Another Week of Jazz Wonderland Gifts | Norman Proviser’s Jazz Note

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s no surprise that there are a number of holiday-oriented shows on tap for the week. At Dazzle, 1512 Curtis, saxophonist Peter Sommer brings his sextet (that includes fellow saxophonist Wil Swindler) to the stage on Sunday “A Holiday Celebration” at 6 p.m. (303-839-5100). Then, on Tuesday, trombonist Adam Bartczak is at Dazzle with his 19-piece, Republic big band (that includes players such as Swindler and trumpeter Gabriel Mervine) for the trombonist’s “Holiday Show” at 7 p.m. Following that, on Wednesday, pianist Purnell Steen brings an expanded version of his Le Jazz Machine (not to be confused, of course, with drummer Elvin Jones’ Jazz Machine) to Dazzle to celebrate “A Cool Yule Five Points Style” at 6:30 p.m.

Speaking of shows that focus on the sounds of the season, this past week singer Dianne Reeves provided a great model for such a performance with her Christmas show at the Newman Center that was part of the center’s outstanding jazz series. There were Christmas tunes to be sure (though not always the most standard ones), but they were blended together with other appropriate material from National Endowment of the Arts singer, who lives right here in Denver, to create a superb evening of sound that was definitely something out of the ordinary.

Tenor saxophonist Houston Person is also serving up music this week at Dazzle on Thursday. This is the second night of Person’s two-night stand at the club with a top-notch, area-based rhythm section of pianist Jeff Jenkins, bassist Ken Walker, and drummer Paul Romaine. A native of South Carolina, Person released his first album back in 1966. His second disc a year later was on Prestige and that began a string of recordings on that famed independent label that ran through the early 1970s.

Later, there were a number of albums on Muse Records before his long relationship with the HighNote label, including the 2017 CD Rain or Shine. Over the years, Person has recorded Christmas albums (such as Christmas with Houston Person and Friends in 1997 and Together at Christmas in 2000). For decades, Person’s lush, soulful and full-throated sound kept company with singer Etta Jones until the singer’s death in 2001. But Person has continued to follow that path of music on his own.

While Dazzle is closed for private events on Friday and Saturday, Nocturne, 1330 27th St., isn’t and has Good Rattle Hardbop (with saxophonist Swindler) doing the music of the great baritone saxophonist Pepper Adam, “Cannonball” Adderley and more at 7 p.m. on Friday and guitarist Steve Kovalcheck’s quintet on Saturday at 7 p.m. (303-295-3333).

Also at Nocturne, saxophonist Jeremy Wendelin is on stage on Tuesday at 8 p.m. doing the music of Sonny Rollins and Drew Morell (at the piano) does A Swinging Holiday Songbook, Part 1 with friends that includes singer Robert Johnson at 7 p.m.  Part 2 of the songbook continues on Dec. 20.

At La Cour Art and Jazz Bistro, 1643 S. Broadway, the former saxophonist, and now-drummer Clare Church has her Expedition band on stage on Friday while singer Donna Scott is there on Saturday. The music at La Cour starts at 7 p.m. (303-777-5000). In Boulder, the sounds at Caffé Sole, 637 S. Broadway, include Mistura Fina on Saturday at 7 p.m. (303-499-2985).

Brad Goode’s superb Monday Night Jam Session at the Muse Performance Space in Lafayette will change days from Monday to Sunday after this Monday, 12-17. Beginning on Sunday, 12-23, the weekly jam session will continue every Sunday evening from 7 until 10p.

Lastly, the Gift of Jazz’s Blind Tiger series continues with a show listed as sold out. The show is a tribute to the life and times of pianist McCoy Tyner. It takes place at the Denver Woman’s Press Club, 1325 Logan, on Sunday at 3 p.m. featuring pianist Jenkins and his trio – bassist Seth Lewis and drummer Jim White. You can check the website giftofjazz.org for any possible openings.

Comments and submissions: normanprovizer@aol.com

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