More Choices than a Box of Chocolates & Just as Sweet | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

This week in music gets going when pianist Monty Alexander wraps up his two-night stand at Dazzle on Thursday with his multi-layered Harlem-Kingston Express band that combines straight-ahead jazz swing with Caribbean island sway. Alexander, originally from Kingston, Jamaica, landed in the U.S. (Miami to be exact) in 1961 and began recording under his own name just a few years later. In New York, he worked with both vibraphonist Milt Jackson and bassist Ray Brown, not bad company to keep, and then started his own trio that at one point or another included John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Emily Remler who was married to Alexander during the first half of the 1980s and who died at the much too early age of 32 in 1990.

Alexander’s has released two volumes of his Harlem-Kingston Express music and it rolls over you in fine style. Alexander and company take the stage at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln, on Thursday at 7 and 9 p.m. (303-839-5100). With Alexander at Dazzle, you can find drummer/bassist Brian Claxton who is in the doctoral program at University of Northern Colorado and who teaches at several universities in the area.

In addition to Alexander, other visitors to town over the coming week include guitarist Frank Potenza, the Tony Monaco/Fareed Haque organ trio with drummer Greg Fundis, pianist Larry Fuller and his trio, pianist Eliane Elias and saxophonist Tia Fuller, who is back visiting her home turf.

Guitarist Potenza worked with the quartet led by pianist Gene Harris during the last half of the 1990s and records for the Colorado Capri label. His current disc on the label is Old New Borrowed & Blue. He is at Dazzle on Friday at 7 and 9 p.m. Also on Friday, Tia Fuller is at Nocturne, 1330 27^th St., at 7 p.m. (303-295-3333). Part of Denver’s Fuller jazz family, Tia has gained enormous (and well deserved) recognition since moving east. In recent years, she has captured the top spot as the rising-star alto saxophonist, the rising-star soprano saxophonist and the rising-star flutist in the DownBeat “Critics Poll.” She is now teaching at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and is on the road with several groups along with her own quartet (that has three CDs on the Mack Avenue label). Fuller, who also spent time with Beyonce, is simply a knockout talent.

Along with her appearance at Nocturne, Fuller is doing several things at CU Boulder where she received her master’s degree. Among those activities, there’s a concert by Fuller with the CU jazz ensemble in Grusin Hall on the CU campus on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The saxophonist will also be with interviewed by Arturo Gómez  on KUVO,  Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, Dazzle has a trio made up of Hammond B-3 man Tony Monaco, guitarist Fareed Haque and drummer Greg Fundis. Monaco is a frequent guest at the Vail Jazz Festival, while Haque, among other things, has recorded with another Denver-raised musician, tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson. The trio is on stage at Dazzle on Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m. and on Sunday at 6 and 8 p.m. On Friday, the trio is playing in Boulder at the Mennonite Church, 3910 Table Mesa Dr., at 8 p.m. While this is a ticketed concert, it is free for seniors and students.

On Sunday, pianist Larry Fuller brings his trio into Baur’s Listening Lounge, 1512 Curtis, at 7 p.m. (303-615-4000). Fuller was the pianist in drummer Jeff Hamilton’s trio and then held down the piano chair in bassist Ray Brown’s last trio and with guitarist/singer John Pizzarelli’s quartet. Fuller’s trio has Matt Witek on drums and David Wong on bass.   

On Tuesday, Dazzle has jazz ensembles from Metro State University under the direction of Ron Miles at 6 p.m. and then the musical week ends with a bang when pianist/singer Eliane Elias moves into Dazzle on Wednesday for a two-night stand at Dazzle. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Elias came to America in late 1981 on the advice of bassist Eddie Gomez who had heard her play. Before long she joined the group Steps Ahead. After that, she worked with her then husband, trumpeter Randy Brecker before leading her own trio that had her now husband Marc Johnson on bass. Her current CD, her second on Concord, is titled Made in Brazil because that is where it was recorded. Elias is a compelling pianist and an attractive singer in the Chet Baker mode. She plays at 7 and 9 p.m. and returns of November 19 to do the same. The 19^th is also when pianist George Cables brings his trio (with drummer Victor Lewis and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet to Mount Vernon Country Club in Golden (303-526-0616).

Finally, on Sunday from 2 until 6 p.m., there will be a celebration of Charlie Crump’s life with life music. Crump was a substitute host on KUVO and the celebration of his life takes place at the Mercury Café, 2199 California.

Comments and submissions: Normanprovizer@aol.com