The Multi-Colors of Autumn Jazz | Norman Provizer’s Jazz Notes

The October ECM Spotlight series continues to shine this week when Swiss pianist Nik Bartsch brings his “zen-funk” jazz quartet to Dazzle, 1512 Curtis, for sets at 6:30 and 9 p.m on Wednesday (303-839-5100). The quartet’s current CD is Awase and the group he has with him, called Ronin, and is the same as on the disc: Sha on bass clarinet and alto saxophone; Thomy Jordi on bass; and Kaspar Rost on drums. This is a terrific series and it continues through the end of the month.

In terms of other visitors to town, trumpeter Nick Benitez comes in from New York City on Saturday to perform with an area-based quintet doing the music of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers at Nocturne, 1330 27^th St., starting (as do all the shows at Nocturne) at 7 p.m. (303-295-3333). Another visiting player is trumpeter Mark Dorn who is in town for the Colorado Jazz Workshop Festival at Dazzle also on Saturday. There are groups from the Jazz Workshop starting at 10:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. and a workshop with Dorn at 4:40 p.m. Then at 6:30 p.m. the trumpeter plays with the Workshop’s Wednesday Big Band followed by a set at 8:30 p.m. with Dorn playing with tenor saxophonist Keith Oxman in a quintet setting.

Saturday also finds Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra going Latin at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth, at 7:30 p.m. (720-898-7200). The big band features singer Heidi Schmidt and is led by saxophonist Art Bouton, the CJRO’s current CD is titled Invitation. Additionally, Saturday is the second night of the 2^nd Annual Colorado’s Women in Jazz event at Caffé Sole. 637R S. Broadway in Boulder, The event starts on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and picks up again on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. More than 30 area-based women jazz players will be on display (303-499-2985).

One of the artists featured at the Women in Jazz event is singer Marylynn Gillaspie (of the vocal group Rare Silk) and on Thursday she is part of the Quirktett, a vocal quartet that includes Terri Jo Jenkins, Julie Monley and John Bertram, on stage at Dazzle on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. At 9 p.m. on Thursday, the funk/jazz group Some Diggity takes over from the Quirktett.

Dazzle also offers a festival celebrating the Colorado Conservatory or the Jazz Arts small-group concert on Tuesday with a lineup of bands starting at 6 p.m. with Greg Tanner Harris and wrapping up at 8:30 with Tom Gershwin. Gabriel Mervine, Mark Diamond and Bob Rebholz who are among the artists in between. On Friday, Dazzle has its Philharmonic with a Twist series at 6:30 p.m. and Ramakhandra/Kid Astronaut at 9:30 p.m.           

While not part of the October ECM Spotlight, Pat Metheny was also in the area playing at the Boulder Theater and the Newman Center on the University of Denver campus. From 1978 through 1984, Metheny recorded almost a dozen discs on ECM, including American Garage in 1979 and 80/81 in 1980. At the Newman Center concert (that kicked of the facility’s current jazz series), Metheny displayed why he is a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. In a long on-stage display of his enormous versatility, Metheny went from beautiful, solo acoustic tunes to electronic outbursts with a potent quartet. In addition to the quintet work, the extended set also offered duos with each member of the band – and the most impressive of those was with bassist Linda May Han Oh.

The Center’s jazz series continues on Saturday with a free concert by the Jazz Ambassadors (303-871-7720) and then moves on to Cyrus Chestnut and the Turtle Island Quartet, Dianne Reeves, Delfeayo Marsalis and Vijay Iyer.

normanprovizer@aol.com