A Sizzling Start to September Music Events | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

  Labor Day weekend marks the winding down of summer, the winding up, every four years, of the race for the White House and the time to celebrate the Vail Jazz Party.  After Dick Gibson’s famed Labor Day Jazz Party came to an end, the Vail event stepped up to help fill the void. Now in its 22^nd year, the Vail party continues to be the most jazz-oriented of the jazz festivals in the state.

On Thursday, the Vail Jazz at Vail Square series offers an introduction to the Labor Day weekend party when the party’s house band (John and Jeff Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon and Lewis Nash) joins the Vail Jazz Alumni Quintet and the Vail Jazz All-Stars in the tent at Lionshead at 6 p.m. On Saturday, that tent then houses the afternoon sessions of the Vail Jazz Party that run through Monday. The Friday through Sunday evening events of the jazz party move into the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort’s grand ballroom.

Drummer Jeff Hamilton’s trio and Guilty Pleasures with drummer Matt Wilson are also on the party’s bill along with a host of individual artists (including guitarist Diego Figueiredo, trumpeter Byron Stripling and saxophonist Joel Frahm) and a host of special shows and tributes (vailjazz.org).  

If you don’t make it to Vail, Thursday also finds the imposing Brazilian guitarist Figueiredo in Denver at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln, at 7 and 9 p.m. before he heads to the mountains (303-839-5100). . Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, drummer Hamilton’s threesome (with pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Christoph Luty) is at Nocturne, 1330 27^th St., at 7:30 p.m. (303-295-3333).

Come Friday, singer Rachelle Ferrell is at the Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E. 1^st Ave., at 7 and 10 p.m. (303-830-9214).  The singer, who did go to Berklee College of Music in Boston, blends her jazz sensibilities with a range of musical styles. Also on Friday, tenor saxophonist Keith Oxman (who has earned the praise of master players Benny Golson and Curtis Fuller) launches his new trio CD East of the Village at Dazzle at 7 and 9 p.m. 

One of KUVO’s “30 Under 30” featured artists from their 30th Anniversary year-2015, pianist Walter Gorra begins his residency at Nocturne, 27th and Larimer in the hot RiNo District of Denver, on Friday. He will be accompanied by Gonzalo Teppa-bass, Manuel López-drums and Greg Tanner Harris-vibes. They will  be performing Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and mainstream jazz every Friday through the end of October

On Sunday, drummer Trevor Anderies is at Dazzle with his LA-based quintet and special guest (no surprise here) saxophonist Joe Anderies. You can hear the Anderies family at 7 p.m.  Then on Wednesday at Dazzle, the band Mistura Fina now co-led by founder Frank Ayala and bassist Andrew Hudson. The group with the Portuguese name (that means a fine mixture) is on stage at 7 p.m.

Finally, this Labor Day also finds the Phantom of the Opera roaming the stage of the Buell Theater in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Phantom opened in London in 1986 and came to Broadway in 1988 where it became the longest running show in the history of the Great White Way. There is an imposing new production on a national tour that had its first stop in Denver. It’s in the city until September 11 and I dare you to get “The Music of the Night” out of your head.  

Submissions and comments: Normanprovizer@aol.com