1. Sometimes a pianist can make an out of tune piano work: Facing an all-Monk tribute, Charlotte-based pianist Lovell Bradford made the Hayti lobby piano sound better than it deserved Saturday night. In fact, he & his trio--bassist Kevin Beardsley & drummer Kassem Williams--made us forget the piano in the flood tide of Monk. Well done!
2. Practice makes perfect: A few weeks ago my "Guide To Local Jazz" class sat in one Professor Lenora Helm's vocal jazz class at NCCU, during which the Vocal Jazz Ensemble worked on the challenge of Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo". I heard the final product Friday night at Central's sparsely attended end of semester concert & the tune's odd rhythm & lovely lyrics were sung fantastically well.
This Week: Yup, a relatively quiet holiday week, but a week to catch up on Usual Suspects. What else to do is there to do on a holiday weekend?
Monday
- It's always good to hear Griffanzo & Grewen at Imbibe 7p.
- Quartet Jazzbeau makes a rare appearance at 2nd Wind 7:30p. I'll be there.
- The NCJRO fills Sharp Nine with its big band sounds 8p. I could catch the second set.
- Brian Horton plays his weekly gig at Kingfisher 9p. Or I could wander to Durham for this.
- Jonathan Markow plays at the Empress Room, aided by vocalist Amy Hancock 7:30p. I'll be there, which makes it easy to slip downstairs for....
- The Mac McLaughlin Group is "New Music To Us" at C Grace 8ish. Been waiting for an opportunity to catch Mac.
- Andrew Berinson's duo plays Sullivan's bar 5:30p.
- Zach Gossett plays piano, Malik Denny sings, at Irregardless 6:30p.
- La Fiesta Latin Band at Grace 9p.
- Trumpeter Lynn Grissett's trio at Arcana 9p.
- Guitarist Devin Frazier's duo at Sullivan's 5:30p
- Zen Poets at Irregardless 6:30p.
- Mark Wells leads 3 Wolves (of Peter Lamb & The...) at Brasa Steakhouse 7p.
- Al Strong's Quartet--including visiting Triangle jazz alum Ryan Hanseler--at C Grace. I have to see what Ryan's brought from living in New Orleans!