After a wait nearing two years at this point, Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead finally hits local screens this weekend. Filmed in Cincinnati, the movie’s producers chose regional musicians to portray many of the musicians in the movie, including roles for Columbus saxophonists Terrance Farmer (John Coltrane) and Shawn “Thunder” Wallace (Cannonball Adderley). To see an Ohio-produced snapshot of one of the greatest jazz artists of all time, visit AMC Easton, AMC Lennox, the Gateway Film Center, Cinemark Stoneridge, or Marcus Pickerington starting Friday, April 22nd.
A Jazz Night Out
On Saturday, April 16th, I made my first visit to The King Room downtown. Located in the lower level of the old Brownstone (below Sidebar), this new addition to the downtown jazz scene is presenting a variety of jazz flavors each Saturday night. Last week’s show brought the Liquid Crystal Project to the intimate upscale venue. While the group played as a quartet (plus vocalists) without turntablist J. Rawls, the missing hip-hop/rhythmic element was replaced by plenty of jazz and soul. A medley of Michael Jackson tunes “Can’t Help It” and “Billie Jean” employed a hard groove while remaining smoothly melodic. While I didn’t catch any titles of the apparent originals in the second set, the material bounced between modern fusion and soulful jazz, with great leads and solos from keyboardist Brandon “B-jazz” Scott (who was celebrating a birthday!) and saxophonist Eddie Bayard. The rhythm section of bassist Mike Ealy and drummer Rob Riley was locked in on the varied grooves, but also ready to shine when the spotlight swung their way. I hope to enjoy the band and the venue again soon – Up next at The King Room is a quintet of keyboardist Mark Goodwin, bassist Roger Hines, drummer Ted Royalty, vocalist Rene Goodwin, and saxophonist Randy Mather on Saturday, April 23rd at 8:30pm. Cover is $10.
Shows To See This Week
Sunday, April 24th (8pm – 10pm): Peter and Will Anderson Trio at Natalie’s. New York City’s Anderson brothers are full-fledged woodwind specialists, working with clarinets and saxophones to honor the American Songbook while bringing their own twists to the table. Natives of Washington, DC, they have appeared with ensembles including the Jimmy Heath Big Band, Jazz @ Lincoln Center Orchestra, Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and Bob Wilber Sextet, and recorded with legends including Kenny Barron and Albert “Tootie” Heath. The brothers and guitarist Adam Moezinia are currently touring in support of their new album, Two Against One, rife with light-hearted but substantive takes on a batch of classic tunes. Tickets are available here. And if you can’t attend Sunday’s show, the trio is also presenting a short concert and clinic at Ohio State’s Hughes Hall, Room 109, on Monday from 6 to 7:30pm (more details here).
Monday, April 25th (9pm – 1am): Robert Dove 4Tet at Dick’s Den. Saxophonist and Columbus native Dove will swing through town Monday night to play with a group of some of the area’s finest young musicians: Danny Bauer on piano, Greg Wolfram on bass, and Ryan Folger on drums. Dove was kind enough to share a few more details about Monday’s show:
I’m really excited to be back in my hometown playing for the city that supported me through my growing process. The show at Dick’s Den will feature some of the music from my latest release, Paradigm Shift. However, I’m also looking forward to be performing some new material that has previously not been performed. I love working with this version of my Columbus quartet, because they all bring such a fresh perspective to the music…it’s always fun to play in front of your home crowd!
Cover is $4 for this Monday night treat.
Have a great week! Here’s footage of a recent concert by the Peter and Will Anderson Trio: