After a busy weekend travelling to Seattle for my sister’s wedding, I managed to have A Jazz Night Out on Monday, August 11th by going to Dicks Den to see NYC trumpeter John Lake and his Quintet of local jazz all-stars. As advertised, it was a night of mostly standards, but it showed the breadth of the collective knowledge on stage and showcased Lake’s chops. The liveliest and brightest selections I heard in the first two sets were mostly bebop tunes, as the band cooked on Charlie Parker’s “Wee,” which featured excellent solos from Lake and keyboardist Tony Bonardi, as well as Dizzy Gillespie’s “Ow,” which saw some ice cold keys from Bonardi and similarly smooth(er) solos from Lake and saxophonist Michael Cox. Cooler classics like “Autumn Leaves” and “Darn That Dream” were infused with great horn interplay between Lake and Cox, both well-versed in the fundamental material. I’m not usually a big fan of ballads, but the band played several fine ones, including a sincere take on “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” marking the second great rendition of that tune that I’ve heard this summer. The vocal crowd clearly loved the music they heard, which was a great night of skilled musicians meeting (for the first time) and speaking the same language from the jump.
Shows To See This Week
Thursday, August 14th: Music from the Cool School at Bungalow Jazz. For the second Thursday in a row, Becky Ogden hosts a thematic night of great jazz in her bungalow home. This time, a quintet of Columbus’ best will tackle the music known as “Cool Jazz” or “West Coast Jazz.” The night’s band, featuring Mark Donavan on saxes, Ryan Hamilton on trombone, Aaron Quinn on guitar, Nate Smith on bass, and Zach Compston on drums will play arrangements of tunes by Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck, John Lewis, Antonio Carlos Jobim and more.
Sunday, August 17th (5 – 8pm): The House Jazz Concert Series – Dave Powers featuring Tony Monaco at the Clintonville Woman’s Club. This is now the fifth year of pianist Powers’ bimonthly House Jazz Concert Series, which originated in his home before moving to larger confines. This installment will put the talents of legendary local organist Monaco on full display. He will be accompanied by Powers on keyboards, Derek DiCenzo on guitar, and Louis Tsamous on drums in what will surely be a festive setting for fiery blues and soulful vocals. If you need a taste of what the series has to offer, there are four CDs of live music (Volumes 1-4) recorded from these house concerts that are available on iTunes and Amazon (search: Dave Powers) for your sampling (and purchasing!) needs.
Wednesday, August 20th: FLIPPO at Natalie’s. The local jazz-funk-rock-fusion supergroup makes its periodic return to Columbus’ favorite jazz-loving pizza place. The lineup of Michael Cox (sax and EWI), Erik Augis (keyboards), Paul Brown (guitar), Andy Woodson (bass) and Louis Tsamous (drums) brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to their interpretation of funky classics and their creation of groove-laden original material. The night’s program promises some of their original tunes, as well as arrangements of music by artists such as Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, Weather Report, and the Pat Metheny Group.
Go get some jazz!