Joe Bonner is one of many stellar jazz musicians who are known around the globe but call Colorado their home.
The luminous pianist chooses to ply his trade in the shadow of the Rockies, and the Denver-Boulder scene has been the better for it for many years. Born in Rocky Mount, N.C., (also the hometown of the immortal keyboard wizard Thelonious Monk), Bonner settled in the area following a long stint with saxophone titan Pharoah Sanders and a string of critically admired albums released under his own leadership. The experience of Bonner on a good night in a local venue can practically transport you to a New York club.
But jazz-lovers know that a life in the music business comes with few benefits, including a sound health plan. So it was heartening to learn earlier this year that Bonner was to be the recipient of a much-needed “extreme dental makeover,” with the assistance of the Delta Dental organization and the unceasingly benevolent Denver chapter of Volunteers of America. To help pay off the balance of Bonner’s new smile, a benefit will be held at Dazzle beginning at 5 p.m. today.
“I’ve just been through eight weeks of surgery,” Bonner, 57, says of his dental reconstruction. “But it’s great. I’ve never received proper dental care until now.”
Finally, Bonner can smile with confidence when he regales his acquaintances with stories of his jazz career. And he enjoys telling tales of his brushes with some of the greats in the music’s history.
He claims that he dated Monk’s daughter when living in New York, and that he lived next door to trumpeter Miles Davis in the ’70s.
So, what was Miles really like? “He was a complete (expletive),” Bonner says with a laugh. “Actually, he protected himself from the outside world. But once you got to know him, he really was beautiful.”
With a promising career as one of New York’s top pianists, what brought him to Colorado?
“It just happened out of the clear blue sky,” he says. “I drove a car out to Las Vegas and delivered it to its owners in 1978. From there I just got on a bus and found myself here.
“I like the weather. And places like Boulder and Evergreen remind me of Europe.”
“In this day and age, when health care isn’t easily available, it’s nice to see that people can come together and change somebody’s life like this,” said Denver bassist Andrew Hudson, who will perform with the pianist as a part of his tastily monikered quartet The Bonner Party.
In addition to Bonner and his group, Denverites will have the opportunity to become acquainted with vocalist Rene Marie, a masterful performer capable of conjuring the spirits of Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan. Marie has enjoyed a string of successful releases on the Maxjazz label.
Joe Bonner and the Bonner Party and Rene Marie with various Denver musicians perform a benefit for Bonner, 5-9 p.m. today at Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge, 930 Lincoln St. Tickets are $15. A brief auction will include Frontier Airline tickets and dinner certificates. Call 303-839-5100 for details.
Set list
The Winter Park Jazz Festival concludes today with Warren Hill, Hazel Miller and Indie.Arie. Call 800-977-6198 for tickets. … Garage a Trois, featuring guitarist Charlie Hunter, supports its rollicking new disc, the soundtrack for the film “Outre Mer,” at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday and Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom on Thursday. … The Derek Trucks Band plays Cervantes’ on Friday. … The Telluride Jazz Celebration features Guest of Honor bassist Ron Carter and other fine bassists like Dave Holland and Denver’s Ken Walker in addition to such performers as John Scofield and Lizz Wright on Aug. 5-7. Go to telluridejazz.com for tickets and lodging. … Jazz in the Sangres happens in Westcliffe on Aug. 12-14 with Ernie Andrews and Rene Marie. Visit jazzinthesangres.com.
Bret Saunders’ column on jazz appears every other Sunday in A&E. Saunders is host of the “KBCO Morning Show,” 5:30-10 a.m. weekdays at 97.3-FM.
