Summer Departs With a Sensational Array of Live Sounds | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

It’s going to be another busy week in the neighborhood. Among the visitors stopping in the area over the next seven days, you can find two, top-shelf younger pianists, Sullivan Fortner and Emmet Cohen, tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin with his group that is now known as David Bowie’s last band, master guitarist Pat Metheny and Liquid Soul featuring saxophonist Jeff Coffin at the 6^th annual Jazz on 2^nd Avenue event in Niwot.

On top of that, pianist Purnell Steen and his Le Jazz Machine group perform at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln, on Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m. to celebrate the pianist’s induction into the Heritage Hall of Fame, while guitarist Dave Corbus pays homage to Frank Zappa with music from the Mothers of Invention at Dazzle on Friday at 7 and 9 p.m. and drummer Alejandro Castaño leads a quintet at Dazzle on Monday at 7 p.m. (303-839-5100). And in Boulder, the Brazilian band Ginga is at eTown Hall on Thursday, 1535 Spruce, at 6:30 p.m.

Returning to the visitors, pianist Fortner, out of New Orleans, landed the number three spot among rising-star pianists in the latest DownBeat “Critics Poll.” On Thursday, the pianist who has worked with vibraphonist Stefon Harris and trumpeter Roy Hargrove among many others wraps up his two-night stay at Dazzle with sets at 6:30 and 8 p.m. His trio has Ameen Saleem on bass and Jeremy “Bean” Clemons on drums. Then, on Sunday, another fine pianist, Emmet Cohen, hits Dazzle at 6 and 8 p.m. with a trio that has Colin Stranahan on drums. And keep in mind that Cohen is a member of bassist Christian McBride’s Special Trio.

In addition to his Dazzle date, Cohen will also be at Nocturne, 1330 27^th St. , for a date with trumpeter Greg Gisbert on Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. (303-295-3333). Gisbert is a superb players and the rest of the quartet is made up of Stranahan and Ken Walker. Tuesday also finds saxophonist McCaslin’s band (Jason Lindner, Nate Wood and Mark Guliana) kicking off a two-night stay at Dazzle with sets at 6 and 8 p.m. The saxophonist’s band made some noise on Bowie’s last disc, Blackstar; and the group’s new release, Beyond Now on Motema, is due out October 14.

Born in 1966, McCaslin made it to New York in 1991 where he began playing with Eddie Gómez and later Steps Ahead. Among his many playing credentials there is time spent with Maria Schneider and trumpeter Dave Douglas, as well as the Mingus Big Band and Pat Metheny. McCaslin also plays at Dazzle on Wednesday at 6 and 8 p.m.  

Speaking of Metheny, the noted guitarist is also part of this week’s list,  performing on Wednesday at the Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline in Boulder. He is there with his quartet that has Antonio Sánchez on drums, Linda Oh on bass and Gwilyn Simcock on keyboards. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. and is listed as sold out (303-440-7666).

The full day musical affair in Niwot runs from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday to benefit the Colorado Jazz Group. In addition to saxophonist Coffin who has played with the Dave Matthews Band as well as Bela Fleck, the event offers pianist Don Grusin (who like brother Dave is a Colorado native) featuring saxophonist Nelson Rangell, Conjunto Colores, bassist Paul Warburton’s trio (with Steve Kovalcheck and Jim White). Warburton, of course, is one of the major area-based players around and it’s always good to hear his sound (jazzon2ndave.com). On Thursday, at 12:30 p.m., Arturo Gómez will interview Warburton right here on KUVO.

One of KUVO’s ”30 Under 30″ featured artists from their 30th Anniversary year-2015, pianist Walter Gorra and his quartet continue their residency at Nocturne, 27th and Larimer in the hot RiNo District of Denver, on Friday-7 til 11pm. Walter on piano accompanied by Gonzalo Teppa-bass, Manuel López-drums and Greg Tanner Harris-vibes. They will be performing Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and mainstream jazz every Friday through the end of October.

Lastly on the crossover side, saxophonists Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole and Jackiem Joyner, joined together as the Sax Pack, are at the Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E. 1^st Ave., on Friday at 8 p.m. 9303-830-9214).

Comments and submissions: Normanprovizer@aol.com