As part of a busy weekend, I had a fantastic Jazz Night Out when I saw the Tony Monaco Quartet play the final show at Bungalow Jazz on Saturday the 3rd. It was another packed house, with jazz fans and luminaries like Ray Eubanks and Vaughn Wiester all there to thank Becky Ogden and experience one last night of great jazz at the Bungalow. The multi-faceted band did not disappoint, leading with a fluid Monk tune before amping up the house party vibe with the greasy R&B groove of “Bucket.” Monaco paid homage to his inspirations, with a lighter take on Don Patterson’s “Goin’ to Meetin'” that featured great solos from Monaco, saxophonist Randy Mather, and guitarist Derek DiCenzo accented by well-timed crashes from drummer Aaron Scott, and the classic organ groove of “I’ll Remember Jimmy,” Monaco’s tribute to Jimmy Smith with, as he put it, that “dry 60’s organ sound.” Monaco also contributed some passionate vocals, including leading the airy Latin dance groove of “Cuando,” and took the crowd on a mystical, epic voyage through “Caravan,” shifting pitch, mood and tempo effortlessly before Scott unleashed a monstrous solo to round it out. It was an excellent night of music by four of the area’s best musicians in what has been a truly special venue for the Columbus jazz scene. Thank you Becky!
Shows To See This Week
Saturday, June 10th (4pm – midnight): 2017 Communities Jazz and Blues Festival at Q. Daniel Crease Multicultural Center, Reynoldsburg. The William Brady Charitable Organization, which hosts a weekly Jazz & Wine event at the HUB Community Development Corporation on the Near East Side, is getting into the summer spirit with a big music festival Saturday. There will be performances by an all-star selection of local artists including The Urban Jazz Coalition, fo/mo/deep, Shaun Booker & 24×7, Wade and the Mojo Blues Band, and The William Brady Project Band. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door – proceeds support Mental Health Awareness. Visit the Facebook event page for more info.
Saturday, June 10th (9pm – midnight): Lucas Kadish Presents: On the Brazen Trail at Brothers Drake. Guitarist Kadish, whom we interviewed in January, returns to town with a trio and provided more info about the show:
Lucas Kadish Presents: On the Brazen Trail stops of in Columbus for their second night of the tour. Lucas Kadish (Hudson, OH) has played in countless situations as a sideman (Les McCann, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Javon Jackson, etc.) and now leads his own trio playing brand new original music. With him is Devon Gillingham (Winnipeg, Canada) on bass and Kweku Sumbry (Washington, D.C.) on the drums. They bring on a powerful sound to the stage with an intrepid approach to Lucas’ music and the occasional standard.
There is no cover, but a tip jar donation of $5 is suggested.
Thursday, Jun 15th (7:30pm – 11pm): INSTRUMENTHEAD Super Jam at Park Street Saloon. This touring event, combining photography and live music, is a special collaboration between Brooklyn-based photographer Michael Weintrob and several of the accomplished musicians featured in his newest project and book INSTRUMENTHEAD.
Seventeen years in the making, “The INSTRUMENTHEAD collection is a surrealist look into the soul of a musician, not through their eyes as with traditional portraiture, but through the musician’s instrument.” The touring performance brings together greats from the jazz and jam scenes: DJ Logic (DJ/Turntablist), Chris “Freekbass” Sherman (Bass Guitar), Erik Deutsch (Keys) and Rico Lewis (Drums). Tickets are $15 in advance here and $20 at the door.
Have a great week! Warm up with a couple videos: