Toshiko Akiyoshi - Telluride Jazz Festival Guest of Honor

By Norman Provizer

  The Telluride Jazz Celebration, which returns to its traditional early August date on the calendar this year, is Colorado’s premier jazz festival. The three-day event that runs from Aug. 6 until Aug. 8 has Toshiko Akiyoshi has its guest of honor this time around along with bassist Stanley Clarke’s band featuring pianist Hiromi, the great vocalist Dianne Reeves, guitarists Larry Coryell, Charlie Hunter and Raul Midon, Hammond B-3 man Dr. Lonnie Smith, saxophonist Lew Tabackin, pianist Chuchito Valdes Jr., the Greyboy All Stars and a host of others. In addition to the outdoor festivities, the celebration also offers music latter in the evening in several venues around the town. There is an all-inclusive weekend pass available in addition to tickets for the music on individual days (970-728-7009). 

  If you can’t make it to the mountain town, you can get a taste of the music on Wednesday when the Havana-born Valdes brings his Afro-Cuban Quintet event to the Mount Vernon Country Club in Golden before the group hits Telluride. The grandson of Bebo Valdes and the son of Chucho Valdes, Chuchito takes to the keyboard like a fish takes to water. The result is a musical blend of Latin spice on top of solid jazz piano playing. Before the music kicks in at 8 p.m., Mount Vernon offers its superb buffet dinner starting at 6 p.m. ($44.95 for food and the music, $16 for the sounds alone, 303-526-0616. Mount Vernon Country Club is located west of Denver not far from exit 254 on I-70. 

  While Valdes brings down the curtain on the week in music, San Francisco singer Lisa Engelken gets things started with a stop at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln, on Thursday. Engelken, who is originally from the plains of Kansas, did some east coasting before her move way out west. On her CD Caravan, the vocalist covers a variety of music from standards to pop tunes, as well as an engaging version of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” for which she penned the lyrics and labeled “From the Earth.” Engelken can dig in and she can certainly purr with a Billie Holiday-like pinched sound dominating several of the tracks. Engelken sings at 7 and 9 p.m. with pianist Steve Denny’s trio plus trumpeter Gabe Mervine ($10, 303-839-5100). 

  In between Valdes and Engelken, the very popular group Spyro Gyra hits the Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E. 1st Ave., on Friday at 8 p.m. ($40-$45, 303-366-0007). Formed in Buffalo in the mid-1970s by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and pianist Jeremy Wall, Spyro Gyra released its first album in 1978. The next year the band, with Tom Schuman also on keyboards, had a giant hit with its disc Morning Dance. The current group that’s on the 2009 CD Down to the Wire has Julio Fernandez on guitar, Scott Ambush on bass and Bonny B on drums and vocals in addition to Beckenstein and Schuman. 

  Also, this week finds bassist Ken Walker doing his monthly date at Dazzle on Friday, but with an interesting twist. Instead of his regular sextet, the outstanding bassist as his Vibe Quintet featuring Chris Lee on vibraphone, Al Hood on trumpet, Dave Corbus on guitar and Jim White on drums ($12). On Saturday, the sextet co-led by trumpeter Bob Montgomery and trombonist Al Hermann is on stage at Dazzle at 7 and 9 p.m. ($14). A few days latter, the group is also part of the festivities in Telluride.  Then, on Sunday, the Generations Jazz Ensemble with music director Steve Christopher is at Dazzle at 7 p.m. ($10) followed by the Legacy Jazz Orchestra at the club on Monday at 7 p.m. ($5). 

   On a final note: In addition to the Telluride Jazz Celebration, next week also offers a special treat in Denver when the knock-out saxophonist Chris Potter comes to town to perform at Dazzle with Convergence on Aug. 5-6. Potter is simply an incredible player.

Normanprovizer@aol.com
 

By Norman Provizer

by Norm Provizer

By Norman Provizer

By Norman Provizer

By Norman Provizer

Norman Provizer

By Norman Provizer

BY NORMAN PROVIZER

Estes Park Jazz Festival celebrates its 20th Edition!