Discoveries:

1. Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz still have Carolina on their minds: Kate & the Christian Tamburr Quartet put on a great show at Local Jazz @ The Fruit Monday night, & Keith brings his quartet--Ariel Pocock piano, Paul Creel bass, Kobie Watkins drums--to Sharp Nine this Friday night.

2. There are actually seven choices Thursday night: Yup, that many. See details below.

3. Revival 1869 in Clayton seems to have info on Facebook: Their website hasn't been complete for two months, but their Facebook gives you last minutish info. I've changed that link.

This Week

Today/Sunday: 

• The Triangle Youth Jazz groups--Band, Orchestra, Ensemble--play for family friends, & anyone else interested in good jazz at the Cary Arts Center 4p. I'm in the last group of fans.

Monday:

• Pianist Ariel Pocock brings her trio to this week's Local Jazz Club @ The Fruit 7:30p. I'll be there.

Thursday: What hath God wrought!

• ​NCCU's all-day Vocal Jazz Summit ends with its concert at B.N. Duke Auditorium 7p.
• UNC's Charanga Latin Orchestra takes over the Durham Hotel jazz jam 7p.
• Bassist Rick Bugel's quartet plays at Watts & Ward 7p.
• The Mint Julep Jazz Band propels swing dancing at Duke's Rubinstein Center 7:30p. The music & dancing are spectacular.
• Yeaux Katz continues its Thursday gig at Carrboro's 2nd Wind 8p. I'll be there because I haven't seen them in months.
• Guitarist Kevin Clark & bassist Chris Sharp pair at Arcana 9p.
• Griffanzo & Danny Grewen shift to C Grace 9p.

Friday:

• Vocalist Dupresha Townsend at Irregardless 6:30p. Worth getting a seat close to the stage in a noisy restaurant.
• Keith Ganz brings electric tunes to Sharp Nine 8p. I'll be there.

Saturday:

• NCCU young lions, led by jazz-possessed saxist Dexter Moses, at Sharp Nine 8p. I'll be there.

Next Monday:

• Vocalist Autumn Rainey at the Local Jazz Club @ The Fruit 7:30p. I'll be there.

Discoveries: More than usual...

1. NCCU Jazz Ensemble chosen for national competition: They go to Jazz At Lincoln Center in January to compete versus the best of college/university big bands. Kudos to NCCU Jazz Studies!

2. The best music I heard last week was Shana Tucker & Brian Horton recreating Coltrane/Hartman: Shana had already done a sold-out Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley tribute; she repeated that feat at The Fruit Monday night with the assistance of saxist/flutist Brian Horton, pianist Christian Tamburr, bassist William Ledbetter, & drummer Kobie Watkins. It was a magical night!

3. Jazz in Pittsboro? Yup! The ODDCO art gallery has been hosting extravore 8-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, & I caught the third edition Saturday night. Heard a good set of 21st century soul jazz. They're stil figuring out what kinds of music they want to have, but I'm keeping an eye on it.

4. A few venue changes:

a) Golden Belt has finished their outdoor music gigs for now.
b) The Station has gotten back to a jazz residency: the Queen of Saxapahaw Jazz--Alison Weiner--leads a weekly jazz/spoken word gig on 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, starting this week.
c) Yeaux Katz--the best jazz bar band in Carrboro--returns to Carrrboro's 2nd Wind Thursday nights at 8p.

This Week: Plenty of choices!

Sunday

• Sharp Nine Jazz Jam 4-6p.

Monday

• Grewen & Griffanzo bring joy to jazz at Imbibe 7p. I'd be there if it wasn't for...
• Vibraphonist Christian Tamburr brings vocalist Kate McGarry back to us at The Fruit 7:30p. I'd be at the above it I didn't want to hear these two together. 

Tuesday

• Pianist/singer Alison Weiner at her weekly Eddy Pub gig 7p.
• The Second Line Stompers do trad jazz at C Grace 9p.
• Brian Horton lights up the Kingfisher bar 9.

Wednesday

• ​Alison Weiner starts the Choo-Choo-Anoo jazz/spoken word residency at Carrboro's 2nd Wind 7p. I'll check it out.
• The longest running jam Jazz At the Mary Lou does its thing 9:30p. 

Thursday

• All-purpose extravore pianist Barron Ryan at Durham's Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church's fundraiser 8p.
• The Yeaux Katz return to Carrboro's 2nd Wind 8p. Where else would I be for Carrboro's best jazz bar band?

Friday

• For those that want good piano-playing with their food, Stephen Anderson is at Irregardless & Andrew Berinson at Sullivan's Steakhouse, both at 6:30p.
• Trumpeter Jim Ketch leads his Swingtet of younger players at Sharp Nine 8p. I'll be there.

Saturday

• Saxist Noel Sherr w/ guitarist Scott Sawyer at Sharp Nine 8p.
• Vocalist Lauren Meehan at C Grace 9p.

Next Sunday

• The Triangle Youth Jazz Band, Orchestra, & Ensemble at the Cary Arts Center 4p. The best youth jazz big bands, with fine vocalists.

Next Monday

• Fine pianist Ariel Pocock's trio at The Fruit 7:30p. I've watched her grow into a very good pianist over the last five years.​

Discoveries:

1. The best music I heard this week was Zach Gossett's Za Um quintet: They brought the freshest, newest-sounding music I've heard lately to Sharp Nine Friday night. E.g., they shifted from "Abide With Me" to open directly to an upbeat version of "Ain't Misbehavin'" that reminded me of Jason Moran, followed a couple of tunes later with the recently released Ben Wendel's "October". All through that guitarist Logan Butler & saxophonist Shaquim Muldrow traded electric solos. Worth hearing again, soon...

2. Jazz comes to Mebane at Hyperion: Yup, this bar has jazz now. Check out the link on our Home page.

3. There's hope in this world--Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz are coming back: It was a shock when they moved to Oakland, but Kate's at The Fruit Monday 11/4; Keith's quartet is at Sharp Nine 11/15, & they've booked a February duo gig at S9.

This Week: Though some venues haven't scheduled yet, still plenty of choices.

Sunday

• Lois Deloatch Gomes & Ernest Turner lead a Durham Central Park fundraiser at Durham's North Star Church of the Arts 4p.

Monday

• Shana Tucker sings, Brian Horton plays the famed Coltrane-Hartman recording tunes at the Fruit 7p. Probably at Do Not Miss.

Tuesday: Interesting choices...

•  A rare appearance by the Jazzbeau quartet at Carrboro's 2nd Wind 7:30p.
• The NCJRO does its monthly thing at Sharp Nine 8p.
• Marimjazzia has its second CD release party (with a reception) at UNC's Stone Center 8p. The reception attracts me.

Wednesday

• ​Jonathan Markow & vocalist Amy Hancock turn the Empress Room into an intimate cabaret 7:30p. I'll be there because they have me hypnotized.

Friday

• Jim Ketch brings UNC combos & big band to Sharp Nine 8p. 

Saturday

• ODDCO--the Pittsboro funky interior design/art gallery/bar--presents GBO-based drummer Geoff Clapp plus extravore guitarist Charlie Hunter & saxist Petr Cancura 7:30p. Check realoddstuff.com & you'll see why I can't resist unfamiliar musicians in a funky venue.
• Fan fave Charlotte-based pianist Lovell Bradford's trio takes over Sharp Nine 8p.

Monday

• Welcome back Kate McGarry to NC as she accompanies Christian Tamburr's vibes quartet at The Fruit 7p. I love Kate. Where else would I be?!