The grand finale of Jazz Appreciation Month is International Jazz Day – Monday, April 30th. Spearheaded by Herbie Hancock, this worldwide celebration “highlights jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.” A schedule of concerts in cities around the world is topped by the 2018 All-Star Global Concert, which will be held at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and “will feature nearly three dozen acclaimed artists representing 14 countries.” Click here for more details, including links to watch the webcast at 4pm Eastern Time on Monday. If you’re looking to honor the occasion with live jazz in Columbus, The Society for Creative Art Talent (SCAT) is holding a Jazz Appreciation Day Jam Session at the Lincoln Cafe on Saturday, April 28th, from 10:30am to 1pm (more details here). Grab your horn and get your day going with great live jazz in celebration of the music’s international influence.
Shows To See This Week
Friday, April 27th (9pm – 2am): Brazilian Night Party with Afro-Brazilian Project and Hemispheres Band at Spain Night Club, North Side. The 2nd annual Brazilian Night party will celebrate Brazil in myriad ways, including Brazilian food and drink, contests, and a huge dance party led by DJs and bands focusing on “Samba, Axé and other rhythms of Brazilian music.” Drummer Joe Nelson’s Afro-Brazilian Project, which had a very successful debut at Nelson’s February Dick’s Den Residency, will play music from greats like Gal Costa, Djavan, Elise Regina, Jobim and much more. The Hemispheres Band will feature vocalists Marcos Costa and Rachel Sepulveda for their own spin on classic Brazilian tunes. More details can be found at the event’s website, and advance tickets (strongly recommended) are available here until Thursday afternoon.
Saturday, April 28th (7:30 – 9:30pm): Night of Jazz with Stephen Spottswood & Friends at The Pelican Room, Downtown. Formerly the home of The King Room, this intimate venue located under the Sidebar restaurant on East Main Street is a destination for a wide variety of entertainment. Violinist Spottswood, Director of the URBAN Strings Columbus Youth Orchestra, will be joined by an excellent band, with Roger Hines on bass, Dominic Baer on keyboards, and James “Smooth” Elliot on drums. Spottswood tells me that the program includes a selection of jazz standards and ballads. Enjoy a fun early night out on the town with great string-powered jazz. Tickets and more details are available here.
Wednesday, May 2nd (9 – 11pm): Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller’s Parlour Game at Natalie’s. This new project from modern jazz titans Scheinman (violin) and Miller (drums) “celebrates the popular roots of jazz – It honors the groove, the conversation, the game, and the women that made jazz a social music.” This quartet also includes Carmen Staaf (piano) and Tony Scherr (bass), making a foursome of veterans of numerous strains of American song. All of these musicians were part of Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom band that toured in the fall, including a terrific performance at the Wexner Center. Parlour Game was born on that tour, as these new collaborators found “immediate chemistry” when circumstances put them onstage together. Learn more and buy tickets here, and go see a joyful collective of acclaimed talents!
Have a great week! Prepare for these great shows with promo videos and new footage from Parlour Game: