Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes: Sept. 4th

Jazz Notes 9-4-2014, Norman Provizer

With or without rain, September is going to be a good month for music. Here’s a little preview. On September 11-12, drummer Rudy Royston returns home with his impressive sextet, named 303, for two nights at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln. Born in Fort Worth, Royston grew up in Denver where he played with a number of folk, most notably trumpeter Ron Miles. In 2006, he decided to go east with his wife Shamie Fuller Royston – a quality keyboardist who belongs to one of Denver’s most notable jazz families.

In the New York area, Royston quickly proved that he had the right stuff to play in the big leagues, working with a wide range of players, including trumpeter Dave Douglas and guitarist Bill Frisell. And in this year’s DownBeat “Critics Poll,” Royston captured the top spot in the rising-star drummer category. The 303 septet also features the superb saxophonist Jon Irabagon.

As the fates would have it, guitarist Frisell, with whom Royston works, is at Dazzle right after the drummer. He is there on September 13-14 for a tribute to the great guitarist Jim Hall, who died in 2013. In Denver, Frisell reconnects with his guitar teacher Dale Bruning in sextet that also has Miles on trumpet. Like Royston, Frisell was born somewhere else (in his case Baltimore) but grew up in Denver.

A little later in the month, the tenor saxophone moves front and center when Ravi Coltrane brings his quartet to Dazzle on September 25-26. The son of John and Alice Coltrane, Ravi, who now records for Blue Note, has developed into a significant player in his own right. Strikingly, he will be here just weeks before the 50^th anniversary of his father’s December recording of A Love Supreme. That album, which was released in February 1965 (two years and five months before Coltrane’s death), is among the most important ever produced and it was all done in one day at Rudy Van Gelder’s New Jersey studio.

As soon as the younger Coltrane wraps up his stay at Dazzle, saxophonist Mark Turner moves into the club on Lincoln on September 27 with his quartet. He is one of the brighter, saxophone lights to come on the scene in some time. And outside of Dazzle, you can get your groove on when the Soulive trio appears at the Ogden Theater on September 19-20.

Moving to the current week, pianist Neil Bridge brings Rhythm Express with singer Karen Lee to Dazzle on Thursday at 7 p.m. ($12, 303-839-5100), followed on Friday by the monthly appearance of Convergence at the club at 7 and 9 p.m. ($15). The, on Saturday, saxophonist Aakaash Mittal’s Awaz Trio is at Dazzle at 7 and 9 p.m. ($20/$15 students for both sets). Like saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, Mittal blends his jazz sensibility with an exploration of his family roots in India. Mittal is back home after spending an extended period in India studying Hindustani night ragas. His Awaz Trio has Matt Fuller on guitar and Raja Swaminathan on mridangam (a double-headed drum from southern India).

On Sunday, the fine pianist Eric Gunnison leads a trio at Dazzle at 7 p.m. with Kent McLagan on bass and Matt Houston on drums ($12). Then, on Monday, it’s the 16-piece Legacy Jazz Orchestra at Dazzle at 7 p.m. ($10). Come Tuesday, swing dancing hits the jazz spot on Lincoln with trumpeter/singer Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles Jazz Band at 7 p.m. ($8). And on Wednesday, it’s a quartet led by saxophonist John Diaz-Cortes at Dazzle at 7 p.m. ($8).