7/27 - SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH // FEATURING HOUSTON PATTON

Make your Sundays unforgettable at Venue! Our Sunday Jazz Brunch Series in Ann Arbor pairs Chef Thad's brunch classics with live performances from talented local jazz artists. Relax, sip, and savor the perfect blend of music and flavor every Sunday!

Saxophonist Houston Patton is a jazz musician, born and raised in the Metro Detroit area. Following in the footsteps of his father, Houston began playing the saxophone at a very young age. Under the mentorship and tutelage of saxophonists such as Harry Patton, Daryl Beebe, Jordan Vanhemert, Wendell Harrison, and Andrew Bishop, Houston has explored many genres ranging from gospel to hard bop. 

Patton started his professional career at the age of 20, performing with Kevin Jones & Tenth World, at Grand Rapids jazz club, GRNoir. This led to many more opportunities as a sideman and bandleader in the Grand Rapids and Detroit music scenes. To this day, Patton continues to perform with Kevin Jones & Tenth World, and a host of  Detroit and West Michigan Groups. 

In 2023, Houston spent four months in New York as a student in the “New York Arts Program.” During this time he interned as an assistant to Brandon Ross, and as an archiver and stage manager at Roulette Intermedium. This time also allowed him to explore the jazz scene, by playing at countless jam sessions, which led to gigs with notable musicians such as drummer, Winard Harper, and pianist, JC Hopkins. Houston leads ensembles of varying sizes, playing at venues, such as Cliff Bell’s, Blue Llama, and GRNoir. He has also performed sets at The Muskegon Shoreline Jazz Festival, the Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Festival, Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, Preservation Hall, Mahogany Jazz Hall, Minton’s Playhouse, and a host of other notable venues. 

In April 2024, Patton released his first album as a band leader, entitled “Here We Are” featuring a quintet of young Detroit jazz musicians named, “Quintessential”. Patton decided to officially form this group after a series of successful gigs with these specific musicians. After a very special night at Detroit's Cliff's Bells, Quintessential received a standing ovation. There was a clear desire for the group to record their sound, so in January 0f 2024, Quintessential decided to have their original compositions recorded by Benjamin Green. Along with Houston on saxophone, the album features Jauron Perry on trumpet, Dylan Sherman on bass, William Hill III on Rhodes, and Samuel Melkonian on drums. 

In December of 2024, Houston received a BFA in Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation from the University of Michigan. 

Brunch | 10AM - 3PM

Music | 11AM - 2PM

Make your reservation here!