I’ve learned that being a good singer is more than just having a pretty voice,” she says. “It’s about effective storytelling, communicating feelings and emotions through lyrical narratives. A few years ago, I was too focused on how my voice sounded, but since I began concentrating on telling a story, I’ve become a better all-around artist. I love that with the exception of the Billie Eilish tune, these songs were written decades before I was born, yet they feel like they are about my life. The album paints a very full picture of me, allowing me to share these stories in a very honest, vulnerable way. Whether people are longtime fans of my Tiktok or have never heard me before, I hope these songs can bring listeners as much joy as they bring me.” 

It will be a night of laughs, fun, and many hit tunes by the Devine Miss M. along with a hoppin’ 7 piece band and sassy back up girls, covering tunes like From A Distance, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, I Put A Spell On You, Wind Beneath My Wings and, of course, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show. Join renowned singer/actress/entertainer extraordinaire Gina Gedler for a night of great music. 

Noce presents a late night show hosted by a rotation of musicians every Friday & Saturday night following the conclusion of the prime time show. No cover & happy hour prices at the bar! --- Vocalist Max Wellman continues to entice music lovers throughout the region, with a sound evoking Sinatra and Connick. Wellman’s recordings & performances proclaim that the Great American Songbook is alive and well for a new generation of listeners. Noce is a state-of-the-art jazz club (co-founded by Wellman) in the Western Gateway neighborhood of downtown Des Moines. In addition to performing at Noce, Wellman has appeared at some of the great clubs around the country, including Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center, Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago, and Dazzle in Denver. 

Every Thursday night, Noce hosts an all night happy hour. Doors at 6, music 7-10pm, no cover all night! $5 green tea shots, $6 well drinks, $7 house wine, $8 specialty cocktails. Some of the top jazz musicians in the region are featured each week. 

Napoleon Douglas and The Dirty Lowdown, an elite funk band based in Des Moines, highlight Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, & more. --- Napoleon M Douglas is an International Actor, Teaching Artist, and Entrepreneur whose performance experience includes Stage Theatre, Film, Commercial, Voice Over, Instrumental Music, Dance, and Vocal Music among others. Theatre (selected): International - Simba in The Festival of the Lion King (HKDL); National - Louie in Mr. Holland’s Opus (World Premiere & Dance Captain - Ogunquit Playhouse); Joe Alves & Carl Gottlieb Cover in BRUCE (World Premiere - Seattle Repertory); Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls (2018 Ostrander Winner - Best Supporting Actor in a Musical), Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar (Arvada Center), NoMax in Five Guys Named Moe (Westchester Broadway), as well as leading and supporting roles in Hairspray!, Sister Act, Superior Donuts, A Christmas Carol, Miss Saigon, Romeo & Juliet, and White Christmas. TV/Film (Selected): Hulu’s WuTang: An American Saga (Co-Star), and Oscar Micheaux (Cannes Short Selection, Urban Film BET Short Premiere Selection - 2018). Educationally, Napoleon has worked as a Choreographer, Director, Music Director, Studio Voice Instructor, and Teaching Artist for theatres and companies across the U.S. including The Summer Conservatory at Memphis Playhouse on the Square, The Academy at Midtown Arts Center, and The Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Institutionally, He serves as a Board Member and Artist-in-Residence for City Voices - a community-centered nonprofit that provides free, high quality, individualized music instruction to underserved students in the Des Moines Metro area and Board Member of Sing For Your Seniors (www.singforyourseniors.org). Napoleon is a former member of the renowned Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps who performed for both Inauguration Parades for President Barack Obama, and for President Joe Biden. Drake University (B.A. Theatre Arts, ’14). SNHU (M.B.A. Entrepreneurship, ’18). Phi Gamma Delta. Actors Equity Association. 

Noce presents a late night show hosted by a rotation of musicians every Friday & Saturday night following the conclusion of the prime time show. No cover & happy hour prices at the bar! 

The first Wednesday of the month, the Des Moines Big Band produces a special show highlighting a composer or performer in the big band canon. For their first show of the '25/26 season, the band will be playing music from one of the greatest partnerships in jazz history: Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington. --- 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. 

Every Thursday night, Noce hosts an all night happy hour. Doors at 6, music 7-10pm, no cover all night! $5 green tea shots, $6 well drinks, $7 house wine, $8 specialty cocktails. Some of the top jazz musicians in the region are featured each week. 

In the latest innovative revue at Noce, Max Wellman and his big band highlight the works of Frank Sinatra, his contemporaries, and those that followed. Fly Me to The Moon features songs made famous by Harry Connick Jr, Michael Bublé, Dean Martin, and more. Wellman includes newly commissioned arrangements from some of today’s great Big Band arrangers; this new format will allow for an ever-changing, dynamic set list each time the band takes the stage. –––––––––– Vocalist Max Wellman continues to entice music lovers throughout the region, with a sound evoking Sinatra and Connick. Wellman’s recordings & performances proclaim that the Great American Songbook is alive and well for a new generation of listeners. Noce is a state-of-the-art jazz club (co-founded by Wellman) in the Western Gateway neighborhood of downtown Des Moines. In addition to performing at Noce, Wellman has appeared at some of the great clubs around the country, including Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center, Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago, and Dazzle in Denver. 

Celebrated Midwest and East Coast jazz musicians and creative improvisers Hannah Marks, Michael Malis, and Jonathan Taylor join forces for an inaugural performance at Noce. United by their shared commitment to honoring the jazz lineage while simultaneously taking creative risks, the trio will be performing their original music and compositions by Geri Allen, Dewey Redman, and more. --- Hailing from Des Moines, Hannah Marks is a bassist, composer, and educator living in New York City. She has performed at festivals like the Detroit Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, 80-35 Music Festival, Iowa City Jazz Festival and Indy Jazz Festival, and currently leads a risk-taking acoustic jazz quartet that features NYC’s most in-demand sidemen. As a side-woman, Marks has been described as having “a fresh, modern, and original approach to playing the bass” by Marcus Printup. Marks is a member of NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater’s quartet, and has played bass for Geoffrey Keezer, Nasheet Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anna Webber, Miles Okazaki, Ingrid Jensen, Kalia Vandever, Matt Wilson, Ted Nash, Morgan Guerin, Marcus Printup, and Sasha Berliner. Marks’ discography includes playing on Geoffrey Keezer’s Grammy award winning composition “Refuge”, Kristen Lee Sergeant’s Falling with saxophonist Ted Nash, and Heartland Trio’s debut album Year One. --- Michael Malis is a composer, pianist, and music educator based in Detroit, MI. Noted for his “jaw-dropping display of improvisational power” (All About Jazz), Malis is a recipient of Greek America Foundation’s 40 under 40 award. He has taught at the University of Michigan and Interlochen Arts Academy, and is now a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Michigan. As a pianist, Malis has shared the stage with a diverse array of musicians, including Marcus Belgrave, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Robert Hurst, Gerald Cleaver, Jaribu Shahid, John Lindberg, William Hooker, A. Spencer Barefield, Tyshawn Sorey, Brandee Younger, J.D. Allen, and Marion Hayden. He has performed at the Yokohama Jazz Promenade (Yokohama, Japan), the Kennedy Center, Birdland (NYC), and The Stone (NYC). --- Jonathan Barahal Taylor is a Percussionist, Composer, and Improviser based in Detroit. An avid collaborator, He co-leads a number of diverse projects, Including the art-rock quartet saajtak, Teiku, which reimagines aurally transmitted ancestral Jewish melodies in a Creative Music context, Root Beneath Bones, a solo project for drums and electronics, and Mover, which performs a constantly shifting modular suite of Taylor’s compositions and graphic scores. Taylor has played with some of the most revered names in Jazz and Creative Music, Including Wadada Leo Smith, John Lindberg, Tomeka Reid, Angelica Sanchez, Dave Liebman, Michael Formanek, Karl Berger, and Jaribu Shahid, and has performed at the DC Jazz Festival, EdgeFest, The Jazz Gallery In New York, the Detroit Jazz Festival, The Toronto Jazz Festival, The International Association of Schools of Jazz Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, and in 2019 toured Japan with the art-rock band Throwaway. He attended the Banff Centre’s International Workshop for Jazz and Creative music under the direction of Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey in 2013 and 2018, and maintains studies in Tabla and Hindustani Music with Sri Souma Kanti Mukerjee, disciple of the late master of the Benares Gharana, Pt. Chhote Lal Mishra. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan where he earned a BFA in Jazz and Contemplative Studies, studying with Geri Allen, Andrew Bishop, Ellen Rowe, Evan Chambers, Mark Kirschenmann, Michael Gould, Stephen Rush, and Sean Dobbins. 

The Des Moines Big Band, a storied ensemble that goes back to the 1950s, has played with some of the greatest names in jazz, from legends like Clark Terry to some of the more local household names such as Scott Smith. --- The band often invites high school & college groups in to play during the set break. The first Wednesday of every month, though, the band plays their own full night highlighting the work of a different iconic jazz artist or composer. 

Noce is proud to present a new show featuring Napoleon Douglas highlighting the great music of Broadway alongside an elite jazz band led by Jason Danielson. --- Napoleon M Douglas is an International Actor, Teaching Artist, and Entrepreneur whose performance experience includes Stage Theatre, Film, Commercial, Voice Over, Instrumental Music, Dance, and Vocal Music among others. Theatre (selected): International - Simba in The Festival of the Lion King (HKDL); National - Louie in Mr. Holland’s Opus (World Premiere & Dance Captain - Ogunquit Playhouse); Joe Alves & Carl Gottlieb Cover in BRUCE (World Premiere - Seattle Repertory); Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls (2018 Ostrander Winner - Best Supporting Actor in a Musical), Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar (Arvada Center), NoMax in Five Guys Named Moe (Westchester Broadway), as well as leading and supporting roles in Hairspray!, Sister Act, Superior Donuts, A Christmas Carol, Miss Saigon, Romeo & Juliet, and White Christmas. TV/Film (Selected): Hulu’s WuTang: An American Saga (Co-Star), and Oscar Micheaux (Cannes Short Selection, Urban Film BET Short Premiere Selection - 2018). Educationally, Napoleon has worked as a Choreographer, Director, Music Director, Studio Voice Instructor, and Teaching Artist for theatres and companies across the U.S. including The Summer Conservatory at Memphis Playhouse on the Square, The Academy at Midtown Arts Center, and The Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Institutionally, He serves as a Board Member and Artist-in-Residence for City Voices - a community-centered nonprofit that provides free, high quality, individualized music instruction to underserved students in the Des Moines Metro area and Board Member of Sing For Your Seniors (www.singforyourseniors.org). Napoleon is a former member of the renowned Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps who performed for both Inauguration Parades for President Barack Obama, and for President Joe Biden. Drake University (B.A. Theatre Arts, ’14). SNHU (M.B.A. Entrepreneurship, ’18). Phi Gamma Delta. Actors Equity Association. 

Noce is proud to present a new show from Lauren Vilmain featuring a full 10-piece jazz orchestra playing the arrangements of Brian Martin from some of Lauren's favorites along with some new tunes, ranging from Amy Winehouse to Kander & Ebb & more. This is a fully produced show for one of Iowa's great singers in one of Iowa's most beautiful rooms. --- Vocalist, Lauren Vilmain is a graduate of Drake University where she majored in vocal performance with a minor in musical theatre. In her studies she fell in love with both the thrill of live performance and the beauty of self-expression. While being classically trained, Lauren also dove into musical theater repertoire. After her studies she found a challenging and deep love for American Jazz music. Her repertoire ranges widely from Nina Simone, Melody Gardot and Madeleine Peyroux to blues artists like Lizz Wright, Tracy Chapman, and Eva Cassidy. She performs locally with NOLA Jazz Band as well as her Quintet and is proud to regular the Noce Jazz Club in Downtown Des Moines. Lauren is privileged to work with some of the best musicians in the state and to collaborate with them for her personal projects. 

The Des Moines Big Band, a storied ensemble that goes back to the 1950s, has played with some of the greatest names in jazz, from legends like Clark Terry to some of the more local household names such as Scott Smith. --- The band often invites high school & college groups in to play during the set break. The first Wednesday of every month, though, the band plays their own full night highlighting the work of a different iconic jazz artist or composer. 

Every Thursday night, Noce hosts an all night happy hour. Doors at 6, music 7-10pm, no cover all night! $5 green tea shots, $6 well drinks, $7 house wine, $8 specialty cocktails. Some of the top jazz musicians in the region are featured each week. 

LESLIE VINCENT is a prolific songwriter and jazz vocalist. Equally at home singing the Great American Songbook, musical theater, and contemporary rock and pop, she has become one of the most notable voices to emerge in the vibrant Minneapolis music scene, being hailed for her joy-filled performances and her “fun, human, beautiful interpretations” (Levi Weinhagen). Born into a military family, Vincent spent childhood moving along the East Coast and United Kingdom, where she spent her spare time singing along to Frank Sinatra and the Les Mis soundtrack. The one constant was music. Today, Vincent has become an accomplished bandleader, playing 50+ shows a year, using her theatrical chops to bring drama, comedy and poise to the stage. In 2023, she released her second album "About Last Night," mixing jazz standards, vintage blues, and her own fresh originals. This release has garnered much critical attention from fans and music critics locally and nationwide, including a write-up in DownBeat Magazine. Her next album, featuring jazz and blues originals is set to come out in 2025.