I first heard the Eno Quartet, led by Oberlin Conservatory student Elijah Fox-Peck, at Sharp Nine. The "quartet" was a trio, quartet, or quintet, depending on who was playing. The dual connection among them is Durham &/or Oberlin, & they play so well that I recommend seeing Elijah plus whomever at Motorco 7/17, a future of jazz.
After the first Eno Quartet set I drifted over to Alley 26, where Al Strong was paired with Ryan Hanseler, who play together frequently. Ryan was doing a lot of stride & ragtime, which only made their fluid collaboration even better. Plus, sitting up close to the players makes Alley 26 a personal concert for me. It's the kind of place you could walk by, stop, hear the music, & then sit in as far as the music will take you. And, it usually takes you a long way...
I just realized that the Frankliin Street Trad Jazz Band is playing at Southern Village tonight, led by Gordon DeFriese, who taught the OLLI trad jazz course I took last fall. It was such a great intro to New Orleans jazz that I highly recommend seeing the FSTJB tonight, to get a feel for what that music was like nearly 100 hundred years ago.
OK, among the delightful choice of usual suspects in the next two weeks, here are my thoughts:
--the NC Jazz Rep Orchestra at Sharp Nine Tuesday 7/15 at Sharp Nine. Big band jazz extends lifespans;
--the same holds for Gregg Gelb's Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra at Southern Village in early evening Thursday 7/17;
--for different dose of Gregg Gelb, in his quarter, check him out at C Grace Friday 7/18 at 9;
--for a change of pace, catch solo piano at C Grace the next two Wednesdays at 9: Ernest Turner 7/16 & Ryan Hanseler 7/23;
--Ryan & his quartet will also be at the Beyu Friday 7/25;
--if I was free to do so, I'd seriously consider seeing Brian Horton under the stars Saturday 7/19 at Straw Valley on the Durham-Chapel Hill border;
--Eric Hirsh will continue with his quartet, this time at Sharp Nine at 8 on Saturday 7/26, building on his recent appearances locally;
--Last but certainly no least, Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz plus other musicians will be at Sharp Nine the night before Eric, at 8 on Friday 7/25; go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/758775 for tickets.
Is that enough for the next two weeks?