The Blues Aside Project

The Blues Aside Project explores the depths of human expression from the deep recesses to whimsy through the musical storyline of personal exploration of life, love, grief and growth told by the voices of different string instruments i.e. the guitar, mandolin, banjo, and the cello as each string voice has a unique way of communicating a song. The percussion & bass provide the contextual framework for this storytelling experience.

The Blues Aside Project Artists

Laurie Jarski is a composer and multi-instrumentalist. She is owner/director of Broughton Music Center, Northville Center for Music & Art, and WPI Festival On the Land Music Camp for Women & Girls. She is a cellist/and or multi-instrumentalist for the Blues Aside Project, C•O•R•E tet String Quartet, Octocelli Cello Ensemble, Presence of Three Trio, Red Willow Dream, and the Battle Creek Symphony. She currently coaches a ‘String Quartet Plus’ program for youth and adult students in Northville and in Kalamazoo. Laurie is co-producing an original album for release in 2026. Her recent commissions include Safe Days for mandolin & bass, and Flipside Records for cello, minstrel banjo & cajón for the Ripple Effect exhibit at Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Connecting Chords, 2025, the Nine Trees of KL Ave Sent Underground for mandolin, banjo, minstrel banjo, string quartet and percussion, commissioned by Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, 2021, and the Egyptian Blue Jazz Bowl for Solo Guitar, and Untitled Brazilian Mirage commissioned for the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 2020. Larger ensemble and orchestral compositions include God Rest Ye! Orchestral Renderings, 2015, Funky Blues for Cello Quartet, 2012, The Star to Every Wandering Bark, 2010, Travel Modalities for 16 Celli, 2012, The Star to Every Wandering Bark, 2010, and An Amethyst Remembrance, 1995. Laurie’s interplay of antiphonal, rhythmic, and colorful fabric is woven around lyrical melodies, a natural extension of Laurie’s folk music origin as singer/songwriter from age 9. A tendency to have percussive attributes cross over to instruments not usually slated as percussion is of particular interest and provide interesting sound textures.

Carolyn Koebel holds degrees of distinction in percussion and music therapy from Western Michigan University & Michigan State.  She has been creating music for silent film soundtracks and modern dance since 1999, most notably with the regional project Blue Dahlia. Since 2012, She has toured main-land China & Hong Kong in teaching and concert tours with Grammy award-winning flutist Rhonda Larson & Ventus. She is noted for her work with Celtic-world music ensembles Fonn Mor &  An Dro, and the Dacia Bridges Project, as well as her spirited accompaniment in improvisational world music styles with guitarist/vocalist Elden Kelly, Tia Imani Hanna, Samuel Nalangira, & a host of other collaborators.  For the past 22 years she has been traversing the globe in search of indigenous percussion traditions and synthesizing these learnings into her own teaching and performance.

 She has released over 30 recordings of diverse musical styles and continues her work as an adjunct professor of music therapy at Western Michigan University and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College; She is a contractual music therapist working in both hospice and special needs settings. She is director of international percussion at Kalamazoo College & director of Michigan Hiryu Daiko Japanese taiko ensemble.  www.carolynkoebel.com

Born in Detroit, Brad Russell (aka Russo) was raised in a musically diverse household. He recalls, “my brothers listening to everything from James Brown to Aerosmith and my Mom spinning Bill Evans or Stan Getz records.” After studying acoustic bass in high school, Brad attented the University of Miami’s school of music and received a masters degree. He later moved to the San Francisco bay area and worked for Shrapnel/Blues Bureau records producer Mike Varney. He has performed/recorded with a variety of artists such as: Joe Satriani,Gary Hoey,Gregg Bissonette, Mariah Carey, Clarence Clemons, Neal Schon and jazz organist Lonnie Smith. Currently living in NYC Brad has also performed for the Broadway musicals Jersey Boys, Grease,Memphis and Rock Of Ages.Brad’s cd “Let’s Hear It!’ (Featuring Joe Satriani) is available on Steve Vai’s “Digital Nations” label and Brad’s current EP “Daily Shred” is available on iTunes.

Scenes from Shows