Another Exciting Week of Music Choices | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

For a country of some 11.4 million people (just a tad smaller than Ohio), Cuba has produced an amazing number of superb jazz players, especially pianists. On Sunday, pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa, who was born in Havana in 1983, has a trio at Baur’s Listening Lounge, 1512 Curtis, at 7 p.m. (303-615-4000). Lopez-Nussa has covered all facets of music from jazz to classical and pop and spent several years with the Buena Vista Social Club vocalist Omara Portuondo. Harold visits KUVO on Sunday afternoon at, 4:30p to be interviewed by Salsa con Jazz host-Janine Santana

Interestingly enough, just two weeks ago, DL Media announced the lineup for the 2016 edition of Jazz Club Cuba that is taking place in two locations – Havana and Santiago from December 15-18. Among the headliners, there’s Christian McBride’s trio, Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective, Snarky Puppy and West African singer Fatoumata Diawara. Two of the other members of the highly regarded Cuban jazz pianist community, Chucho Valdes and Roberto Fonseca are also serving as artist directors of the Havana and Santiago events respectively (festivaljazzplaza.com). And you can get a taste of the island right here on Sunday.

Beyond Cuba, there’s an added show of note. On Saturday and Sunday, drummer Allison Miller is at Dazzle with a very strong sextet that has Myra Melford on piano, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Ben Goldberg on clarinet and contra alto and Todd Sickafosse on bass. Knuffke and Goldberg (who was in Denver not long ago with one of his bands) both have ties to Denver. And, like all the members of her Boom Tic Boom sextet, they are outstanding players.  Miller, herself, is one of the top, rising-stars on drums. Her newest CD is called Otis Was a Polar Bear. She is onstage at 7 and 9 p.m. on Saturday and 6 and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Allsion will be interviewed on Saturday afternoon at 2:30p on KUVO’s Saturday Afternoon Jazz with host Djamilla Ricciardi.

Other shows at Dazzle find: drummer Paa Kow, from Ghana, with an octet that has Brad Goode on trumpet, on Monday at 7 p.m.; electric mandolin and violinist player Claude Sim’s Spacefly group on Tuesday at 7 p.m.; and the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s Strings Straight Up on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Also, on Friday, the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center starts Friday jazz sessions with Brazil and Latin sounds in the Schoolhouse Theater at Mainstream, 19650 E. Mainstream in Parker. The music is from the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra Sextet directed by Art Bouton. The sounds are at 7:30 p.m. (303-805-6800).  Friday also offers guitarist Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra at the Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E. 1^st Ave., at 10 p.m. (303-830-9214). And on Thursday, harmonic man Howard Levy, an original part of Bela Fleck’s Flecktones, is at Treppeda’s, 300 2^nd Ave. in Niwot, at 7:30 p.m. (303-652-1600). In Niwot, Levy has bassist Paul Warburton, guitarist Steve Kovalcheck, drummer Jim White and trumpeter Goode. 

This weekend from 4:30-7:30PM in The Brown Palace Hotel Atrium Lobby, Gabriel Mervine on Tumpet, John Kite on Piano, Wilson Luallen on Bass, and Paul Mullikin on Drums play Friday evening then on Saturday it’s Gabriel Mervine on Trumpet, Andrew Vogt on Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute, John Kite on Piano, Kim Bird on Bass, and Paul Mullikin on Drums. Saturday night marks the first time a quintet featuring Gabriel and Andrew play for Brown Palace Jazz. As always there is no cover charge.

On Wednesday October 26th at La Cour Bistro and Art Bar, 1643 So. Broadway-Denver it will be a night of Duke Ellington Music with Ellyn Ricker on piano and vocals, 7 ’til 10pm

Comments and Submissions: Normanprovizer@aol.com