It’s hard to believe that it’s already been over a year since the sad passing of piano titan Mark Flugge (photo by Erika Flugge). Continuing in the spirit of last year’s tribute, the second annual Flugge Memorial Concert will take place Sunday, June 14th at 2pm in Mees Hall, Capital University. The first half of this free concert will consist of small group and soloist performances, including one by Steven Jacobs, winner of the 2015 Capital University Mark Flugge Jazz Award. The second half will feature Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra in their commissioned arrangements of Flugge’s works. These tunes will include arrangements of “Around Every Corner” (Bill Dobbins); “Feeling, Not Words” (Bob Larson); “Beatrice the Cat” (Kim Pensyl); “Compassion for All” (Will England), and Mark’s arrangements of his tune “Drivin’ the Bus” and the standard “Emily.” Mark Flugge Remembered: Jazz Originals and Standards, a 2-CD set of all-new, previously unreleased tracks of Mark’s performances and compositions will be released at this concert and available for purchase. It will include mostly live performances from the Chamber Jazz at the Museum concerts, the Famous Jazz Orchestra, the From the Five Jazztet, Mark’s solo recitals at Capital and OSU, the QuintEssential Winds, Bill Dobbins’ Eastman Faculty Trio, a Chillicothe recording session, and a May 2014 solo concert in Urbana. The CD set was produced by the non-profit Mark Flugge Memorial Fund; all CD proceeds go directly to the Memorial Fund. This concert and CD will be a great way to continue to honor Flugge’s legacy.
Shows To See This Week
Friday, June 12th (6pm – 8:30pm): Tia Harris CD Release Celebration at Whetstone Park Shelter House (Clintonville). Veteran vocalist Harris is throwing a party in honor of her new album, Fly Away With Me. Recorded with Danny Aguiar at Evolution Audio Recording, this 14-song album pairs Harris’ sultry vocals with the talents of many great local musicians. Friday’s event will be highlighted by a performance by Canta Brasil, featuring Harris on vocals, and CDs will be available for $10. Visit her new website for more info.
Saturday, June 13th (8:45 – 10:15pm) New Basics Brass Band at Grandview Digfest, Grandview Yard. On the first weekend of the year where outdoor jazz can be found in abundance around town, the headlining performance of this celebration of “local craft brewers, craft distilleries, Ohio wines and liqueurs” should be a treat. Laying low since their annual Mardi Gras parties, these brass band all-stars have been working on new tunes and arrangements, so this should be a great chance to experience spirited New Orleans-style jazz and funk while sampling the best in local spirits.
Wednesday, June 17th: 5 Star Groove at Brothers Drake. This six-piece ensemble of young musicians formed last fall to compete in Groove U’s Battle of the Bands. After practicing and writing songs, their Fort Hayes Career Center teacher Jeff McCargish started working on getting the band gigs, and so the band has continued to gain momentum and have fun doing it. The band is made up of Taj Jackson (bandleader, trombone, trumpet, piano), Sicquan Gipson (saxophone), JJ Price (piano, alto sax, vocals), Garrett Gould (piano), Jon Thorne (bass), and Thomas Stanley (drums). Gipson told me that the band’s material is mostly “original music with a mixture of jazz and funk/R&B sounds,” with a few standards tossed in. Come out to support young talent putting their own spin on funky jazz with a unique two-piano and two-horn front line.
Have a great week! Here’s a preview of Harris’ album: