To experience what I saw/heard last weekend:

Eric Hirsh resurfaces at The Beyu. This Motorco video shows one tune I heard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETLycKTENRw.

​Frankie Alexander at an again-packed Station in Carrboro: https://www.reverbnation.com/frankiealexander. Pick any tune listed. If you need standards sung well, go to Frankie. That link also has her performance calendar.

​Chris Pattishall--who's from Durham & played with Larry Q Draughn at Sharp Nine--is worth hearing & should be brought back soon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcWtzuj5bIo.

​All were good, making it a fine weekend for me.

Early this week we have the usual regular one-nighters at local venues, followed by too many choices at the weekend. Here are my plans & dilemmas:

Tuesday:​ I could go to either the NCJRO at Sharp Nine for big band jazz, or to Looking Glass for Brad Maiani's guitar trio, but I will look at the future at The Shed, where NCCU student drummer Curtis McPhatter Jr will lead a group of young NCCU-ish musicians. I haven't heard him play & haven't heard the other musicians in a while, so I'm overdue. And, yes, I will ask for those of us who remember, I'll ask if he's related to '50s singer Clyde McPhatter--especially since Wikipedia says the latter was born in Hayti...

Friday:​ In addition to percussionist Brevan Hampden at C Grace, we have competing pianists: the Ernest Turner Trio at Sharp Nine & Eric Hirsh leading a quartet for the first time in months, at the Beyu. A hard choice for me (& you) since I love them both. Too bad they're playing at the same time. Whatever I decide, I'll probably drift over the Alley 26, where Al Strong will play with someone interesting while true listeners sit close & tune out the cocktailers talking in the background. Plus, they have a great cheese plate & quite palatable wine.

Saturday:​ Even more choices! One is easy: singer Frankie Alexander & good local musicians at the Station's 2pm escape-the-heat Saturday afternoon performance. The rest are harder: saxist Chad Eby at The Shed; funky trombonist Reginald Cyntje at Beyu; singer Jo Gore at the Empress Room; Al Strong's Quartet at C Grace; singer Carolyn Mitchell at Irregardless with pianist Martin Eagle; &--my choice--Larry  Q Draughn paying tribute to pianist Billy Taylor at Sharp Nine. My reason? Larry's publicity blurb noted pianist Chris Pattishall, whom I then listened to on You Tube, where he'd played lovely, lovely music. That tilted the playing field (pun intended) toward Q. Still, tough choices.

Sunday:​ In addition to the Chapel Hill/Durham West End Wine Bars' gigs, you can also hear pianist Eric Hirsh in his hip-hop jazz guise with the Beast on the roof of the Durham Hotel at 5:30. Bring some shade & a fan to accompany whatever cool drinks will be available...

First, go to http://robbielink.com/content/jazz-station-8, where you'll find the latest about the jazz series at the Station in Carrboro. Frankie Alexander's singing there Saturday at 2pm. In the spirit of build-it-&-they-will-come, the series seems (to me) to have connected with latent Carrboro/Chapel Hill jazz fans, those who like jazz but haven't known where to go. The first two performances have been standing room only even if it's a small room. SRO jazz crowds are rare anywhere.

The story begins with Brother Yusuf Salim, the guru of local jazz music in the late 20th century, & with the Station as a place where he & many other played in the '80s. The website of Robbie Link (who was one of them​) above has a link (pun can't be helped in this case) to a list of those who also played there. Those who still play around here include the aforementioned Frankie Alexander, Ed Paloantonio, Ben Palmer, Jim Ketch, Pete Goldberg, Peter Ingram, Scott Sawyer, & Steve Wing, plus Robbie, who plays a fine, fine bass.

​The series will conclude with I suspect will be a local all-start set of players doing Yusuf's tunes. For those that were part of that history, & those that need to know of it, 8/27at the Station will be a good place to start.