Jazz News — Summer Line-ups and Concerts Announced Coast to Coast

This is Jazz News, a look at what’s news in jazz, music, and the arts.

With summer around the corner, we are excited to see summer line-ups dropping here in Denver and beyond.

The Levitt Pavilion holds a free concert series every summer. Residents of all ages are invited to bring a chair or blanket and set up on the lawn to enjoy live music from their amphitheater in the afternoon sun.

Ghanaian drummer and composer Paa Kow kicks off the series on May 17. Paa Kow has created an afro Fusion sound of his own, blending rhythms from his homeland with jazz and African roots. Other featured performances include Central City Opera with Grande Orquesta Navarre, Chali 2na and Cut Chemist, and the Colorado Dashiki Festival.

More details on the 2024 lineup at Levitt Pavilion Denver.  (SOURCE Levitt Denver)

Picture courtesy of Levitt Pavilion Denver

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For the 1st time in 50 Years, Herbie Hancock is reuniting with the original Head Hunters. The album titled Head Hunters released in 1973 by Herbie Hancock and the Head Hunters is regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. It helped define the jazz fusion movement of the 1970s and compositions from it like “Chameleon” and “Watermelon Man” have become standards played by many different musicians.

Hancock is reuniting with saxophonist Bennie Maupin, drummer Harvey Mason, and percussionist Bill Summers for one concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on August 14. Sadly, we lost Paul Jackson to the ancestors in 2021 at the age of 73. Hancock has recruited Marcus Miller to hold down the bass at this iconic reunion.

Per the venue’s website, this show “will be the band’s only appearance.” More information here.

(SOURCE: Hollywood Bowl/Events; Jambase/Herbie Hancock)

Album Art – Herbie Hancock/Head Hunters

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Rated the #1 Jazz club in New York City by Secret NYC, the acclaimed Smoke Jazz Club is a destination for jazz lovers both living in and visiting NYC. Smoke Jazz Club has just released its schedule for Jazz Appreciation Month in April 2024. Various 25th anniversary celebrations will be held this year at the club starting with NEA Jazz Master George Coleman April 10-14th. He and special guest Joe Farnsworth inaugurated the SMOKE stage during separate performances 25 years ago in 1999.

Smoke Jazz will also feature a special tribute to Joe Henderson by an all-star group. Pianist Renee Rosnes and drummer Al Foster worked alongside Henderson at various points in their careers. They are joined by tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and bassist Peter Washington in celebration of Henderson’s April 24th birthday.

To see a full list of performances, you can visit Smoke Jazz Club. (SOURCE: Press release via email; The Jazzmann)

Smoke picture by Scott Lynch/Gothamist

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