Jazz News: New music venues! Joni Mitchell Live! and more!

We’re beginning to hear about new music venues around metro Denver. On South Broadway just south of Alameda, a place called “Burndown” is booking rock, some DJ nights, and jazz! The Gabe Mervine Quartet plays this Saturday night.

The Savoy Denver is an event space in a historic building in the Curtis Park neighborhood at 27th and Arapahoe Street. They’re booking a variety of engagements – magic shows, themed DJ shows, and they’ve got a Sunday “Blues and Brunch” event on the third Sunday in July.

In the town of Lafayette, Nissi’s is enjoying its new, larger location at South Boulder Road and Highway 287. They’re booking blues, cover bands, jazz, soul, and more!

If you’re booking live music, we want to know about it! Our e-mail address is studio@kuvo.org.

Joni Mitchell headlined a sold-out “Joni Jam” at the scenic Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington earlier this month, with her musical friend Brandi Carlile. Her first ticketed show in 20 years ran nearly three hours.

Mitchell made headlines at last summer’s Newport Folk Festival when Carlile brought her on stage with an all-star tribute. She sang with strength, she played guitar well, and that Newport set was captured for a new live album from Rhino, “At Newport,” available July 28 on CD and two-LP black vinyl.

Joni Mitchell is 79, and since a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 2015, she’s been hosting sing-alongs with friends as part of her recovery. These engagements are an extension of those family room sessions. From Mitchel’s view, and I quote: “Vive la old age.”

NPR Music posted a picture show from the Gorge event. SOURCE: NPR PICTURE SHOW

Next year’s Grammy Awards will look a bit different. New categories for the next round of awards in 2024 are Best African Music Performance, Best Pop Dance Recording, and Best Alternative Jazz Album. “Alternative Jazz” describes a genre-blending, envelope-pushing hybrid that mixes the improvisations and style of jazz with other genres, including R&B, Hip-Hop, Classical, Experimental, Pop, Electronic/Dance music, and/or Spoken Word.

Also, all Academy voters can select non-classical Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, now in the General Field.

SOURCE: GRAMMY NEWS

Love, prayers, and positive vibes going out to the family of New Orleans trumpeter, band leader and barbecue chef Kermit Ruffins. He recently shared the details of his family’s health ordeal with People Magazine. In March of 2022, his girlfriend Harmonese Pleasant was expecting their first baby when she suddenly felt pain in her abdomen. A bullet had pierced her womb, also injuring her unborn baby. While mom has since recovered, the baby girl, named Blossom, suffered a severe spinal injury. The family is building wheelchair ramps and other accommodations for their daughter’s ongoing recovery, with help from a GoFundMe campaign. Ruffins says proudly, his little girl, now 14 months old, is a “bundle of joy.”

SOURCE: PEOPLE/KERMIT

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