Jazz will thrive as long as there’s a new breed of artists willing to leap into uncharted sonic territory and come back with something new. They’re not Grammy-grabbers yet, but here are a few emerging talents scheduled to play in Denver in the next couple of weeks:
Tonight, saxophonist John Ellis promotes his inventive “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” CD at Dazzle with the Double-Wide group. Ellis displays an advanced vocabulary on his instrument, but it’s the collective soul of the band that really clicks. Drummer Jason Marsalis (of the esteemed Marsalis family) provides the generous New Orleans spirit, interacting with daring organist Gary Versace and the punchy tuba of Matt Perrine in place of a bass. The performances on the disc are clever and occasionally euphoric. Expect an abundance of talent deserving wider recognition, as they say in Downbeat.
Frank Vignola has mastered so many styles of jazz that he’s hard to pin down; his guitar could fit in with a traditional jazz combo as easily as with a blazing fusion group. He’s absorbed huge chunks of history, from Django Reinhardt to Bill Frisell, and he doesn’t appear in Denver that often, so the open-minded should take in his Oriental Theater show on Sept. 17. He expertly took on the compositions of George Gershwin on last year’s CD, but what direction he chooses for his local appearance is anybody’s guess.
An inordinately high number of jazz vocalists have been paraded across our stages and airwaves in recent years, many to great acclaim and even elusive disc sales in jazz. Chicago- based Kurt Elling, scheduled for the Soiled Dove Underground on Sept. 17, has issued as consistent a string of releases as anyone, but he’s never received the attention he deserves. He can replicate famous instrumental solos vocally, and he can croon as forcefully as any male vocalist of his generation. It’s just a matter of time before he breaks through to rooms that seat thousands, so hear him in an intimate venue while you still can.
Will Bernard has been just below the radar for a number of years. He jousted with fellow guitarist Charlie Hunter in the nearly forgotten T.J. Kirk 15 years ago, a band that balanced easygoing humor with tributes to Thelonious Monk, James Brown and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. More recently he’s been applying his funk-drenched showmanship to a solo career, with uplifting results. His upcoming Palmetto release, “Blue Plate Special” utilizes star organist John Medeski for a series of slightly bent adventures; proof that he’s unafraid to push his solos into rugged terrain. He’ll bring his working band to Dazzle on Sept. 20.
Set List.
Local pianist and vocalist Ellyn Rucker will be the subject of two nights of appreciation with a host of Denver musicians at Dazzle on Thursday and Friday . . . New Orleans’ thunderous Dirty Dozen Brass Band takes over the Fox Theatre on Friday . . . DjangoFest Colorado brings many swing-based guitarists, including John Jorgenson, Robin Nolan and Gonzalo Bergara to Crested Butte Sept. 19-21 . . . this year’s Summit Jazz concerts will be held at Four Points by Sheraton Denver Southwest on Sept. 26-28 with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, Summit Jazz All Stars and more. Get more information at summit .
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; bret_saunders@hotmail.com.
