About the Series

Where world-class jazz meets spiritual contemplation

The Spirit Sessions

Rev. Dr. Kendall Ryan Moore presents the Spirit Sessions, a concert series at Cresskill Congregational Church UCC in Cresskill, NJ. It's a space where seekers, music lovers, and community gather for an unforgettable journey of sound, soul, and connection.

Each concert features original compositions and jazz arrangements performed in an intimate, contemplative atmosphere. This is a welcoming space for all seekers, wherever you are on your spiritual journey, offering community, joy, healing, and peace through music.

The Vision

Kendall Moore has spent a lifetime at the intersection of music and spirit. A world-class trombonist, composer, and arranger who has performed alongside jazz legends and on the world's biggest stages, he answered a call to ministry in 2023. This concert series brings those two callings together, creating sacred space through the communal language of jazz.

Upcoming Shows

Additional 2026 dates to be announced

The Musicians

These incredibly talented musicians are also people especially chosen as fellow servants to music and the community for this concert experience.

Kendall Ryan Moore

Trombone · Vocals · Composition

Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Miami. Has performed with McCoy Tyner, Ahmad Jamal, Dave Brubeck, and The Temptations. Recorded with George Benson on Concord Records. Arranged music for the White House Christmas Tree Lighting and Spike Lee's Chi-raq. ASCAP Henry Mancini Fellow. Debut album: Focus (2014).

Instagram

Mark Small

Tenor Saxophone

Toured with Michael Bublé on three world tours across 35+ countries. Featured soloist on a Grammy Award-winning DVD. Sideman with the Village Vanguard Orchestra. Appeared on Broadway in Chicago and on SNL, Letterman, and Ellen. Director of Jazz Studies at Miami Dade College. Featured on Kendall's Focus album.

Website

Paul Bedal

Keyboards

Brooklyn-based pianist, keyboardist, and composer. University of Miami graduate with an MFA in Film Composition from Columbia College Chicago. Accompanist at Joffrey Ballet School in NYC. Has played with Marquis Hill, Bobby Broom, and Jim Black. Chicago Luminarts Fellowship recipient. Latest album: Silhouette (2025).

Website Bandcamp

Josh Bermudez

Guitar

Jazz guitarist, composer, and educator from a musical family. Bachelor's and Master's degrees from University of Miami Frost School. 2014 National YoungArts Winner. Recognized by DownBeat Magazine as Outstanding Soloist. Selected for the Thelonious Monk All-Star Jazz Septet. Active performer and teacher in New York.

Website

Sam Weber

Bass

Multi-Grammy-nominated bassist based in Brooklyn. In 2025, three recordings featuring his playing received Grammy nominations, including Bianca Reimagined by the Dan Pugach Big Band, which won Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Has played alongside Sting, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Keyon Harrold. Performs at Blue Note, Lincoln Center, and Birdland.

Website Instagram

Michael Piolet

Drums

Chicago native based in NYC. University of Miami Frost School graduate and Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar. DownBeat Award winner. Performed with Herbie Hancock as part of the Thelonious Monk All-Star Sextet. Percussionist for Hamilton on Broadway since 2018 and on the national Angelica tour. Featured on Kendall's Focus album.

IBDB Instagram

Rev. Dr. Kendall Ryan Moore

Pastor · Trombonist · Composer · Vocalist

Kendall Moore is a composer, arranger, and trombonist whose creative practice sits at the intersection of jazz, new music, and the sacred. His work draws from a rich performance legacy — including performances alongside Wynton Marsalis as part of the Jazz Houston Orchestra — and from a deep commitment to music as a communal and spiritual act.

As an arranger, Moore earned a 2021 Latin Grammy nomination, a recognition that reflects both his technical craft and his ear for the deeply human dimensions of sound. His compositional voice has been honored through commissions including the Roy Campbell Jr. Commission from the Festival of New Trumpet Music, and earlier in his career through the ASCAP Henry Mancini Fellowship. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Moore's artistic vision is inseparable from his spiritual seeking. Rooted in a lifelong engagement with questions of faith, community, and the sacred, he approaches composition and performance as acts of witness. He believes music holds a unique capacity to embody God's presence and draw people together across differences. This conviction animates his most ambitious work: the creation of music that is at once rigorously crafted and spiritually alive.

Instagram Bandcamp All About Jazz

Listen

Preview tracks from Focus (2014), Kendall's debut album

Featuring: Marquis Hill, Michael Piolet, Mark Small, Tim Jago, Angelo Versace, Pat Seymour, and Gary Thomas

Click any track to start listening

Buy on Bandcamp

Venue & Accessibility

An open, affirming, and welcoming community

Cresskill Congregational Church UCC

85 Union Ave, Cresskill, NJ 07626

(201) 568-0608

Parking

Parking lot behind the church with ample street parking on the side streets.

Accessibility

Back entrance with a chair ramp
Side entrance with a wheelchair ramp
All-gender restrooms on the first floor
Additional bathrooms in the basement

About the Church

Come visit the Open and Affirming, Just Peace Church that welcomes all of God's Children.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much are tickets?

$30 Individual / $50 Family / Free for under 18 with a paid adult. Eventbrite fees may apply.

What time should I arrive?

Doors open at 6:30 PM. The concert begins at 7:00 PM.

How long is the concert?

Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Where can I park?

There is a parking lot behind the church, and ample street parking right next to it on the side streets.

How accessible is the building?

There is a back entrance with a chair ramp and a side entrance with a wheelchair ramp. All-gender restrooms are available on the first floor, with additional bathrooms in the basement.

Is there an age restriction?

No, all ages are welcome. Children under 18 attend free with a paid adult.

What is the refund policy?

All ticket sales are final. No refunds.

Music ForThe Seekers