Hello jazz fans! This post marks the two-year anniversary of the start of this weekly column. As always, I’m very grateful for everyone that takes the time to read this and all of the jazz content here at JazzColumbus. Immersing myself in the jazz scene and meeting musicians, facilitators, and fans has been a great experience so far, and I’m looking forward to continuing to learn more about Columbus jazz, its history, and its people. There is some site news coming soon (stay tuned to our front page), but for now, thanks for being with me on this weekly excursion through the local jazz calendar. And remember, whenever you have comments, questions, or jazz news to share, please reach out and contact us here. Thanks again!
Shows To See This Week
Saturday, November 21st (9:30pm – 1:30am): Ryan Jewell Quintet at Carabar. As part of a busy schedule playing jazz, rock, and experimental music throughout Columbus and beyond, drummer Jewell occasionally finds time to lead his own jazz group. This is a slightly modified version of the quintet he debuted as part of his Dick’s Den residency back in April: Aditya Jayanthi‘s guitar has replaced Wesley Perry’s tenor sax, but the ensemble still includes Alex Burgoyne on alto sax, Caleb Miller on piano, and John Allen on bass. EDIT: Jewell told me more about the inspiration behind the change in instrumentation:
It was an idea inspired by spending time hanging out with saxophone legend Charles Lloyd and guitarist Bill Frisell at Solid Sound festival in Massachusetts this summer where I performed a couple of times with Ryley Walker and with Jeff Tweedy and Friends. I had been trying to decide on another tenor player to replace Wes when he moved to California, but when I heard the beautiful blend of guitar, sax, and piano in Lloyd’s band that afternoon, I realized that I had been too stuck on the idea of committing to two reed players and called guitarist Aditya Jayanthi right then before Charles Lloyd even finished his set.
There’s a new tune in the band’s book, written by Jewell in Detroit between ordering food and receiving it (!), but the night will mostly feature the material Jewell wrote at the band’s outset, now shaped by months of playing. This free show promises three sets of experimental modern jazz with some of the city’s best young players, so this is not to miss!
Sunday, November 22nd (1 – 6:30pm): Fall Harvest of Bands & Holiday Charity Event at Makoy Center (Hilliard). The Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society‘s annual fundraiser for local food pantries always boasts a strong lineup of regional traditional jazz heroes, and this year is no exception. This year’s lineup includes the Local Girls, a 3-part “precision harmony vocal group” based in Athens but sporting an international resume, Ray Heitger’s Cakewalkin’ Jass Band, “Toledo’s oldest New Orleans style jazz band,” and Columbus’ own North Side Jazz Band. This is a great chance to dance and swing for a good cause – visit here for ticket info.
Sunday, November 22nd (8 – 10pm): Otterbein University Student Jazz Night at Bossy Grrl’s Pinup Joint (North Campus). This free show, featuring Otterbein’s 1 O’Clock Combo, is part of a series of student jazz nights hosted by this burlesque-themed bar just north of Hudson Street. Organizer Karl Wohlwend, the director of Otterbein’s guitar department, was kind enough to give me further details on this week’s performance and the series as a whole:
Bossy Grrl’s Pinup Joint has been hosting Otterbein Jazz Nights on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. A group from Otterbein typically plays the 8-9 hour, then we open it up for high school and college students to join in for an informal jazz jam session. The 1 O’Clock Combo is one of The Otterbein University Department of Music’s performing ensembles. It is designed to give music majors experience playing standard jazz repertory in a small combo setting. It is open to university students of any major. This is the last event for the Fall Semester, but we will certainly continue into the Spring. It’s been a really great experience for the students, and I’m happy that Bossy Grrl’s gave us this opportunity.
Have a great week! Here’s footage of Ray Heitger’s Cakewalkin’ Jass Band in action: