Live at Treelawn Social Club in Cleveland: Chris Hovan’s Troika

Chris Hovans TroikaTroika: a Russian term for a team of three working together. For Cleveland native Chris Hovan, the guitar has always been at the heart of his musical groups. Be it his long-standing Generations Quartet or his Organic trio, which sits squarely in the organ/guitar/drums format, the many options made available by the guitar suit Hovans muse as a drummer. As a drummer and percussionist, Hovan has worked with a wide variety of artists over the past three decades, most recently sharing the stage with Bill McRae, Cary Mathews & The Dissidents, Saam Cabot, and Don Goodman. Having spent some time together in Bill McRaes group, Hovan decided to bring guitarist Mike Vincent into the fold, who began playing guitar at the age of 10. In 2016, he graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in Jazz Studies under the direction of Jack Schantz and Bob Fraser. Since then, Mike has taught music lessons and performed professionally in Northeast Ohio, most notably with the Steely Dan tribute group, The FM Project. Equally accomplished on guitar and bass, Jeremey Poparad boasts versatility across genres, making him a frequent go-to collaborator for Hovan. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Akron with bachelors degrees in jazz studies and music composition and a 2018 graduate of Cleveland State University with masters degrees in electric guitar performance and music composition. In addition to his many jazz activities with leaders such as Evan Palermo, the Skatch Anderssen Big Band, Erin Neal, and the Forest City Django Club, Poparad is a member of the neo-soul and funk band Bassel & The Supernaturals.