I learned two things last evening at the NCCU fund-raising concert:

1. Brian Horton has left the area (at least for now), to grad school. I'll see if he'll return occasionally to perform, though I can see him getting plenty of gigs in NYC (since he's at Queens College).

2. Larry Q. Draughan's quartet plays different enough music--almost avant-garde--for this area that I will take a flyer on their performance, based on what I heard last night. Larry can get a little prolix when introducing the music, but once the

So I heard the Doug Largent Trio play twice this week (at Looking Glass & the West End Wine Bar) & the Scott Sawyer Quartet (at Sharp Nine), augmented by Jim Ketch's trumpet in the second set. And I thought: Hey, this ain't the Village Vanguard but it's lovely straight-ahead jazz, standards refreshed by imagination & invention & a few individual compositions thrown in that fit the rest of the music. E.g., Scott Sawter threw in a lovely ballad from his "Dreamers" CD in the middle of much up-tempo swinging, or Brad Maiani one of his Latin-flavored originals with Doug Largent.

As much fun as it will be to hear "imported" jazz at the bigger venues hereabouts, there's plenty of sustenance in local clubs, enough for us--& this area to flourish.

While I may go to the Rebirth/Dumpstaphunk concert Friday night, there are choices other than ones noted in my last post: Angie (with her intriguing voice) & the Cool Network at the Beyu; & an Art of Cool event at Cuban Revolution. The latter is important because the AOC Festival Kickstarter needs to be fed!

Saturday I will delay gratification for the new Doctor Who season by recording it. One reward would be to hear Scott Sawyer at Sharp Nine (w/ Dave Finucane); another is Packapalooza at NCSU all day Saturday, another opportunity to help support the AOC Festival.

And, on Sunday NCCU will "Give the Drummer Some", its semester-opening fundraiser concert for jazz scholarships at the B.N. Duke Auditorium. Jazz workshops start at 2p, a silent auction at 5p, & the concert of six drummer-led bands at 6p. I went last year & it was great!