I might as well start there. Listening to Gerald Clayton reminds me of my latest glib description of jazz: chamber music with booze. Though the audience was incredibly responsive & encouraging, the music itself had a delicate chamber music quality, jazz lyricism added. My next task is to buy his latest CD & reserve solid quiet time to listen...
Earlier in the week I stopped in to the pretty empty 2nd Wind bar in Carrboro to hear the Doug Largent Trio, which deserves to be heard live. The guitar & drums take care of themselves; their sound cannot not be heard. Doug's organ playing fills the spaces he plays in, the organ's audible & (inaudible) felt sounds filling the listener as well. They play most Thursdays & Fridays at the West End Wine Bar on West Franklin St in Chapel Hill...
We took in Catherine Russell's early concert yesterday evening at NCSU's Center Stage in the delightfully small Titmus Theater (Center Stage fortunately or unfortunately shifts to the larger Tally Ballroom the rest of this season). Russell is just plain fun, mostly resurrecting obscure blues & jazz tunes from the '20s to the '50s...
The jazz scene is quieter this week (but will heat up next week). I may get ambitious Wednesday night & go to both drummer Kobie Watkins's jazz jam at the Beyu (which includes local high school players) & the usually too-late-for-me Jazz At the Mary Lou jam organized by John Brown weekly at 9:30 at Duke. Beyond that, John Brown's trio will play the reception for the Nasher Museum lecture on Louis Armstrong, starting at 5:30 or 6 (the web info is unclear); the Ghost Train Orchestra, which plays obscure nightclub/speakeasy jazz of the '20s & '30s--&, I suspect anything that tickles its fancy--is at Motorco Friday night; the La Fiesta Latin Band (including the peripatetic Gregg Gelb) is at the Beyu Saturday night at 8.
I literally just discovered the Peak City Grill in Apex--helping the city live up to its name--now has jazz every Tuesday, Friday, & Saturday (the last having a schedule through December!). Sounds like they're investing in jazz. A good move.
And, for those that haven't heard Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz sing & play magically, they're at Temple Emanuel in Greensboro Sunday 4/6 at 7pm.
Now, if the Beyu Caffe & the C Grace Bar would only put their April schedules on their websites, I could add more recommendations...