I hope everyone had a happy (and jazzy?) 4th of July! With outdoor music season in full bloom, I wanted to highlight your opportunities for outdoor live jazz around the area for the weekend ahead. Postponed due to the holiday, the Reeb-Hosack/ Steelton Village Committee’s FAT (First and Third) Tuesdays series resumes on a Thursday with the live debut of The (Jazz) Patrol 2.0 on the 6th at 6:30pm at Southeast Lions Park at the corner of Barthman and Bruck Streets near Parsons Avenue. The band’s current lineup includes Columbus jazz legends Melvin Stewart on bass, Tim Houpe on drums, and Kenneth “Pounce” Pouncey on percussion, with help from Chris Brown on keyboards. Witness the rebirth of a great Columbus jazz band! (NOTE: Our calendar listing for the Columbus Jazz Orchestra playing in Upper Arlington on the 6th was incorrect – that show will take place on July 20th.) Keep reading for outdoor shows on Saturday and Sunday along with other previews.
On Saturday, the PBJ & Jazz series for children (and parents) continues with Dayton’s Bright Moments Quintet at noon at the Topiary Park downtown. Columbus smooth jazz powerhouse Mac Flava performs on the Main Stage at the Westerville Music & Arts Festival in Westerville’s Heritage Park at 2:30pm. The annual Cultural Wall Music Festival returns with jazz, funk and soul starting at 3:30pm at Jefferson Park (Downtown): this year’s lineup includes Blue Avenue, J London, Thump Daddy and the Stone City Band. Later on, Jazz at the Amp continues with Tia Harris and Brian Simpson at the Westerville Amphitheater at 7pm, which is also when New Basics Brass Band hits the patio at Local Roots in Powell. There are two great Sunday evening options to end your weekend with jazz in local parks: Veteran outfit Yumbambe provides its fiery salsa jazz for the Music in the Park series at John Bishop Park in Whitehall at 6pm, and the Westerville Amphitheater swings for the second night in a row when Sinatra-styled entertainer Brian Michael Smith croons for the Sounds of Summer Concert Series starting at 6:30pm. Get outside and enjoy jazz!
Shows To See This Week
Friday, July 7th (10pm – midnight): fo/mo/deep at Natalie’s. In the middle of a summer season of high-profile appearances at local (and beyond) festivals, Columbus’ own high-powered groove quartet touches down at one of their favorite venues. Worthington’s destination for great live music, delicious coal-fired pizza and well-crafted drinks, which will soon celebrate its 5th anniversary, hosts the band as it honors its roots in “the experimental school of the 70s…a time when jazz, soul and funk were one and the same.” See them in an intimate performance in one of Columbus’ finest listening rooms before their itinerary takes them onto the 26th Annual Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz in Connecticut on the 15th and an appearance at the Jazz & Rib Festival on July 21st. Get your tickets here now while they last.
Saturday, July 8th (8pm – 11pm): Swing on a Saturday Night with Megan and her Goody Goodies at Fourth Avenue Christian Church, Victorian Village. While its annual Columbus Lindy & Blues Exchange has come and gone for another year, SwingColumbus continues to host great live band swing dances this summer and year-round. This installment of the Swing on a Saturday Night series features Knoxville, TN-based Megan and her Goody Goodies, led by vocalist and bandleader Megan Lange, is known for “finding inspiration in the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Julia Lee, Anita O’Day, and Bessie Smith, and featuring a solid, driving rhythm section.” Admission is $15 for the general public (reduced for members and students) and includes a drop-in dance lesson at 7:30 before the band starts at 8. Swing the night away!
Tuesday, July 11th (9pm – midnight): Tony Monaco Trio at Rumba Cafe. While B3 organ maestro Monaco is certainly entertaining local audiences this summer, schedules have not permitted many appearances recently at one of Columbus’ favorite places to see him play. That changes for this week, however, as Monaco and his trio (likely with Derek DiCenzo on guitar and Tony McClung on drums) return to Rumba for a Tuesday night throwdown. See one of the world’s finest organ players in the cozy confines of this eclectic venue before he plays the Green Mill (Chicago) and Birdland (NYC) later this month. Reserve your $5 tickets in advance here.
Have a great week! Get ready with a few videos: