Summer Nears Its Conclusion, Jazz Choices Continue To Be Plentiful | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

On Thursday, the string of strong groups appearing in town continues with pianist Emmet Cohen and his trio on stage at Dazzle, 1512 Curtis, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. (303-839-5100).  The last time I saw Cohen was when he was here with bassist Christian McBride’s Trip Trio. This time he has his own group with Russell Hall on bass and Kyle Poole on drums. Hall holds down the bass chair on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, while Poole is a regular on the New York scene and has worked with Wynton Marsalis. Cohen plays a lot of piano and has been joined on discs by folks such as drummer Jimmy Cobb and bassist Ron Carter. This is a quality trio that has a lot to offer.

Outside of Denver, the 7^th edition of Jazz on 2^nd Avenue festivities takes place in downtown Niwot on Saturday from 2 until 11 p.m. Organized by Howard Treppeda and several musicians, the Niwot fest is now a ticked event with headliners Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band and guitarist Dave Stryker’s Organ Trio closing down the event at 8 and 6:30 p.m. respectively.

Sanchez has recorded more than two dozens CDs on the Concord Picante label with latest being Chano y Dizzy (for Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie). Percussionist Sanchez spent many years with Cal Tjader and is a Latin percussion master His group is clearly one of top Latin Jazz bands around.

As for guitarist Dave Stryker, he gained attention with Brother Jack McDuff and then hit an added stride with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Among other things, the guitarist has more recently co-led a group with saxophonist Steve Slagle, who, among many other things, was the music director of the Mingus Big Band for several years. The other groups on tap are: the Niwot High School Jazz Band; the Adam Bodine Quartet; and BLT with guests Joey Gulizia and Gary Regina (720-924-6222).

This week Dazzle also has singer Ed Battle, a Denver classic, with pianist Jeff Jenkins on Friday at 6 p.m. followed at 7:30 p.m. by the four-voice Quirktett (MaryLynn Gillespie, Terri Jo Jenkins, Janine Gastineau and John Bertram) with a trio that has Jeff Jenkins on piano. On Saturday at Dazzle, singer -pianist Rekha Ohal does the music associated with the late Glen Campbell at 6:30 p.m. with Dave Devine and Matt Houston, followed by the genre-jumping group Arkitecture/Queen City Funk Band.

Sunday finds Dazzle holding a Rocky Mountain Relief effort for Houston with pianist Annie Booth, singer SuCh and others at 5:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the club in the historic Baur’s Building hold’ a Baur’s night at 5 p.m, followed by drummer Todd Reid’s regular Jazz Jam at 9:30 p.m. On Wednesday, trumpeter Al Hood lead’s the H2 Jazztet with saxophonists Wil Swindler and Peter Sommer at Dazzle at 7:30 p.m. That group is connected to the H2 Big Band. And speaking of big bands, the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra is on stage at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave. in Parker on Friday at 7:30 p.m. with a plethora of fie area-based players in its ranks (303-805-6800).

Up in Boulder, Caffe Sole, 637R S. Broadway, has a blend of flamingo and jazz with guitarist Miguel Espinoza and his quartet at 7 p.m. (303-499-2985). And back in Denver at Nocturne, 1330 27^th St., saxophonist Swindler and pianist Spencer Zweifel do the late night set on Friday at 11 p.m. and saxophonist Brian Horton does it on Saturday with a duo in addition to the spot’s regular musical lineup that starts at 7 p.m. (303-295-3333). Also, at the Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax, the bassist known as Thundercat plays Thursday, 9-14 at 8 p.m. Thundercat  (a.k.a. Stephen Bruner) crosses all kinds of musical lines and is on saxophonist Kamasi Washington’s epic album The Epic.

Comments and submissions: normanprovizer@aol.com