Jazz News: Underground Music Showcase ends; First Friday Jazz Hop; Colorado Black Arts Festival
This is Jazz News, a look at what’s news in jazz, music, and the arts.
The talk of the local music scene last week was the announcement that the Underground Music Showcase ends this year, its 25th year of operation, on July 25 through 27.
Jami Duffy, co-manager of UMS and executive director of Youth on Record, told Emily Ferguson at Westword, "Every year is a bit of a nail-biter… we've really been having conversations in the past couple of months as we've seen ticket sales and rising costs."
The festival was founded in 2001 as a grassroots effort by a couple of Denver Post reporters at the time, Ricardo Baca and John Moore, and it went through a succession of major partners and owners. When Youth on Record came on board, it added more tools and resources for artists. Duffy called the UMS “a cultural zeitgeist,” adding that advance notice of the cancellation allows fans to celebrate the event’s finale properly.
People still ask about the Five Points Jazz Festival, which is no more. Instead, venue owners along Welton Street have opted for a once-a-month series of showcases called “Jazz Hop.” Usually on the first Friday, this month’s event is this coming July 11, with artists at nine venues from 4 p.m. to midnight. Artists include a few we’ve met on The Morning Set: Chantil Dukart Trio at TeaLee’s Tea House, Enmanuel Alexander and Friends at Marigold, and KUVO host Ayana Contreras DJ’s a set called “A Jazz Odyssey Outpost” at the Welton Room at 26th and Welton.(SOURCE: Five Points Business District / Jazz Hop)
And this coming weekend, a staple of the summer cultural scene arrives, the Colorado Black Arts Festival at Denver City Park. In addition to the clothes and jewelry, and food, there are four stages:
The Kuumba Stage - the creativity stage featuring Neo-Soul, R & B, Blues, Jazz, World Beat, Hip Hop, and Traditional Dance. Contemporary jazz guitarist Adam Hawley is the headliner Saturday night at 7.
The F. Cosmo Harris Gospel Stage, with KUVO’s own Ricky O as opening and closing DJ, choirs, praise teams, dancers, and small groups. brother jeff’s Cultural Center stage features local talent curated from years of jam sessions.
And Joda’s Village – named for longtime master drummer, dancer and educator Adetunji Joda – will be the African expression of the festival, with interpretations of modern dance, tap, capoeira, Caribbean and African dance, spoken word, African roots music, reggae, African drum, and African American folk music. (SOURCE: CBAF / Performance Stages)
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