While next weekend’s Columbus Jazz & Rib Festival is almost upon us (check back next week for much more info), part of this week’s exciting schedule of outdoor performances is another nearby pairing of delicious ribs and live jazz. The 20th Annual Newark Jazz & Ribs Festival takes place on Saturday, July 20th, from noon to 8pm, at Canal Market District, 25 East Walnut Street in Newark. Enjoy (and vote for) the best ribs in Newark, a beer and wine garden, and a great mix of Columbus and Newark smooth, Latin and big band jazz with E-Flat (noon), Caribbean Jazz Quartet (2pm), Full Count Jazz Band (4pm), and the Heisey Wind Ensemble Big Band featuring vocalist Kelly McLennan (6pm). Jazz and ribs season is upon us!
Shows To See This Week
Friday, July 14th (6 – 8pm): Happy Hour Jam Session at Elevator Brewery Taproom, 165 N. 4th Street, Downtown. Held on a weekly basis during the school year, this jam session hosted by Capital University music students and alums has returned for the summer on a slightly more limited schedule. Now led by pianist and new Capital grad Jacob Campbell, this low-key session is a great chance to hear young area jazz talent and maybe even break out your horn! Of course, there is also the added attraction of a great selection of fresh and possibly rare Elevator beers that pair well with jazz. Check out the jam this week, or over the rest of their summer schedule: Fridays July 28th, August 4th, August 18th, and August 25th. Free admission!
Sunday, July 16th (6 – 8pm): Bobby Floyd Showcase: Lee Savory and Bryan Olsheski with the Bobby Floyd Trio – “The Art Of The Quintet” at Notes. The always lively Sunday showcase and jam session that presents pianist Floyd and his longtime trio of bassist Derek DiCenzo and drummer Reggie Jackson with great special guests is upping the ante this week. This week’s opening set will include two featured guests, trumpeter Lee Savory and saxophonist Bryan Olsheski, as the group offers high-powered renditions of classic jazz quintet standards. While this event is always a treat, this edition looks to be especially memorable – get your tickets now!
Thursday, July 20th (8 – 9pm): Liquid Crystal Project at the Wexner Center. While these pioneers of the jazzhop movement are always worth checking out, this free show packs extra bang for no bucks. The band will perform a set outdoors on the Center’s plaza before the Wex Drive-In screening of the classic concert film Wattstax, which “captures the eponymous 1972 concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in LA’s Watts neighborhood. Wattstax features amazing performances by The Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, The Bar-Kays, and other great R&B and soul artists, as well as comedy from a pre-stardom Richard Pryor!” Looks to be a great night of jazz and soul under the stars! Check out the Wex’s interview with Liquid Crystal Project’s DJ (and Columbus legend) J. Rawls here to get ready.
Have a great week! Enjoy audio of Olsheski with the Floyd Trio relaying a sentiment on the minds of many local jazz fans: