Howdy jazz fans! I had Some Jazzy Nights Out, but not a great deal to say about them, so let’s just dive in. On Thursday the 20th, I saw Lettuce at the Newport. A great deal of my reaction to this show was, “Wow, where did all of these people come from?” Lettuce is a jazzy funk band I’ve enjoyed casually since their recording debut in the early 2000s, but never thought that they had a big following, especially not in Columbus. However, to my surprise, there were 1000+ fans raging at the Newport Music Hall! The band has apparently attracted the attention of the jamband crowd, and good for them. There were plenty of long, somewhat psychedelic funk jams, including my favorite song of theirs, a cover of Soul Vibrations’ “The Dump.” Great tunes! On Saturday night, among other stops, I saw Chicago bassist Jason Ajemian and his trio at Double Happiness. His mostly vocal free jazz stylings are not really my thing, but his humble sincerity was endearing. And his “deconstruction” of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” was an oddball delight.
Shows To See This Week
Thursday, February 27th: Brett Burleson Band at Dicks Den. Guitarist Burleson and his current working quartet (Eddie Bayard on tenor sax, Roger Hines on bass, and Ryan Jewell on drums) tear into Dick’s on a Thursday. The band is hitting their stride lately, and their recent video shoot at The Mug & Brush Sessions (see below) is proof.
Friday, February 28th: Adam Smith & Friends at Dick’s Den. After a recent show was postponed, keyboardist Smith is letting loose and turning this gig into a Descendre & Friends show. A total of at least eight performers (including a rotation of Justin Campbell and Nathan Parker on the drums) will take the stage for a psychedelic family excursion.
Monday, March 3rd: Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra at Clintonville Woman’s Club. Local legends FJO play their weekly big band extravaganza. This week they are joined by the OSU Jazz Lab Ensemble, under the direction of Kris Keith. A night of great local jazz is promised, as well as likely the largest age range of performers at a jazz show this week!
Here’s video of Brett Burleson Band’s “33”. Go see jazz!