I'm still waiting for all November performance calendars, but...If you do nothing else in the next week, buy tickets for the NCCU "Keep The Vision Alive" concert at the Carolina Theatre 11/6/16--aka next Sunday--at 6pm. Headliners are lyrical pianist Ellis Marsalis & saxophonist Marcus Anderson. For tickets, go to http://www.ticketmaster.com/nccu-2nd-annual-keep-the-vision-durham-north-carolina-11-06-2016/event/0E005122DAFF698F?artistid=2284743&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=4&tm_link=venue_msg-0_0E005122DAFF698F.

Pending further info, I do have other recommendations:

Thursday: Yeaux Katz moves from their Wednesday 2nd Wind gig to a Thursday performance at the Blue Note Grill in Durham. Check the latter's website for time.

Too-Many-Choices Friday: I'll go to drummer Atticus Reynolds gig at the Beyu 8 & 10p because Atticus is both a fine drummer & composer & deserves attention. Had he not been playing I would've then be tortured by these choices: the UNC jazz faculty at Sharp Nine 8p; guest trumpeter Wayne Bergeron with the Duke Big Band led by John Brown at Baldwin Auditorium 8p; & singer Jo Gore with pianist Ernest Turner at the Franklin Hotel 8p. Notice that the Scheduling Gods put all these at 8pm!

Pretty-Much-As-Many-Choices Saturday:  the Stephen Anderson trio at the 2pm Saturday Station gig in Carrboro; Kate McGarry's "Tough Get Growing" quartet at Sharp Nine 8p; soul jazz saxist Saxsmo Gates at the Beyu 8p; & Peter Lamb & The Wolves move from their bi-weekly Humble Pie gig to the Irregardless 9p.

And, if you want something unique, go to the contra dance at the Carrboro Century Center 8p to listen to the Contrazz band live up to its name.
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Yesterday I took my Guide To Local Jazz class to watch Dr. Ira Wiggins teach his NCCU big band class as they prepared for the 11/6 "Keep The Vision Alive" concert at the Carolina Theatre. We learned one reason to go to that concert: these are good student musicians working hard to sound the best possible that evening.

Last year the student performances were electric; I expect nothing less. And...and... you get to hear not just the brilliant NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble--but master pianist Ellis Marsalis & smooth jazz saxophonist Marcus Anderson will add their skills to the performance. Why wouldn't one want to get a ticket?

Tickets are $50 or $125 (duh, it's a benefit), the former getting you a good seat in the side/mid-to-rear orchestra sections & in any balcony seat, the latter getting you both a close-up of the performers & the satisfaction of having contributed substantially to student scholarships.

That's what this concert comes down to: if Jazz Studies students are to produce the music we heard in class yesterday, or in any NCCU concert, they need financial support for their studies. Sometimes we all need to be jazz sugar daddies & sugar mommies. As the song sorta goes, put a little in their bowls...

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After a very fine weekend--especially the Tuner-Riley duo Friday & the Freelon-Sawyer duo Saturday at Sharp Nine & guitarist/saxist Brad Maiani Saturday afternoon at the Station--it's time to look ahead...

Maybe it's a week to honor the god of small things, checking out the many regular gigs:
--tonight (Monday) Robert Griffin & Danny Grewen at Imbibe in Chapel Hill, or The She'd weekly jazz jam led by Ernest Turner; &/or
--Tuesday, the Brad Maiani Trio at Looking Glass in Carrboro; &/or
--Wednesday, Ariel Pocock & James Suter at Bar Virgile in Durham, or Duke's Jazz At The Mary Lou weekly jazz jam; &/or
--Thursday, Andrew Berinson on solo piano at Brasa Steakhouse.
--Sunday, a second chance to hear Brad Maiani, at Chapel Hill's West End Wine Bar.

The best thing way to decide what to do this weekend is to check out the WNCU jazz calendar. It's chock full of choices (though I should be at Sharp Nine Saturday night for Larry Q. Draughn's take on Monk). Not on that calendar but worth it: the nationally renowned Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble 4pm. I'll be there too...

I have to admit that Africa is calling me this week (I've spent eight years of my life in various countries on that continent): Youssou N'dour singing Sufi songs Tuesday night at UNC, & Congolese music at UNC Friday night. Though I find it hard to choose other than jazz music currently, these events compel me to attend.