Jazz News!

The 20th Five Points Jazz Festival went off without a hitch. The weather held up throughout. Not a drop fell. Great music wall to wall. The crowd was estimated at more than 100,000 people throughout the day, and the vibe was positive! There was literally dancing in the street!

Congratulations to the honorees: Blues singer Erica Brown and pianist–bandleader and Five Points historian Purnell Steen were grand marshals for the parade. (Driver is KUVO JAZZ’s GM Nikki Swarn)

The 2023 festival recognized three people for their contributions to jazz and culture in Five Points and beyond:
—world-renown Denver-based sculptor and astronaut candidate Ed Dwight,
—author and retired manager from the Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library Charleszine “Terry” Nelson
—and trumpeter – bandleader – educator Dr. Hugh Ragin.

(SOURCE: Arts & Venues Denver/Five Point Jazz Festival)

The weather did not hold for City Park Jazz. Last night’s event was canceled due to threat of lightning. Their Facebook page says the set with Stafford Hunter’s Latin Jazz Explosion might be re-scheduled as a double header or postponed until next season. As they say, “Mother Nature is the boss.” See schedule.  (SOURCE: City Park Jazz)

The venerable jazz advocacy organization SFJazz has a new artistic director, Terence Blanchard. The Grammy-winning trumpeter – composer – bandleader – educator will be responsible for the overall creative direction of SFJazz, which is in its 40th year of promoting and presenting the full spectrum of jazz around the Bay Area and beyond. (SOURCE: SFJAZZ APPOINTS TERENCE BLANCHARD EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR)

Attention funkateers! There’s a new book on the shelves that lists every song, every player, controversies, inside details on the joyful process of the entire Parliament–Funkadelic catalogue. “The Authorized P-Funk Song Reference” was written by longtime keyboardist Daniel Bedrosian. George Clinton said, “I’m still trying to figure out when he had time to do this; he ain’t ever missed a show!” The publisher is Rowan & Littlefield. (SOURCE: The Authorized P-Funk Song Reference)

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