Jazz News: New Denver area jam sessions, Darren Kramer at Boulder conference

First up, a few new jam sessions around town! There’s a jazz jam session scheduled on the second Sunday of the month. One is at Fortissimo Denver, a dueling piano bar around the corner from the Denver Performing Arts Center. That jam is hosted by Doug Tidaback’s Colorado Night Hawks and the Colorado Jazz Ambassadors. Second Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Over at the Stanley Marketplace, in the theatre for the Neighborhood Music School, the last Sunday of the month features the Daryl Gott Jazz Jam from 1 to 3 p.m. It’s Sebastian Maa and Friends from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Goosetown Tavern is hosting a Denver Blues and Funk Jam on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. for ages 16 and up. (SOURCES: Fortissimo Dueling Pianos; Jazz at Stanley Marketplace; Goosetown Tavern)

We’re still missing the jazz concert as part of the annual intellectual party on the CU-Boulder campus, called the Conference on World Affairs. The yearly concert at Macky Auditorium was scrubbed a couple of years ago as the event works to rebuild after COVID. The conference is back up to four days, April 9 through 12.

Trombonist-jazz educator Darren Kramer will be speaking and playing his horn on a panel titled “Rhythm and Words” on Friday, April 12 at noon.

German techno producer The Relative Zero is part of a panel on “The Future of Music” later on Friday. (SOURCE: CU Boulder/Conference on World Affairs)

We note the passing of two significant figures in jazz last week, from different generations. Albert “Tootie” Heath was a towering figure in jazz and the last surviving brother of the prolific Heath family. He was 88. And we lost alto saxophonist Casey Benjamin at just 45 years old after surgery, reports DownBeat. The native New Yorker contributed to the Robert Glasper Experiment, Stefon Harris’ Blackout, and other bands. (SOURCES: DownBeat/Albert Tootie Heath; DownBeat/Casey Benjamin)

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Photos: top-Daryl Gott Jam Session at Stanley Market, middle-trombonist Darren Kramer, bottom/homepage-Albert “Tootie” Heath & Casey Benjamin