Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

This week’s top activity is the 37th edition of the Winter Park Jazz Festival held in the town’s Rendezvous Event Center on Saturday and Sunday. The Winter Park event is heavily weighted toward the smooth-jazz side of things with the Sax Pack (Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole and Kim Waters) on Saturday and saxophonist Dave Koz and his Summer Horns Tour (that includes saxophonist Gerald Albright, trumpeter Rick Braun and singer Kenny Lattimore) on Sunday.

Saturday also features saxophonist Kirk Whalum, who was raised in Memphis and who caught the ear of pianist Bob James while spending time in Houston. And thrown in the sax-filled mix, there’s a R&B sounds of Boys II Men (on Saturday) and singer Ledisi (on Sunday). Rounding out the schedule, there’s saxophonist Marcus Anderson, guitarist Adam Hawley, singer Eric Roberson and Denver saxophonists Tony Exum Jr. and Darren Rahn.

On both Saturday and Sunday, the music runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (866-461-6556 or 303-405-6066).

Over at Dazzle, 1512 Curtis, the blues is on stage on Friday with singer/guitarist Sammy Mayfield and his band. Born in Denver, Mayfield, who is the longtime musical director for Solomon Burke, carries on the Delta blues tradition with style at 7 p.m. (303-839-5100). Later on Friday, the Smirk trio, plus guests, takes the stage at Dazzle for a hip-hopping directed outing at 9:30 p.m.

On Saturday, the blues comes from Erica Brown and the Movers and Shakers at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, guitarist/singer Jack Hadley and multiple guests offer up a free night of “friendship and appreciation” at Dazzle from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Then on Tuesday, Dazzle has accordion man Cory Pesaturo with his trio that has Drew Zaremba (who teaches at the University of Northern Colorado) on organ and saxophone and Hiroki Kitazawa on drums at 7 p.m. The week in music at Dazzle finishes off on Wednesday with the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra at 7 p.m.

Among the items to keep in mind, guitarist Dave Corbus brings a quartet to Boulder’s Caffe Sole, 637R S. Broadway, on Friday with Anisha Rush on saxophone at 7 p.m. doing the music of Ornette Coleman (303-499-2985). And City Park Jazz on Sunday, in City Park at 6 p.m., has a Brass Band Extravaganza with three brass bands on hand.

Norman Provizer