Outdoor Jazz is in abundance this Father’s Day weekend, both at the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival (my thoughts on their jazz schedule are below) and at many other Central Ohio venues. On Friday, June 14th at 5pm, the Local ‘n Live series presents violinist Stephen Spottswood & The Symphonic Soul at the Campus Gateway Beer Garden (outside The District PourHouse, more info here). At 6pm, the Worthington Arts Festival Preview Picnic features the Tony Hagood Trio outside McConnell Arts Center – tickets are required, get them here before they’re gone (EDIT: The picnic is now sold out)! Saturday, June 15th: Get a jump on the day at Jazz on the Lake presented by the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority with smooth jazz powerhouse E-Flat and vocalist Najoura at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris Hotel starting at 11am – ticket info here. At 4pm, the 2019 Jazz Summer Concert Series at New Birth Christian Ministries (East Side) gets started for Father’s Day with a special program featuring vocalists Mary McClendon and Sabrina Tutstone with the Vernon Hairston Band – more info here. And enjoy jazz treatments of a wide variety of great tunes from the Hot Tonic Trio plus guests at the Autumn Rush Vineyard in Johnstown at 5:30pm – info here. Keep reading for a few great outdoor shows next week and a Creekside guide.
On Tuesday, June 18th at⋅7:30pm, the annual Music on the Lawn series at the Grandview Heights Public Library features the toe-tappin’ modern swing sounds of Whirlybirds – more info here. And beyond the dependable weekly slot for guitarist Tom Carroll at the Granville Inn at 6pm, Wednesday, June 19th’s calendar also includes some great jazz at Easton Town Center’s Sounds on the Town Series. After an opening soul set from Topher James & Biscuit Brigade at 6pm, the mighty New Basics Brass Band brings its time-tested New Orleans-style tunes to the Easton stage – info here.
Creekside Jazz Guide
We published the jazz schedule for the 21st annual Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival here on Monday, but wanted to give a few insights into the scheduled bands (All shows are on the “Heartland Bank Jazz Stage” unless otherwise noted). The festival gets off to a strong start on Friday, June 15th with classy standards from esteemed vocalist Tia Harris and her Trio at 5pm and classic hard bop-soul jazz from The Sidewinders (Colin Lazarski on guitar, Kevin O’Neill on saxophone, Dave DeWitt on organ and Louis Tsamous on drums) at 7pm. These bands set the stage for the 9pm main event: Columbus’ legendary smooth jazz purveyors Urban Jazz Coalition featuring trombonist Sarah Morrow (Ray Charles, Dr. John, many more).
Saturday, June 16th will be swinging from the onset, with the talented young musicians of the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra hitting at 1pm and celebrated vocalist Rachel Sepulveda with her soulful all-star Quartet at 3pm, along with the annual appearance of the Swings the Thing Big Band on the Creekside Community Stage at 3:30pm. The tunes head toward funky fusion territory as the day progresses, with veteran groove masters fo/mo/deep at 5pm and fusion supergroup FLIPPO paying tribute to The Music of Weather Report at 7pm. Saturday ends with internationally-renowned guitarist John Scofield’s Combo 66 at 9pm – Scofield will be joined onstage by his high-powered Combo 66 band: drummer and composer Bill Stewart, pianist Gerald Clayton, and bassist Vicente Archer for a performance highlighting his 2018 Combo 66 album.
The festival wraps up Sunday, June 17th with a short but sweet lineup of more great jazz. Guitarist Ken Weaver’s Quartet gets started at Noon, before the Cuban fusion sounds of Waves de Ache, who recently released the excellent Forward Motion at 2pm, and smooth jazz outfit Trutone at 3pm on the Creekside Community Stage. The jazz portion of the festival ends in timeless fashion at 4pm with a “Swinging With Sinatra” from crooner Brian Michael Smith backed by The John Vermeulen Octet.
Have a great week! Get ready with video from the artists: