I enjoyed A Jazz Night Out this week. On Wednesday, March 26th, I went down to Dicks Den to see the first set of the finale of Aaron Quinn’s March residency. This performance featured the talented lineup of the Aaron Quinn Nonet. The night opened with a lively and guttural improvisation from tuba player Tony Zilincik before segueing into Quinn’s “Almanac Cue.” The driving, rock-inflected piece reminded me of modern Scandinavian jazz (and I was vindicated when Quinn mentioned “Reykjavik and Japan” after the tune), with a rugged solo from Quinn and some wailing clarinet from Joe Brenneman. The rest of the set was also great, ranging from a simmering tune featuring Pete Mills to an avant garde musical poem from a posthumous Charles Bukowski collection to a moody pop tune, “I Used To Cry,” featuring vocalist Fran Litterski. The breadth of talent and influences on display made for a nice conclusion to Quinn’s residency.
Shows To See This Week
Friday, April 4th: Colin Lazarski at Dick’s Den. Guitarist Lazarski (New Basics Brass Band, among other projects) brings a powerhouse quartet to Dick’s on Friday. The band includes Kevin O’Neill on saxophone, Derek DiCenzo on bass, and Louis Tsamous on drums. The program will be a mix of standards and “non-standards.”
Saturday, April 5th: Knots, Fathers of the Revolution, and Liver Quiver at Ruby Tuesday. Rubys’ first jazz show in a long time (that I’m aware of) highlights three Ohio bands with different approaches to modern jazz. Local keyboard/drums duo Knots melds modern jazz and electronic influences into future melodies. Athens’ Fathers of the Revolution plays “swing deco,” their own blend of surf, rock, and swing. Liver Quiver is one of Aaron Quinn’s projects, featured on the opening night of his Dick’s Den residency, which is a trio focused on new improvisatory concepts, with Alex Burgoyne on saxophone and Seth Daily on drums.
Wednesday, April 9th: Alex Schrock at Brothers Drake. Guitarist Schrock, who currently holds down both a Friday night weekly and a Sunday brunch weekly, will play Jazz Wednesday with his trio: Nathan Parker on drums and Adam DeAscentis on bass, The band will play some original tunes along with some less-played standards.
Have a great week!