I had a delightful early Jazz Night Out when I saw the Derek DiCenzo Trio play the beer garden at Local Roots in Powell on Tuesday the 2nd. In his Trio, DiCenzo plays guitar and is joined by Nathan Smith on bass and Maxwell Button on drums (as opposed to the DiCenzo TRio with Dave DeWitt and Aaron Scott), a lineup that has been playing Tuesdays at the restaurant for about 6 years now. That well-honed familiarity was easy to hear on the patio’s excellent sound system, as the group’s sound was warm and friendly, but not lacking in musicality and finesse. I heard the trio tackle a wide range of material, from standards like a sunny take on Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder” to pop tunes like “I Can See Clearly Now” with a lyrical DiCenzo in the lead. With a tasty locally-sourced menu and a Tuesday special on Ohio beers, this is a great place to spend a Tuesday happy hour. I’m glad I finally managed to check out one of the longest-running weekly gigs in town, and I encourage local jazz fans to follow suit if you haven’t already!
Shows to See This Week
Friday, August 5th (5 – 8pm): The Long Street Band Happy Hour at Lincoln Cafe. Local organization SCAT Experience the Avenue, with a mission to “to support musicians, educate youth and teach jazz music and art appreciation to future generations” is presenting a special happy hour show. A band featuring saxophonist Chip Willis and drummer James “Smooth” Elliott along with other local greats will perform soulful jazz favorites. Cover is $15, which includes a complimentary drink. Click here for more info.
Tuesday, August 9th (8:30 – 11:30pm): Jazz Jam Tuesdays Second Decade Party and Danny Bauer Going Away Party at Park Street Tavern. The next installment of the longest-running jazz jam session in town will be celebrating two big occasions. The 9th marks the 11-year anniversary of the start of the jam, so Pete Mills and his quartet are having a party to mark the beginning of its second decade. The event will also honor house band pianist Danny Bauer as he heads off to the University of North Texas for graduate school. Mills told me to expect special guests and free food for the festivities, so come on down and bring your horn! As always, admission is free!
Thursday, August 11th (7:30 – 10pm): Summer Songs with the Mary McClendon & Michael Shirtz Quartet at Bungalow Jazz. Becky Ogden’s bungalow will play host to another special show this summer as McClendon, one of Columbus’ finest vocalists, joins forces with Capital grad and pianist/vocalist Shirtz, guitarist Doug Neel, and drummer Reggie Jackson. Expect great duets for “a night of great American Songbook Classics and songs that make you think of summer!” A cash donation of $15 is requested, which goes entirely to the performing musicians.