Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

On Thursday, the Gift of Jazz begins its monthly Jazz for the School program at the McNichols Building in Civic Center Park that runs through the school year at 9 am. The program involves a number of musicians exploring a range of topics from jazz fusion to world influences on jazz and young people and the music. The organization is also offering Zoom classes starting this Saturday. For added information, check out Gift of Jazz.

While this week can’t match last week’s lineup of jazz visitors to town (actually, few weeks could), Quincy Davis, who is an Associate Professor of drums at the University of North Texas will be visiting as part of the group pianist Dawn Clement is bringing to Dazzle on Monday, September 27, starting at 7 pm. Before moving to Denver to teach at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, Clement earned a grand reputation as a major voice on the Seattle scene. As the Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at MSU Denver, Clement is having a similar impact on the scene here in Denver as she had on the Pacific Northwest.

As for Davis, the drummer has worked with a host of noted players including trumpeters Tom Harrell, Jon Faddis; pianists Hank Jones and Benny Green; and the Claytons. Also on the local front, it’s worth noting that at UNT, a fellow member of the UNT jazz faculty with Davis, is Denver-raised reed man Brad Leali, who is a Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the highly regarded Texas jazz program. Brad’s sister, singer Gayle Leali,

After moving to New York in 2000, the Michigan-born drummer Davis became one of the new, in-demand players on the scene with a very long list of strong players with whom he toured and performed.

At the Muse Performance Space in Lafayette, Clare Church has a trio on Friday (with Eric Gunnison on piano), Tom Amend brings in an octet on Saturday, while Matt Smiley has a quartet on Sunday.

Amend is also at Nocturne on Thursday with an organ trio, bassist Gonzalo Teppa’s quintet is there on Friday, and alto saxophonist Wil Swindler is on the Nocturne stage (with tenor saxophonist Anisha Rush) on Saturday. Weekend sets at Nocturne are at 6:30 and 9 pm.

Jazz Notes 9-23-2021
Norman Provizer