There’s more diverse live music scheduled to occur today in Denver and nearby mountain communities than we sometimes get the opportunity to absorb in an entire month. So may I suggest putting off mowing the lawn or defragging your computer? Those will be there later.
Greatest hit.
The Winter Park Jazz Festival concludes today with perhaps the finest of all “smooth” saxophonists — David Sanborn. An instrumental everyman who has recorded with Eric Clapton and Steely Dan, his expressive tone appeals to casual listeners, as well as jazz snobs — no small feat. He’s as comfortable backing up James Taylor as he is paying tribute to the late avant-garde titan Julius Hemphill, so you probably have some of his solos on your shelf without even knowing it. Also featured: Norman Brown’s Summer Storm and Denver’s reliable vocalist Hazel Miller. All at Hideaway Park; consult for tickets.
Historic roots.
The Evergreen Jazz Festival also wraps up today with a swingin’ blowout including James Dapogny’s Chicago Jazz Band, Queen City Jazz Band, Rain Dogs and the Hot Tomatoes Jazz Orchestra. Certainly these licks have been heard before but rarely at this altitude and in such pristine surroundings. And this is as close as we’ll likely get to the fabled Dick Gibson Jazz Parties of Vail and Aspen held decades ago. Discover more about the infinite variations of “I Got Rhythm” at .
Free!
This summer’s free Sunday concerts at Denver’s City Park are almost exhausted, but a couple of dates remain, including tonight’s appearance by Colorado vocalist Lisa Bell, who belts out notable mainstream jazz. Next Sunday’s show with Funkiphino ends the 22nd season. The music starts at 6 p.m. at the City Park bandstand.
Dazzling.
Meanwhile, saxophonist Kenny Garrett finishes his three-night run at Dazzle with two sets, at 7 and 9 p.m. Seemingly re-energized by a new record deal and a funky, organ-based group, Garrett’s stellar track record on disc promises the most challenging and possibly rewarding music to be heard in any local setting today.
Disc report.
The critical consensus regarding saxophonist James Carter has been that he’s too much of a showoff. Blazing up and down his arsenal of horns at lightning speed, I’ll agree that many of his recordings were somewhat exhausting, but with so many ideas cleverly executed, his music has been consistently invigorating, as well. If you’ve got it, why not flaunt it?
Carter turns his excesses down a notch on “Present Tense” (Emarcy), perhaps in the hope that he’ll be more accessible to a larger audience. And this time, the compromise adds up to punchier results with an emphasis on group interplay instead of a dizzying one-man show.
Carter still comes out full force on “Rapid Shave,” where his aggressive prowess on baritone sax is demonstrated. He follows up with some heady bass clarinet work in tribute to “Bro. (Eric) Dolphy” and plays swooning tenor on the ballad “Sussa Nita.” It would be easy to assume that this is a various-artists collection if it weren’t for the confident expertise that Carter employs on every track. No matter his horn, it’s self-assuredly him.
But ultimately what makes “Present Tense” stand out is the feeling that this is a group of musicians communicating so easily with one another. Pianist D.D. Jackson has made a series of bright but overlooked discs, and the name of trumpeter Dwight Adams is new to me. But here, Carter shares the spotlight with them to the extent that their solos appear before his own on “Rapid Shave,” which subtly tells us that while his name is above the title, he knows that there are rewards for gracious collaboration. The new consensus should be that he is much more than an unstoppable woodwind monster.
Set list.
Joe Bonner plays solo piano at the Mercury Cafe tonight . . . singer Curtis Stigers is slated for the Soiled Dove Underground on Friday . . . vocalist and songwriter K.J. Denhert appears at Dazzle on Saturday . . . a benefit for KUVO-FM features New Orleans singer John Boutte at Denver’s Balistreri Vineyards Aug. 9 . . . the lineup for the Five Points Jazz and Blues Festival includes The Blackbyrds, Jeffrey Osborne, Poncho Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval and Pieces of a Dream. It’s being held Aug. 23-29. Hey, isn’t something else happening in Denver that week? Go to denverjazz .
