Following up from news I brought you in June, details have been announced for Columbus screenings of filmmaker Adam Kahan’s 2014 Rahsaan Roland Kirk documentary The Case of the Three Sided Dream! The New Harvest Cafe & Urban Arts Center, with assistance from other local organizations, is presenting two showings of the film: Thursday, September 15th at 7pm at the Martin Janis Center, 600 11th Avenue at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, and Tuesday, September 27th at 7pm at the New Harvest Cafe, 1675 Arlington Avenue in Linden. Call 614-447-8810 for more information. The film is also available for purchase at several digital outlets: Vimeo on Demand (the trailer is available here too), Amazon, and iTunes. Seize the opportunity to learn more about a Columbus and international jazz legend on the big screen or in the comfort of your own home!
Jazz Nights Out
I had a wonderful time when I attended two of the five installments of the 2016 Hot Times Kate Schulte Tribute last week. The first performance by The Jazz Poetry Ensemble and the legendary cast of D.D. Jackson, Marlon Jordan, Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, and Kidd Jordan was a night of spontaneously composed music at Notes on Wednesday the 7th. The program started by poet Michael Vander Does touching on “When You Listen To Kidd Jordan” from the new Motherless Acoustivore while Jordan’s horn shrieked to life, leading the band to get in the loose groove. After alto saxophonist Lake made an impassioned charge out front of the ensemble, he was soon joined in an unaccompanied trio of saxophone titans, with tenor saxophonist Jordan quoting “Motherless Child” and baritone saxophonist Bluiett humorously playing only his saxophone’s neck. The first half ended with a soulful tribute to New Orleans, with plenty of free jazz touches. Bluiett took the lead in the second half by introducing individual players to lead their own solo passages, and then he took a turn sharing some poetry, with Lake soon following suit. The night was filled with bright solo lines piercing instrumental chaos, along with lighter passages that maintained a sense of peace.
After two shows and a Friday workshop, Friday night’s show at Dick’s Den found the gathering of players more accustomed to each other, and some of their initial melodic ideas more fleshed out. The band grew to ten core members for the evening as NYC baritone saxophonist Alex Harding, once a student of Bluiett’s, heard about the weekend’s festivities, decided he couldn’t miss this gathering of greats, and came down from Detroit! This was a great addition, as Harding was a bit more traditional and served as an excellent foil to Bluiett’s explorations, and it also showed the power and musical attraction of the lineup Vander Does and crew assembled. Local luminaries like tenor saxophonist Eddie Bayard and drummer Mark Lomax were able to sit in on tunes, and many more local musicians enjoyed the festivities from the audience. It was another unique night of joyful noise where a Columbus crowd was able to enjoy a collection of international talent. Here’s to many more years of the Hot Times Kate Schulte Tribute!
Shows To See This Week
Saturday, September 17th (7:30 – 9pm): Shayna Steele & David Cook at Notes. The New York City-based songwriting duo of vocalist Steele and Columbus native and pianist David Cook return to Columbus for “A Night To Remember.” They will be joined by their full band, including Brian Cockerham on bass, Chaun Horton on drums, and Brad Williams on guitar. The evening’s program will center on material from 2015’s RISE, recorded with musicians such as Christian McBride, Gregoire Maret, Eric Harland, and Marcus Miller and released on Ropeadope Records. Steele’s resume includes over ten years in Broadway shows like Hairspray, Rent, and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as recording her original song “Gone Under” with Snarky Puppy on their Family Dinner, Volume 1. This will be a night of jazz and soul not to be missed – get tickets here!
Sunday, September 18th (8 – 10pm): Otterbein Student Jazz Night at Bossy Grrls Pinup Joint, Old North Columbus. While not known for hosting jazz performances, this burlesque joint not far north of the OSU campus plays host to a wide variety of musical events, including a variety of bands and DJs. After a successful run of shows in the 2015-16 school year, this series of Otterbein student jazz nights returns for another season. Organizer Karl Wohlwend, the director of Otterbein’s guitar department, says that the kickoff event “will feature recent Otterbein Grads and current students coming back to kick things off. All students from any program are welcome to come sit in!” This free show is a great opportunity for college students looking to jam, and for the rest of the community to check out up-and-coming young talent.
Wednesday, September 21st (8 – 11pm): Kelly McLennan +5 at Brothers Drake. Vocalist McLennan, a veteran of 30+ years of live jazz, has been on a hot streak of late – her current “+5” band has made 2016 appearances at Natalie’s, Dick’s Den, Bungalow Jazz, PBJ & Jazz, Comfest, and the Jazz & Ribs Fest. McLennan boasts a strong resume, including appearances with international stars like Louis Bellson, Jon Faddis, the Cab Calloway Big Band, and Frank Foster, as well as local legends like Hank Marr, Gary Carney, Gene Walker, Mark Flugge, Jim Rupp, Bobby Floyd, and Ed Morrison. For this free Jazz Wednesday show, she will be joined by saxophonist Alex Burgoyne, pianist Tony Hagood, bassist Nathan Smith, drummer Steve Schaar and trumpeter Tim Perdue. This looks to be a great night of classic-styled vocal jazz from an exemplary cast. Click here to hear some tunes from the band’s June appearance at Natalie’s.
Have a great week! Here’s a glimpse of Steele and Cook in action: