Music Box VIP Members: You are invited to a pre-show party from 5-7pm!
Why you should see this show…
Bent String performs American Roots music… early jazz, classic acoustic blues, roots country, and originals. The band centers on the vocals of Kari Ann Rutushin, with Reed Simon’s hot jazz violin, Caroline King on keyboards, accordion, tenor guitar and vocals, Kevin T. Richards on the arch-top guitars, and Cleveland Blues Hall of Fame inductee, upright bassist, Raymond DeForest.
Bent String Bio
Bent String had a busy year in 2024, performing American roots music at many venues in Northeast Ohio including the Lakewood Arts Fest, Cain Park, Stocker Arts Center, Lakeview Cemetery concert series, Van Aken Market District, Raccoon County Music Fest, Barnegie Hall, Waterloo Arts Fest, Hessler Street Fair, the Market Garden Brewery and more.
Kari Ann Rutushin is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Champion, Ohio, and is a professional vocalist with a decade of sharing stages across Northeast Ohio. She entertains with her uke, piano, washboard, and flute in the styles of jazz, folk, R&B, country, and pop.
Caroline King joins Bent String on the traditional French cafe accordion, electric keyboards, piano, vocals, and tenor guitar! Her music creates a lovely mood! Sophisticated but subdued and unintrusive.
Raymond DeForest is Bent String’s all-star bassist and vocalist, and a Cleveland Blues Hall of Fame member. Ray is an acoustic and electric bass master who teaches jazz, blues, and other styles of roots music at Musicologie in Cleveland Heights.
William Reed Simon is Northeast Ohio’s premier Jazz/Swing violinist. His music influences are many, including Stephane Grappelli, Joe Venuti, Duke Ellington and Stuff Smith, all giants of the earlier jazz swing age. Reed is the up front soloist in Bent String. He also works with the Hot Club of Cleveland, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, and Hot D’Jang, performing swing, bebop and beyond.
Kevin T. Richards plays many different guitar styles. He is recognized by the Ohio Arts Council as a master musician in the Country Blues style. He also plays mandolin, fiddle and banjo. Kevin founded the non-profit organization Roots of American Music in 1999, and served for over two decade in various roles. He has performed at major festivals including Merlefest and the National Folk Festival. He has been on staff teaching blues and swing guitar at Augusta Heritage Center.
Dining Option
Purchase of a ticket to a show in the Supper Club ensures you will have a seat for the concert. However, if you intend to dine before or during the performance, you also need to make a dining reservation. To make a dining reservation, click here or call our Box Office at (216) 242-1250. Click here to see the menu.
If you are attending a concert in the Supper Club with a party of two or more, please have one person make a reservation for the whole group to ensure you are seated together. If you are attending with a party of nine or more, you must call the Box Office to make your reservation at (216) 242-1250.
To better serve all our customers, we require that you arrive on time for your dining reservation. Arriving more than 15 minutes after your reserved time will result in the cancellation of your reservation. You will be seated for the concert, but you may be put on a waiting list for dining.
Don’t forget, Music Box VIP members get in free to shows $12 and under.
Find out more.