Set in New Orleans three months after Katrina, the new HBO series Treme revolves around the music of the Crescent City, including jazz. It’s certainly a nice change of pace to watch a show on television that consistently refers to jazz players and includes cameo appearances by artists like McCoy Tyner. In the show’s first episode, a second-line parade ends at a bar where a Henry Butler Homeland CD poster is prominently displayed on the wall. (That 2004 CD, by the way is on Basin Street Records.)
    Katrina swept Butler to Colorado; and this week, the great pianist/singer performs Friday at Swallow Hill’s Daniels Hall on a bill that also features guitarist Raul Midon and at a “Signature” fundraising event for KUVO-FM on Saturday. The concert at Swallow Hill, 71 E. Yale, is at 8 p.m. ($28/$26 members, 303-777-1003), while the “Butler, Blues and Barbeque” party takes place in the home of George and Denise Peck (for reservations, 303-480-9272, ext. 13).
    Butler, who is just back after performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, is a true piano professor in the Crescent City tradition and it’s always a treat to hear him play. New Orleans is also represented this week by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band that takes the stage at the Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax, on Friday ($16.50-$21,  303-322-2308). The show starts at 9 p.m. with an opening act before the Dirty Dozen does its extremely infectious thing.
    On Thursday, saxophonist Max Wagner and pianist John Hayden’s quartet is at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln, at 7 and 9 p.m. ($10, 303-839-5100), followed by the strong and straight-ahead Convergence sextet that takes the stage at Dazzle at 7 and 9 p.m. on Friday ($15). Also on Friday, Pieces of a Dream hits the Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E. 1st Ave., at 8 p.m. Formed in Philadelphia in 34-years ago (and named for a tune by Stanley Turrentine), the jazz-oriented, R&B flavored early discs by the band were produced by Grover Washington Jr. The group still contains original members Curtis Harmon and James Lloyd and its current CD is titled Soul Intent. At the Dove, the band plays at 7 p.m. (sold out) and 10 p.m. ($35, 303-366-0007).
    Returning to Saturday, guitarist Corey Christiansen is back at the Broadway Music School, 1940 S. Broadway, for a workshop at noon and a performance at 7:30 p.m. with Jeff Jenkins on Hammond B-3 and Jim White on drums ($35 for workshop and concert/$20 each in advance, 303-777-0833). Also on Saturday, the high-powered, nine-piece, Bill Chase tribute band called Chased is at Dazzle at 7 and 9 p.m. ($15). And, for Mother’s Day on Sunday, the fine pianist Ellyn Rucker and singer Joni Janak lead a quartet at Dazzle at 7 p.m. ($10). Mother’s Day is also the last day for the engaging, Latin-tinged, Tony-winning musical In the Heights at the Buell Theater in the Denver Performing Arts Complex (303-893-4100).
    Looking past the weekend, young drummer Michael Nourafshan has a trio at Dazzle on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ($10), while keyboardist Erik Deutsch, who been busy working with guitarist Charlie Hunter and others since moving east, is back in town at the club on Lincoln with a trio (drummer Colin Stranahan and bassist Greg Garrison) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ($10). On May 13, the trio also performs at Boulder’s Laughing Goat, 1709 Pearl, at 8:30 p.m. (303-440-4628). Deutsch’s new CD, I should add, is Hush Money.
Normanprovizer@aol.com