Colorado’s summer storm of jazz festivals moves to Longmont this week for the two- day Longmont Jazz Festival. The free event runs Saturday and Sunday starting at noon in the Pavilion at Roosevelt Park, located at Longs Peak Ave. and Coffman St. On Saturday, the event offers the high-school Longmont All-Stars, After Midnight with Roger Campbell, Manuel Lopez’s Latin Jazz Project and the Bob Montgomery Quintet before wrapping up with the Marc Sabatella/Wendy Fopeano Quartet that hits the stage at 6:20 p.m. 

The sounds pick up again at noon on Sunday with the Gabe Mervine Quartet, the Wil Swindler Elevenet and Mark Sloniker. The Crystal Swing Band closes things down on Sunday starting at 5 p.m. This is the 12th edition of the festival in Longmont that provides a very nice blend of the music’s various styles. You can bring your own food and chairs to the event (longmontjazz.org). 

A number of the area-based players on the festival’s program are also appearing in other contexts this week. For example, pianist Sabatella is at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln, on Thursday at 7 and 9 p.m. with a trio ($10/$8 students, 303-839-5100) while trumpeter Montgomery brings the sextet he co-leads with trombonist Al Herman that has Marguerite Juenemann on vocals to the Broadway Music School, 1940 S. Broadway, for a 7:30 p.m. concert on Friday ($15, 303-777-0833). That sextet also includes Sabatella on piano. 

On Sunday, following its performance in Longmont, Swindler’s Elevenet is also on stage at Dazzle starting at 7 p.m. to pay tribute to Gil Evans. Swindler is a recipient of the prestigious Gil Evans fellowship and he certainly knows his way around the great arranger/composer/s music. 

Additionally at Dazzle this week, there’s trumpeter Pete Olstad’s tribute to the trumpeters of swing and bop on Friday at 7 and 9 p.m. ($10), as well as something different with an appearance by singer/storyteller Somi on Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m. ($20). Born in Illinois to parents who were from Rwanda and Uganda, the singer spent her early childhood in Zambia. Her most recent CD is If the Rains Come First that has trumpeter Hugh Masakela as a guest. To keep it simple, you might say that she produces compelling world music with a jazz twist. Before the music on Saturday at Dazzle, there’s an added, special activity when writer Cicily Janus and photographer Ned Radisnky are on hand from 4 until 6 p.m. to launch their new book, The New Face of Jazz. It’s a book that will create its own buzz.     

Also on tap this week, trumpeter Ron Miles brings a trio to Boulder’s Blending Cellar, 946 Pearl, on Thursday starting at 7 p.m. ($10, reservation needed 303-447-0475) and the Gift of Jazz presents the latest of its Blind Tiger home concerts on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. with pianist Jeff Jenkins’ quartet. The quartet (that has Keith Oxman on saxophone) revisits the music of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme – and there’s food (reservations at giftofjazz.org).

The Neil Bridge 7+ band is also at Nissi’s, 2675 N. Park Ave. in Lafayette, at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday (303-579-9135), while Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue is at the Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax, at 9 p.m. on Thursday ($20, 800-745-3000). Shorty (a.k.a. Troy Andrews) is a young New Orleans native who knows how to groove and party Crescent City style. The trombonist (and trumpeter and keyboardist and singer) has a CD out on Verve titled Backatown. If you are having New Orleans withdrawal now that the HBO series Treme has finished its first season, the Bluebird is the place to be for a dose of the Big Easy.
Normanprovizer@aol.com