Colorado celebrates Monk, and other top-flight jazz listings | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

The week in live music begins with a bang when Panamanian-born pianist Danilo Pérez wraps up his two-night stay at Dazzle, 1512 Curtis, on Thursday at 6 and 8:30 p.m. (303-839-5100). The pianist is probably best known for being part of Wayne Shorter’s magical rhythm section, but he is a player to behold in any context. This year marks the centennial of Thelonious Monk’s birth and Pérez got a head start on that celebration in 1996 when he released his album PanaMonk.

For this “Monk and more” evening, Pérez has very strong trio-mates in bassist Ben Street and drummer Adam Cruz. If Street or Cruz were here on his own, they would be worth the price of admission.

Also on the Monk centennial front, keep in mind that singer Sheryl Renee and KUVO are holding a Colorado Centennial Celebration for Monk on October 20 at the Field House Event Venue, 1600 Federal Blvd. (fieldhouseeventvenue.com). The Tenia Nelson’s Spherio Trio and actor/singer Rome Neal are also part of the festivities that start at 7 p.m. Additionally on the centennial celebration front, singer Tina Phillips and the Art Lande Quartet salute Ella Fitzgerald at the Peak View Jazz Supper Club, 4500 W. 10^th St. in Greeley, at 8 p.m. on October 13 with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. (970-353-2267).

Returning to the current week, keyboardist Erik Deutsch is back in town with a band that has Ron Miles on trumpet/cornet, Victoria Reed on guitar/voice, Paul McDaniel on bass and Kneebody trumpeter Shane Endsley on drums. The group is at Caffe Sole, 637R S. Broadway in Boulder (303-499-2985) on Friday. Deutsch, who played with Miles in Denver, went on to join guitarist Charlie Hunter and gain national recognition. Caffe Sole also has the Boulder Brazilian Band on stage on Saturday at 7 p.m.

At the Soiled Dove, 7401 E. 1^st Ave., there is a string of jazz activity this week. On Thursday, guitarist Tuck Andress and singer Patti Cathcart are on stage at 8 p.m. (303-366-0007). Tuck and Patti have been around for quite a while as a duo and have influenced more than their fair share of fellow musicians. On Friday, at the Dove, it’s pianist Keiko Matsui at 7 and 10 p.m. Matsui is part of line of strong women pianist from Japan that started with Toshiko Akiyoshi; and she is comfortable in all types of the music. And that brings us to the crossover side of things and saxophonist Eric Darius and guitarist Adam Hawley who will be at the Dove on Saturday also at 7 and 10 p.m.

Moving on to the blues side of things, blues master Sammy Mayfield has his Blues Revue at Dazzle on Saturday at 6:30 and 9 p.m. and, in a change of pace, the Colorado Symphony holds its first event in the Chamber Music Series at Dazzle on Sunday starting at 6 p.m. The CSO’s violinist Claude Sim (who also plays mandolin) is part of the chamber group along with guitarist Dan Schwindt and bassist Eduardo “Bijoux” Barbosa.

On Friday to start the weekend, Dazzle, in line with the Great American Beer Festival has an after party at 7 p.m. from Odell Brewing with the Adam Bodine Trio. And, after the weekend, Dazzle has vibraphonist Rocco Williams and his quartet on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and a jazz-jam on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Friday also offers an event called Jazz at the Dairy from Pathways to Jazz. The event features players such as pianist Annie Booth, saxophonists Anisha Rush and Sam Williams and a group drawn from the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra. The music is at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, 2590 Walnut, at 7:30 p.m. (303-440-7826).   

At La Cour, among the many jazz listings there, there are a few items to mention: singer Teresa Carroll and Stuart Macaskie on Saturday; singer Rekha Ohal and clarinetist Dexter Payne; and the fine pianist Lenore Raphael with guitarist Wayne Wilkinson on Wednesday. All the shows begin at 7 p.m. (303-777-5000). That’s the same time that all the music at Nocturne, 1330 27^th St., begins Tuesday through Saturday (303-295-3333). This week’s lineup is: the Sam Williams Quartet on Thursday; Sinatra by the Robert Johnson Band on Friday; the Gabriel Mervine Quartet on Saturday; Peter Stolzman’s trio on Tuesday; and the Money Jungle Double Drummer Series on Wednesday. 

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