The most interesting musical item on this week’s listening agenda is drummer Mark Guiliana’s quartet called Space Heroes. Combining acoustic drumming skills with electric-tech outings, Guiliana has gained a good deal of attention from all angles of the music from a duo release with pianist Brad Mehldau to his driving presence on David Bowie’s final album Blackstar. In between, Guiliana has made stops with guitarists John Scofield and Lionel Loueke, Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen and singers Me’shell Ndegeocello, Matisyahu and Gretchen Parlato.
Originally from New Jersey, the drummer joined bassist Cohen after completing college, recording six discs with him, and also co-founded an “experimental-garage-jazz” trio. Early on, that gave you an idea of the direction Guiliana was going to take. At Dazzle, 1512 Curtis, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Guiliana’s Space Heroes band takes off at 6:30 and 9 p.m. (303-839-5100). The band is made up of two members of the drummer’s Jazz Quartet, saxophonist Jason Rigby and bassist Chris Morrissey plus saxophonist Mike Lewis. Interestingly Guiliana’s Jazz Quartet has Fabian Almazan, who recently brought a knock out trio to Dazzle, on piano. The Space Heroes should be an adventure.
Also in from New York this week is trumpeter/singer Benny Benack III, who will be playing with the area-based rhythm section of pianist Ben Markley, bassist Patrick McDevitt and drummer Alejandro Castaño at Dazzle on Friday at 7 p.m. His new album is titled One of a Kind. Following Benack on stage at Dazzle on Friday at 9:30 p.m. is the AJ Salas project SMRT Duo.
On Saturday at Dazzle, saxophonist Drew Zaremba, who recently moved from Texas to Greeley where he is teaching at University of Northern Colorado, is on stage with a quintet that has Dana Landry on piano, Steve Kovalcheck on guitar, Erik Applegate on bass and Jim White on drums (fellow faculty compatriots at UNC). The saxophonist’s first disc was released in 2017. Following Zaremba on stage at Dazzle on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. is the Elephant Wrecking Ball trio with Scott Flynn on trombone, Dan Africano on bass and Neal Evans on drums. During a week in which Giuliana’s Space Heroes are in town, the Wrecking Ball’s music that has been called “inter-stellar” seems entirely appropriate.
Over at Nocturne, 1330 27th St., the nightspot’s Artist in Residency program continues with: Fred Hamilton’s trio on Thursday; drummer Brian Claxton’s tribute to Art Blakey on Friday; and trumpeter Gabriel Mervine (who has been alternating weeks with Al Hood) doing Clifford Brown on Saturday. The music at Nocturne kicks in at 7 p.m. (303-295-3333). Mervine can also be found on Wednesdays at Spangalang Brewery, 2736 Welton, on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (303-297-1276).
Friday also finds the eclectic electric guitarist Matt Skellenger at Swallow Hill, 71 E. Yale, at 8 p.m. with his group as part of the “Top of the Hill Faculty Concert Series” (303-777-1003). And keep in mind that pianist Larry Fuller is at Dazzle on Nov. 15 with his trio and pianist Cyrus Chestnut will explore it all with the Turtle Island Quartet at the Newman Center on Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. on the University of Denver campus (303-871-7720).
Friday evening at the new highly acclaimed room, The Muse Performance Space run by husband-wife musicians, Pete Lewis and Clare Church, Oregonia with special guest Paul McCandless take stage from 7 til 9pm. The Muse is located at 200 E. South Boulder Rd, Lafayette. (720) 352 4357
Sunday evening beginning at 7p, the popular vocalist Joni Janak returns to La Cour Art Bar and Jazz Bistro with Joe Lopez-bass and Ed Stephen-guitar. La Cour is located at 1643 S Broadway at Iowa-Denver.
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