Jazz In west Michigan

[Lazaro Vega]

January 18, 2010

The Jazz Datebook:

Regular Hits:

Saturdays and Sundays from 6 to 10 p.m. The What Not Inn features a revolving cast of local musicians. Highlights include vocalist Mary Rademacher on February 6th. Every Monday the What Not Inn jam session is open to musicians and vocalists featuring local, regional and international jazz musicians sitting in with the “house” band. No cover charge. Music also presented Saturdays and Sundays. www.whatnotinn.com. The What Not Inn is located at M89 and the Blue Star Highway, 2405 68th Street, Fennville, MI. (269) 543-3341.

Mondays from 8 to 11 p.m. pianist John Shea’s trio is lining them up around the block with Julliard graduate Matt Heredia on bass and Chris Lawrence on trumpet for performances at The Republic, 45 South Division, Grand Rapids. www.republicgrandrapids.com.

Tuesdays from 7:30 to 10:30 live local jazz at The Grand Seafood and Oyster Bar, 24 Washington St., Grand Haven. Live local jazz or blues guitarists on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 11 p.m. (616) 844- 5055.

Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. The Tom Hagen Trio with vocalist Rick Reuther at Notos Old World Italian Dining, 6600 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids. (616) 493 – 6686, or www.notosoldworld.com.

Thursdays starting February 4th the John Shea Trio with Muskegon’s own Chris Lawrence on trumpet and Rob Hartman on bass appear at Fricano’s Muskegon Lake, 1050 West Western Avenue, Muskegon. (231) 722 – 7775 or www.fricanospizza.com.

Saturdays from 7 to 10 p.m. the John Shea Trio with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp faculty member Chris Lawrence on trumpet and Julliard graduate Matt Heredia on bass appears at Notos Old World Italian Dining, 6600 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids. (616) 493 – 6686, or www.notosoldworld.com.

Sundays starting January 24th from 7 to 10 p.m. the John Shea Trio with Chris Lawrence and Matt Heredia appears in the Pizza and Jazz Series at Brick Road Pizza, 1017 Wealthy Street S.E., Grand Rapids. Information from (616) 719 2409 or www.brickroadpizza.com.

Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pumpernickels, 202 Butler St., Saugatuck, guitarist Chip Kristi plays jazz for breakfast. (269) 857-1196.

Timely Hits:

Wednesday, January 20th at 7 p.m. big band dancing to The Beltline Big Band at The University Club, 111 Lyon St. N.W., Grand Rapids. $10 singles; $18 a couple. (616) 456 – 8623, or see www.beltlinebigband.com.

Friday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. the Bob Dogan Trio from Chicago and the Cooper/Hay/VanLente Group from west Michigan play a benefit concert for the Holland Area Arts Council and the Center for Women in Transition at The Holland Area Arts Council, 150 E. 8th Street, Holland. Admission is $25. Tickets from (616) 396 – 3278.

Saturday, January 23rd Chicago bebop pianist/vocalist Bob Dogan’s trio performs at The Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts, 4734 S. Campus Court, Fremont, 49412. Phone (231) 924 – 8885. For information on Bob Dogan please see: http://www.dogwoodcenter.com/?m=20100123&cat=1.

Tuesday, January 26th and February 23rd from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 The Truth In Jazz Orchestra plays a mixture of classic jazz big band pieces from the Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Count Basie and Duke Ellington, plus recent charts from Gordon Goodwin, at The West Side Inn, 1635 Beidler St, Muskegon, MI. Fronted by West Michigan's hardest working drummer and master teacher Tim Froncek the TIJO is 16 Muskegon’s crowning glory. More from www.tijo.org.

Tuesday, January 26th pianist John Shea plays solo at The Blue Water Grill, 5180 Northland Drive N.E., Grand Rapids. (616) 363 5900. http://www.thegilmorecollection.com/bluewatergrill.html.

Friday, January 29th the solo piano of Hugh DeWitt at Mangiamo’s, 1033 Lake Drive S.E., Grand Rapids. Phone (616) 742 – 0600.

Sunday, February 1st, the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra is heard at Founder Brewing Company, 235 Grandville Avenue S.W. Grand Rapids. See www.grjo.org.

Thursday, February 4th at 7:30 p.m. pianist/vocalist John Proulx presents a solo concert at Grand Rapids Community College music hall, Room 200, 142 Ransom Ave. N.E., Grand Rapids. Information from (616) 231- 3940. See www.johnproulx.com.

Thursday, February 4th at 7 and 9:30 p.m. The Bad Plus (www.thebadplus.com) performs at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater, 911 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor. See www.ums.org for information.

Sunday, February 7th at 7 p.m. at The Blue Cow, 119 N. Michigan Avenue, Big Rapids, the Grammy award winning composer, pianist and vocalist John Proulx and his quartet with trumpeter Marlin McKay, bassist Paul Keller and drummer Pete Siers appears in a very special performance. Proulx has recently appeared at Fienstein’s at the Regency on Park Avenue in New York City to celebrate the release of his tribute to trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker, “Baker’s Dozen,” on Max Jazz Records. John Proulx grew up in Grand Rapids and attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. The concert is sponsored by the Ferris State University Festival of the Arts. No admission charge. For information about the concert please contact Tim Scully, (231) 642 – 1388. Information on Proulx from http://tinyurl.com/y9j3vut .

Wednesdays February 10th and March 10th at 7 p.m. the Idlewild Foundation’s Jazz Lab uses recorded music, documentaries and guest speaks to explore jazz at The Saugatuck Brewing Company, 2948 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, Michigan. See www.s-djazz.com.

Thursday, February 11, the stunning Tierney Sutton Band, featuring pianist Christian Jacob, opens the news season of jazz at the venerable St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom NE, Grand Rapids. Information from the singer’s web site: www.tierneysutton.com or from www.scmc-online.org or (616) 459 – 2224.

Thursday, February 11 at 8 p.m. the Luciana Souza Trio featuring the Brazilian vocalist with guitarist Rumero Lubambo and percussionist Cyro Baptista appears at Rackham Auditorium, 915 East Washington St., Ann Arbor. See www.ums.org.

Friday, February 12, 2010, Ben Allison and Man Sized Safe appears at the Dalton Center Recital Hall, Kalamazoo, featuring bassist Allison with Ron Horton, trumpet; Michael Blake, saxophones; Steve Cardenas, guitar; and Michael Sarin, drums. See http://www.fontanachamberarts.org/?pid=284 for information. Also, Allison is running a You Tube contest with the release of his new album, “Think Free.” Please see: http://www.youtube.com/thethinkfreeproject .

Saturday, February 13th at 2 and 8 p.m. the 32nd Annual Gold Company “Miller Show” celebrates “Love: Gold Company Style” with the vocal jazz ensembles Gold Company and Gold Company II led by Steve Zegree, now back from his year-long sabbatical. The concerts take place in Miller Auditorium, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. Tickets available from the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office at (800) 228 – 9858.

Monday, February 15th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. vocalist Michelle Covington wit Scott Bell in the Jazz Gumbo Showcase presented by the West Michigan Jazz Society at the Kopper Top Guest House, 634 Stocking N.W. Grand Rapids. Information from www.wmichjazz.org.

Wednesday, February 17th at 8 p.m. banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck with the Africa Project performs in Hill Auditorium, 825 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor. The concert explores the origins of the banjo. See www.ums.org.

Saturday, February 20th at 6 p.m. the Jazz Vespers Service at First United Methodist Church, 227 East Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, features trumpeter/drummer Max Colley III. Free of charge. Information from (616) 451-2876 or http://www.grandrapidsfumc.org/jazz/index.htm.

Sunday, February 21st from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. “Musicians Against Homelessness” is a benefit for the Guiding Light Mission and will feature Organissimo and other jazz and blues bands, plus an “All Star Jam” set up by drummer Randy Marsh. The benefit takes place at The B.O.B., 20 Monroe Ave., Grand Rapids. Search www.Facebook.com for more information.

Wednesday, March 10th at 7:30 p.m. one of today’s rising jazz stars brings his unique trio to Dimnent Memorial Chapel at Hope College in Holland when Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition takes the stage. Guggenheim Fellow Mahanthappa just won 2009 “Downbeat Magazine’s” Rising Star award for both the jazz artist and alto saxophone categories. He incorporates his Indian ancestry into work with Pakistani-American guitarist Rez Abbasi and tabla performer Dan Weiss. David Frick of “Rolling Stone Magazine” has said that the group chases “the holy with their own joyful purpose, darting under and through Mahanthappa’s graceful impatience like daredevil pilots showing him the long, wild way to nirvana.” Tickets available from (616) 395-7890, or www.hope.edu/gps .

Friday, March 12, 2010 Matt Ulery’s Loom plays modern jazz from Chicago appears in the Bethlehem Church Sanctuary, 250 Commerce Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids. (616) 456 – 1741. www.blc-grmi.org. Please see www.mattulery.com for information on the bassist and his unique music. Then at Bethlehem on April 9th pianist/composer Steve Talaga premiers a commissioned work about the Heartside Neighborhood. All programs begin at 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 8, 2010, The Brad Meldau Trio makes their Grand Rapids debut in the St. Cecilia Jazz Series at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom NE, Grand Rapids. Information on the innovative pianist from www.bradmehldau.com. Tickets from www.scmc-online.org or (616) 459 – 2224.

Friday April 9th at 7:30 p.m. clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski appears at the Hart Middle School Auditorium in the Hart Community Performing Arts Series. Described by New York Times jazz critic John S. Wilson as “a clarinetist with a Benny Goodman tone and a Buddy DeFranco style,” Peplowski’s tenor saxophone sound owes a bit to Stan Getz. Tickets are $10 at the door, or may be reserved in advance from (231) 873 – 4476. See http://tinyurl.com/y9d36ag .

[Uncle Skid]

As always, thanks for posting, Lazaro! The "Jazz Datebook" is a great resource, and much appreciated.