Provizer: Estes Park fest a toast to Brubeck
By
Friday, May 18, 2007
The mountain festival season gets under way this weekend with two days of music at Estes Park's annual jazz event organized by saxophonist Max Wagner.
The festival, held in conjunction with the Estes Park Art Walk, runs from noon until 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Performance Park at the west end of town.
Saturday's lineup has the Estes Park Big Band, followed by singers Wendy Fopeano and Tina Phillips supported by bassist Ken Walker's trio. Then, at 2:30 p.m., the festival's headlining group, the Brubeck Brothers Band, takes the stage.
The Brubecks in the band are Dave Brubeck's sons Chris Brubeck on bass and bass trombone and Dan Brubeck on drums. Mike De Micco's guitar is also part of the group.
In addition to the Brubeck -progeny, the festival also features a traveling exhibit exploring the life and music of Dave Brubeck that's open on both days of the festival.
After the Brubecks, singer Sheryl Renee wraps up Saturday with a 4 p.m. performance.
The free sounds pick up again on Sunday at noon with the O'Tones, a New Orleans-style brass band, the Mambotet, the a cappella Groove Society and Cique, the electric band led by keyboardist Jeff Jenkins.
ALSO ON TAP: You can also find Cique at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln St., at 7 and 9 tonight for a CD release party celebrating the band's electric-Miles Davis sound. Along with Jenkins, the group has Bijoux Barbosa on bass, Brian McCrae on drums and Darryl White on trumpet ($12. 303-839-5100).
• In a non-electric mode, Thursday has pianist Lenore Raphael stopping by Dazzle with a quartet featuring trumpeter David Champouillon. Raphael is a fine, swinging player from out East who covers a number of musical bases. At Dazzle, bassist Walker and drummer Todd Reid round out her band that plays at 7 and 9 p.m. ($10).
• On Saturday, there's still another pianist on tap. Harold O'Neal is a young player who has performed with a variety of noted musicians and has recorded with saxophonist Greg Osby. At the Baker Piano Center, 2067 30th St. in Boulder, O'Neal plays his extended work titled Charlie's Suite at 7 p.m. ($12).
• Speaking of younger players, Monday offers an evening of jazz at the University of Denver's Newman Center with several jazz ensembles from DU's Lamont School of Music. The free concert starts at 7:30 p.m. (303-871-6412).
• At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Lou Malandra and Poe Jazz hit the new Crossroads Theater at Five Points, 26th and Welton streets, for a post-bop blend of poetry and music ($10, 303-832-0929).
• Also on Wednesday, drummer Dave Weckl, who has worked with Chick Corea and many others, holds a percussion clinic in Fort Collins in the Faith Evangelical Free Church, 3920 S. Shields St., at 7 p.m. ($10).
• Moving in a slightly different direction, William Gottlieb's work is among the best jazz photography around. A display of that work is at the Fine Arts Center, 121 S. Tejon St. in Colorado Springs. The exhibit runs through June 24 (719-634-5581).
ON A FINAL NOTE: While the Estes Park Jazz Festival offers a mini-celebration of Dave Brubeck, there's another toast to Brubeck's legacy coming up next month as well.
On June 21-22 at Dazzle, drummer Colin Stranahan returns to his hometown with the Brubeck Institute Alumni Quintet. That show is one of several interesting events at the club on Lincoln during June.
For starters, Dazzle holds a well-deserved tribute to drummer Nat Yarbrough on June 2 that brings pianist Billy Wallace back to town along with saxophonist Brad Leali and guitarist Calvin Keys.
On June 9, the highly creative pianist Wayne Horwitz hits the club with his group Gravitas - a quartet consisting of piano, cornet, cello and bassoon. After that, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, who plays with the knockout Mingus Big Band, is at Dazzle on June 15. Then, the very international Moutin Reunion Quartet with Rick Margitza on saxophone settles into the club on June 23. That's an interesting collection of sounds.