Denver Jazz Fest Presents: The Motet & Ghost-Note with Special Guests

TICKETS - doors at 7 p.m.

The Motet: A new beginning can happen at any time. No matter where you may be on your journey, you can always start over once again.

After 26 years, nine albums, and over a thousand shows, The Motet embark on another chapter galvanized in equal measure by their longstanding bond and a surge of fresh energy. The genre-breaking group—Dave Watts [drums], Joey Porter [keys], Garrett Sayers [bass], Drew Sayers [keys, saxophone], and Ryan Jalbert [guitar]—officially welcome Sarah Clarke [lead vocals] to the family. Their inimitable instrumental interplay proves just as fiery as ever, while her addition only fuels their collective flame higher.

They ignite a new era with their 2024 full-length album and first with Sarah on the mic, "Love Time."

The Motet bubbled up out of Colorado back in 1998. Their catalog has grown to encompass a bevy of fan favorite albums. In between, they have packed houses coast-to-coast. The band has impressively headlined their hometown Red Rocks Amphitheatre seven times, as well as gracing the bills of Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra, to name a few.

The Motet first crossed paths with Sarah on tour. Blown away by her performance with her band Dirty Revival, Dave kept in touch and asked her to sing at a handful of Bay Area shows in 2022. Sparks flew, chemistry sizzled, and the collaboration showed immense promise. She soon found herself in the studio with the group, lending her powerhouse pipes to “Natural Light” and “We Got U,” paving the way for the new album Love Time.

As this new chapter gets underway, there’s still nothing like getting lost in the world of The Motet.

Ghost-Note: Continuing to tour the world after the release of their acclaimed April 2024 album Mustard n’Onions on Mack Avenue Records, Ghost-Note is led by drummer Robert “Sput” Searight and features musicians who have performed and recorded with Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Herbie Hancock, Snarky Puppy, Marcus Miller, Kirk Franklin, and other icons. Ghost-Note is bracing in their virtuosity, affecting in their soulfulness, and inspired in their sonic choices. Their live shows are a tour de force of funk with dazzling solos and air-tight arrangements that will have you dancing and shaking your head in awe. The massive Percussion and horn-driven band delivers a “mind-blowing healing sensation that is positively, unapologetically funky.”