The Avenue

Photo by Genevieve Nisly Photography

The Avenue band is one of Cleveland's hottest and Jerry Bruno's busiest for weddings and all occasion. Fronted by three talented vocalists of varied backgrounds, this band comes with a young, fresh sound that can stylishly perform decades of music.

:: The Singers ::
With a uniquely modern R&B/pop style, Tiffany Marchak has been wooing audiences all over Northeast Ohio since her return from the American Idol Season 2 National Semi-Finals in L.A. Most recently, she was a National Semi-Finalist (top 25) for ABC's The One. In addition to winning WKYC's In The Spotlight, she was a Cleveland Idol finalist and has appeared at Pickwick & Frolic, Geauga Lake, and participated in various commercials, corporate videos, and events. When not singing with The Avenue she assists Guinness world record holding magician Rick Smith, Jr.

Geoff Short has become a veteran singer and songwriter who has performed in many musical theater productions, bands and other performing groups over the years. He has written music for radio and television as well as the stage and his jingles and parodies have been heard frequently on Cleveland airwaves. Geoff can often be seen at the area's most popular live theatres, and has been honored with and nominated for many acting awards.

Leigh Peterson began performing professionally at Pickwick & Frolic along with Tiffany. Once named an "Outstanding Jazz Musician" for vocal performance by the IAJE, her proudest moment was appearing live with Neil Young in his musical, Greendale, as an extra dancer.


:: The Band ::
Ray Porrello is the former personal drummer of Sammy Davis Jr. Ray toured the world with Sammy and appeared with him on his TV appearances including The Tonight Show, Merv Griffin, and Mike Douglas, as well as on Sammy's own show, Sammy & Company.

L.R. Smith, the former Keyboard player for the Jerry Bruno Orchestra, has performed with noted acts such as Peter Duchin and The Mills Brothers Show. LR can literally play anything--by memory--at the drop of a hat!

Rounding out The Avenue is a great lineup of professional musicians, including Joe Blues on guitar, Bob Kessler on bass, and optionally, The Avenue Horns to kick it up a notch: featuring BJ Bishop on trombone, Chris Vollstadt on sax, and Nathan Heath on trumpet.

:: CLIENT COMMENTS ::

"We are so happy with our choice of bands! They kept the energy high and had people of all ages on the dance floor the entire night." Toni Congeni & Christopher DeAngelo - June 26, 2010 @ Kalahari Water Park, Sundusky

"The Avenue was, without question, exceptional! We had a fun-loving, dancing crowd at our wedding and without the right band the reception could have flopped. Instead, The Avenue kept us going all night, and were extremely professional from start to finish. The song we requested for the mother-son dance sounded better than the original. Thank you, Geoff, and the rest of The Avenue for contributing (in a BIG way) to an amazing wedding recepion!" Mary Clemens & Mike Kokkinen - June 19, 2010 @ Chautauqua Suites, New York

"You guys did an amazing job, people are still commenting about the band. Thank you once again for learning the father/daughter song. I thought it sounded great and I know they were both happy with it. Take care, we'll be sure to use you in the future as well as recommending the band to others." Joel Carney (Lauren Cecconi wedding) - June 5, 2010 @ Brookside Country Club

"As my children would say, 'They rocked!' The Avenue was recommended to us by Amy Hissa. It was the best advice we received. Our guests all commented that the group catered to all ages...and I can tell you our large dance floor was packed all night. We couldn't believe when Last Dance played at midnight. The night flew by. My daughter and son-in-law loved the current songs and I must admit that 'I Need You Now by Lady Antebellum brought the house down." Linda Schwartz (Erin Schwartz-Forehand wedding) - May 15, 2010 @ Ritz-Carlton

"The Avenue was fabulous! My clients were very pleased with the band and felt they exceeded their expectations! Thanks again!" Amy Hissa, At Last Event Planning (Erin Schwartz wedding) - May 15, 2010 @ Ritz-Carlton

"The Avenue is extremely professional and talented - excellent singers, performers and musicians. A 'class act.' Thank you for helping to make our wedding celebration a lovely evening for all!" Virginia (Aimee) Chappelow - May 1, 2010 @ Walden Country Inn & Stables

"The Avenue made our wedding celebration SPECTACULAR! The dance floor was packed the entire night and guests were shouting for more at the end of the evening. The band certainly knew what to do to keep the party going all night. Thanks so much to Geoff and the Avenue for a fabulous performance!" Danielle Donofrio & Jason Job - Oct. 17, 2009 @ Hilton-Fairlawn

"The Avenue was a fantastic band! They kept the guests on the dance floor all night. We have had a million compliments on how much fun people had at our wedding and how fantastic the band was. Geoff and his crew were top notch and even came out onto the dance floor to dance and sing with our guests. We would (and have) recommended The Avenue and Jerry Bruno to all of our friends and family. Thank you to all of The Avenue for helping to make our wedding a blast!" Rebecca (Avram) & Jimmy Ruggles - Oct. 3, 2009 @ Hillbrook Club

"We had the best night of our life and The Avenue was key to whole plan! They kept everyone on the dance floor all night and provided amazing entertainment! The night couldn't have been better and everyone came up to tell us that the band was amazing! Thank you so much for being creative in working with us to find a way to work within our budget and provide an exceptional band. I hope that they also had a fun night and were well taken care of by the staff at The Country Club." Liz Feldman & Alan Gillmore - Sept. 26, 2009 @ The Country Club

"Chris and I wanted to thank you for the wonderful job your whole band did at our wedding. You made the night special and the singing and dancing you provided were above and beyond. I wanted you to know that our guests are still talking about what a wonderful band 'The Avenue' is and how unique and special they made the night. Thank you again for everything, we had a blast." Erin Neumann & Chris Beard - Sept. 12, 2009 @ Marriott Key Center

"WOW, the wedding was a huge sucess due the performance of THE AVENUE. Erin and Chris were dancing all night, along with their friends and family, they LOVED every moment. We have had compliments on the band since we got home. Thank you for making our childrens wedding a memory to cherish. Needless to say they could have danced the night away, we had to ask for more music, and when you left they still hung around. This a a great band with lots of energy and we would recommend them anytime to anyone." Elaine & Michael Neumann (Erin Neumann & Chris Beard) - Sept. 12, 2009 @ Marriott Key Center

"The Avenue was terrific! Our wedding guests loved having a band to dance to and all of the music was perfect for the setting. Thank you so much!" Naomi (Halasz) & Ben Seeley - July 18, 2009 @ The Oaks Lakeside

"EVERYONE at the wedding has emailed, texted, phoned, or told us in person how amazing the music was. Your band surpassed everything we wished for. It was such a good time, and as you could tell, most people did not want to go home. The musicians were amazing, but your voices were unbelievable. Thanks for a magical night that we will never forget." Clara Stanic (Jessica Stanic & Johnathan Sumers) - June 27, 2009 @ Hillbrook Club

Above photo by Genevieve Nisly Photography

"The Avenue kept the party going all night! The energy was high, the guests were dancing and the whole gala was a success! I would recommend The Avenue to anyone planning a gala, a corporate function or a wedding. They are fantastic!" Carla Valyko, Ohio College Of Podiatric Medicine Gala - May 23, 2009 @ Embassy Suites Independence

"The Avenue's performance and professionalizm were far beyond our expecations. People were blown away by their sound, sophistication and stage presence. We have never heard a better band! We had many guests from NJ, NY and Philadelphia, and they were amazed at how great The Avenue was." Marsha Miller - May 24, 2009 @ Hilton-Easton, Columbus

"The Avenue and Jerry Bruno Productions did a fantastic job at making our big day unforgettable! We had numerous compliments and they kept the dance floor moving...always a must! I highly recommend booking them for your event." Kathy (Naso) & Kevin Alberty - May 16, 2009 @ Renaissance

"The Avenue was amazing and kept everyone dancing all night!" MacKensey Powers & David Tollon - May 2, 2009 @ Cleveland Browns Stadium

"From the keyboardist during the cocktail hour to the terrific dinner music and of course the phenomenal entertainment for the remainder of the reception, our guests continue to praise 'The Avenue.' You kept the energy high throughout the evening and even those guests who do not dance were greatly entertained listening to the group. Very few people left the wedding early--a sure tribute to 'The Avenue.' After the final song, several guests were chanting 'encore' hoping for the evening to continue." Jeff and Judy Shafer (Brooke Shafer & Steve Cornell) - April 25, 2009 @ Marriott Key Center

"The Avenue played at our wedding and got the guests dancing all night long. The #1 compliment from our guests was regarding how fantastic the band is. Everyone enjoyed the night from cocktails to the reception. We had them play our first dance song and it was sung and played perfectly. The memories created by a live band are priceless. We are so happy we chose The Avenue. The band was professional, fun to watch, and the musicians not only sounded great but looked amazing." Tina Hanna & Chris Seink - Oct. 17, 2008 @ Wyndham Cleveland

"We just wanted to thank you for putting on such a great performance at our wedding. We received many compliments on the band and had lots of fun dancing!" Christy (Shumaker) & Greg Zydyk - May 5, 2007 @ Walden Country Inn & Stables

"What a great party band! They started off strong and kept the energy going all night long." Jennifer Atkins, Chagrin Valley Women's Leauge - April 21, 2007 @ Signature of Solon

"Oh, you guys were great! I was told that this was the first time in 20 years that the guests stayed and danced past 9:30!!! Thank you so much, I must say that you guys made our function a success!" Patricia Bragg - EMH Medical Center Auxiliary Fund Raiser Ball - Nov. 4, 2006 @ Elyria C.C.

"WOW – we were really happy with the way things turned out...it’s a real testament to the fun atmosphere that you guys helped create that there were still 100 people on the dance floor at the end of the night." Meredith Paige & Jason Kroot - Oct. 21, 2006 @ Fairlawn C.C.

"Your band did a great job at the Paige/Kroot wedding. It surely looked like everyone was having a good time and lots of dancing!! Thanks so much. All the dancing is proof that the guests are liking it!!" - Isabelle Gordon, wedding planner

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Song List

View The Avenue's Song List in PDF File

Above live photos by www.CirinoPhoto.com


Above photo by New Image Photography


Above Photo by Genevieve Nisly Photography

Above photos by Grand Lubell Photography


Photo by Positive Negative Photography