Autumn Jazz Events Continue To Blossom | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

While the month of October offers on ongoing spotlight on ECM recording artists at Dazzle, that top-notch series isn’t the only musical game in town. On Tuesday and Wednesday, to use one prominent example, the NEA Jazz Master guitarist Pat Metheny makes a couple of stops armed with his mighty, current group made up of longtime drummer Antonio Sánchez, who was born in Mexico City, Malaysian/Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh and British pianist Gwilym Simcock.

On Tuesday, that group is at the Boulder Theater, 2030 14^th St. in Boulder, at 8 p.m. (303-786-7030). Then on Wednesday, the band moves to Denver and the Newman Center, 2344 E. Iliff on the University of Denver campus, to launch the Center’s 2018-2019 Jazz Series at 7:30 p.m. (303-871-7720). Since 1977 and his original group, Metheny has been one of the most visible and most adventurous guitarists on the jazz scene. He has literally done it all. By the way, the Center’s 2017-2018 Jazz Series included drummer Sanchez doing his solo soundtrack to the movie Birdman. This year’s series also has: a free concert by the Army’s Jazz Ambassadors (Oct. 20); pianist Cyrus Chestnut with the Turtle Island Quartet (Nov. 16); Dianne Reeves (Dec. 6); trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (Feb. 26); and pianist Vijay Iyer’s sextet (May 9).

The ECM connection also continues this week. On Tuesday and Wednesday at Dazzle, 1512 Curtis, you can find with Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan doing solo sets each of those nights at 8 p.m. (303-839-5100). Though Hamasyan’s current CD is on the Nonesuch label, he also has discs on ECM. In 2006, Hamasyan was the winner of the Thelonious Monk Piano Competition. And if you want to how impressive that is consider that second place that year went to Gerald Clayton (who was at Dazzle this past week with John Scofield’s band) and the third spot went to Aaron Parks. Those are major league players.

In between the visiting artists, Dazzle also has a Pathways to Jazz Showcase on Thursday that features both the Rico Jones Quintet and the Emily Takahashi Quintet starting at 7 p.m. Later on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. , there’s a local take on the ECM Spotlight with the performing arts collective Witches and Science performing works by Estonian composer Arvo Part who is also connected to the ECM label. On Saturday, it’s drummer Paa Kow, originally from Ghana, on stage at 6:30 and 9 p.m. And on Sunday at 6 p.m., Dazzle has singer/pianist Rekha Ohal doing the music of Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Up at the Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Rd. in Broomfield, on Friday, there’s clarinetist Dexter Payne doing New Orleans Jazz and Brazil at 7:30 (720-887-2371). At the Pace Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave. in Parker, on Friday, there’s the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra Sextet offering up its Night in New Orleans with singer Robert Johnson. Over at Nocturne, 1330 27^th St., the week in music starts on Wednesday with the Mayhem Trio with Eric Gunnison on piano, Mike Marlier on drums and Bijoux Barbosa on bass at 7 p.m. (303-295-3333). There’s music at Nocturne every except Sunday and Monday.

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