With over 30 years of experience Dan has been touring the countryside with doing his own unique blend of acoustic Americana. Our first full album, including seven originals and seven fan-favorite cover songs, was released on all major streaming platforms on May 10, 2023. We play popular music spanning a wide range of eras and genres, from Frank Sinatra to Billie Eilish and even Metallica! We love to take requests and can tailor our set list to your event or venue. We are also regulars at various area festivals, such as Elkhart’s Rhapsody Arts and Music Festival, Elkhart Jazz Fest, and Middlebury Summer Fest, and we are in high demand for special events such as weddings, private parties, and class reunions. We hit the streets of South Bend, and when people were coming out of their apartments to listen to us rather than chasing us away, we knew we had something special! It wasn’t long before we were invited inside, and now we play all over the Michiana area and take road trips to other parts of Indiana and Michigan and as far away as Tennessee. We wanted to find a way to keep playing music, and Corey had always wanted to try busking. The Starving Artists is a saxophone/guitar/looping duo that began when our full bands were on hiatus due to so many venues being shut down during Covid. He just recently graduated from Western Michigan University with his masters’ degree in music. While still working as an in-demand sideman, Bill has also begun leading his own trio throughout the Midwest.

Since then he has become highly in-demand both as a sideman and bandleader performing in venues and festivals such as The Jazz Showcase, Andy’s Jazz Club, The Green Mill, Winter’s Jazz Club, Merriman’s Playhouse, Chicago Theater, Blue Note Beijing, JC Club, Old Town School of Folk Music, Hard Rock Café, House of Blues, Grant Park, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival and more. After graduating he quickly became part of Chicago’s Jazz and Salsa scenes, while also working as a chorale director, educator and clinician – conducting numerous jazz/improvisation master classes in Chicago, China, Korea, Myanmar and Singapore.

In 2009 Bill began his jazz piano studies on scholarship at Columbia College Chicago. Bill Cessna is a Chicago based pianist paying homage to the great tradition of jazz piano- playing iconic repertoire, as well as presenting original material in the same idiom, with a mission to present memorable musical experiences for listeners of all ages and nationalities.

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