2-1-12 West Michigan Jazz Datebook

[Lazaro Vega]

February 1, 2012

The Jazz Datebook:

Regular Hits:

Mondays from 6 to 10 p.m., Fridays 7 – 11 p.m. and Saturdays 6-10 p.m. The What Not Inn features a revolving cast of local musicians each weekend. 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. For a full schedule see 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/vocalist John Shea continues at The Republic, 45 South Division, Grand Rapids, with veteran Chicago drummer Greg Sergo in the “first chair.” www.republicgrandrapids.com.

Tuesdays from 7 to 11 p.m. an open mic “Soundstage” with host and vocalist Larry Gramer accompanied by Bill Huyge on keys, Jeff Beavan on bass and Timm Sanders on drums inviting singers and instrumentalists to join them at The Muze, 925 Four Mile Road N.W., Grand Rapids. Reservations from (616) 608 -4198.

Tuesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. pianist John Shea’s trio plays Reserve, 201 Monroe Avenue, Grand Rapids. See www.reservegr.com.

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.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday live piano jazz is heard from 7 to 10 p.m. at Mangiamo, 1033 Lake Drive S.E., Grand Rapids. Information from (616) 742 – 0600. Friday, February 3, Bill Huyge; Saturday, February 4, Steve Talaga; Wednesday, February 8, Mark Kahny; Thursday, February 9, Bob VanStee; Friday, February 10, Mark Kahny; Saturday, February11, Robin Connell; Wednesday, February 15, Gregg Miller, guitar; Thursday, February 16, Ryan Limbeck; Friday, February 17, Bill Davidson; Saturday, February 18, Paul Lesinski; Wednesday, February 22, Robin Connell; Thursday, February 23, Steve Talaga; Friday, February 24, Mark Kahny; Saturday, February 25, Bob VanStee; Wednesday, February 29, Greg Miller, guitar. www.thegilmorecollection.com.

Wednesdays from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. the Wally Michaels/Tony Reynolds duo at Gilly’s in The B.O.B., 20 Monroe Avenue N.W., Grand Rapids, (616) 356 – 2627.

Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m. pianist John Shea leads his swinging trio at Gilly’s in The B.O.B., 20 Monroe Avenue N.W., Grand Rapids. (616) 356 – 2627.

Thursdays and Fridays, from 6 to 9 p.m. live jazz at The Viceroy, 53 Commerce Avenue S.W., Grand Rapids. (616) 774 – VICE.

Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight The Ottawa Tavern, on the corner of Pearl and Ottawa Streets in The Waters Building, presents jazz. In March Bite and The Ottawa Tavern will be transformed into Grand Rapids own full time jazz club, a cooperative between local musicians and The Gilmore Collective. Here’s the schedule: February 3, 4: singer Edye Evans Hyde with The Terry Lower Trio; February, 10, 11: drummer Randy Marsh and pianist Steve Talaga’s trio; February 17, 18: The Cooper/Hay/VanLente trio; February 24, guitarist Steve Hilger’s Quintet; February 25, drummer Randy Marsh with Traverse City-area guitarist Ron Getz. See www.thegilmorecollection.com.

Fridays from 7 to 10 p.m. John Shea’s trio swings the standards and jazz at the J.W. Marriott, 235 Louis St. N.W., Grand Rapids. See www.jwgr.com or (616) 242 – 1448. (Except February 17).

Sundays, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. pianist/vocalist John Shea returns to the J.W. Marriott, 235 Louis St. N.W., Grand Rapids. See www.jwgr.com or (616) 242 – 1448.

Sundays from 7 to 10:30 p.m. a jazz jam session under drummer/harmonica master Randy Marsh’s direction at Hop Cat, 25 Ionia, Grand Rapids. (616) 451-HOPS. This is a great opportunity for young musicians to gain playing experience with a professional level band. (Music from 3 – 6 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday).

Timely Hits:

Friday, February 3 at 8 p.m. The Lakeshore Big Band plays The Grand Haven American Legion Hall. They’ll return on March 2, May 4, October 5, November 2 and December 7. Information from www.lakeshorebigband.com.

Saturday, February 4, at 8 p.m. The Robert Glasper Experiment plays their hybrid of improvised music, rhythm and blues and hip-hop at The Knickerbocker Theater, 86 E. Eighth Street, Hope College, Holland. Opening the program the Oregon-based group American Hybrid with 2011 Hope graduate Nate Roberts on guitar. Tickets from (616) 395 – 7890. See http://robertglasper.com or http://www.hope.edu/academic/music/opportunities/jazz.html

Saturday, February 4 at 8 p.m. Mary Rademacher sings to accompaniment by Tom Hagen and Cherie Lynn at One Trick Pony, 136 East Fulton Street, Grand Rapids. Information from (616) 235 – 7669.

Saturday, February 4, 12 string guitarist Neil Jacobs appears at The Box Factory, St. Joseph. See www.boxfactoryforthearts.org and www.neiljacobs.com for more information.

Thursday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m. trumpeter/keyboardist/vocalist/composer Nicholas Payton wraps the Jazz Series at the St. Cecilia Music Center’s Royce Auditorium, 24 Ransom Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids with his trio including bassist Vincente Archer and drummer Damion Reid. Information from (616) 459 – 2224 or www.scmc-online.org.

Thursday, February 9, at 7:30 p.m. the Jazz Arts Collective and Jazz Combos from Hope College perform in the Dimnent Memorial Chapel, Hope College, Holland. Information from Brian Coyle @ (616) 395 – 7653.

Thursday, February 9 at 8 p.m. four of Michigan’s finest practitioners of blues roots music – harmonica virtuoso Peter Madcat Ruth, guitarist/vocalist Shari Kane, plus Mark Schrock and Michael Shimmin – appear at One Trick Pony Grill and Taproom, 136 East Fulton Street, Grand Rapids. Reservations accepted from (616) 235 – 7669. For more on the musicians see www.Madcatmusic.net/maxwellstreet.html.

Friday and Saturday, February 10, 11 at 9 p.m. you’ll hear the electric jazz and folk of Garrett Borns Trio at Hennessy’s Irish Pub, 885 Jefferson Street in downtown Muskegon, with drummer/vocalist Jim Johnson leading his trio there on Saturday, February 25. See http://hennessyspub.com .

Friday, February 10 at 7 p.m. keyboardist Doug Decker and singer/saxophonist/keyboardist Bob Schultz play duets at The Blackhawk, 8940 N. 32nd Street, Richland, MI (near the corner of M-89 and M-43). Information from (269) 731 – 5388.

Friday, February 10, at 7:30 p.m. the Michigan State University Jazz Octet I, II, III, IV perform at Demonstration Hall, East Lansing. For information contact the College of Music on-line box office at www.music.msu.edu, or visit Room 102, Music Building, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Phone (517) 353-5340.

Sunday, February 12 from 5 to 9 p.m. The Glad Hatter Jazz Quartet plays at Dreamer’s Blues Bar, 978 Pine Street, downtown Muskegon. With Tom Treeza alto and tenor saxophone, Rick Stephens piano, John Simmons bass and Mark Meade on drums the ensemble plays standards and blues. (231) 728 – 9157.

Tuesday, February 14 at 8 p.m. Mary Rademacher sings love songs at Marn E. Walker’s,4322 Remembrance Road. Walker. Mary is accompanied by Tom Hagen and Cherie Lynn for this Valentine’s Day performance. See www.marnewalkers.com or call (616) 453 – 3740.

Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m. a concert celebrating literature: “The Arc of Justice” is the murder mystery set in 1920’s era Detroit, The Jim Cooper Quartet with Detroit saxophonist George Benson play music from Detroit in the Jazz Age with commentar by Lazaro Vega at the Community Room of the Fremont District Library, 104 E. Main Street, Fremont. (231) 924 – 3480.

Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18, pianist Wally Michaels and vocalist Tony Reynolds plays The Porto Bello, 41 Washington, Grand Haven. (616) 846 1221. See www.enjoyportobello.com.

Friday, February 17, 12 string guitarist Neil Jacobs performs at the Stryker Theater for the Kalamazoo Valley Museum Concert Series. www.kalamazoomuseum.org or www.neiljacobs.com for information.

Saturday, February 18 at 6 p.m. The Dave Collee Quartet with vocalist Ginny Dusseau finds the trombonist/bassist Collee playing Jazz Vespers at First United Methodist Church, 227 East Fulton Street, Grand Rapids. See www.grandrapidsfumc.org or www.grjo.org .

Saturday, February 18 at 7 p.m. “Sounds of Sinatra” presents vocalist Mark Randisi at Rockford High School Fine Arts Auditorium, 4100 Kroes, Rockford. For information see: www.markrandisi.com. Seating is reserved from (616) 350 – 3959.

Sunday, February 18th (the first and third Sundays of each month) at 5:30 p.m. the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra plays a broad spectrum of big band jazz at Founders Brewing Company, 235 Grandville Avenue S.W. Grand Rapids. If you can’t make it to the bar the performance is streamed (both audio and video with a live chat) via www.grjo.com.

Wednesday, February 22 the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis appears at Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor; followed Saturday, April 14, by the Charles Lloyd Quartet, with Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, and Eric Harland. See www.ums.org for more information.

Friday, February 24 at 7 p.m. organist Bill Heid gets down to business with guitarist Ralph Tope and drummer Randy Gillespie at The Blackhawk, 8940 N. 32nd Street, Richland, MI (near the corner of M-89 and M-43). Information from (269) 731 – 5388.

Friday, February 24 at 8 p.m. the Michigan State University Professors of Jazz, led by bassist Rodney Whittaker, present a swinging recital, “The Birth of the Cool” in the Music Building Auditorium, Michigan State University, East Lansing, with special guest artist Michael Dease, jazz trombone. College of Music on line box office is www.music.msu.edu, or visit Room 102, Music Building, MSU, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Call (517) 353-5340.

Friday, February 24th at 10 p.m. the Steve Rush Trio from Ann Arbor plays live on Blue Lake Public Radio, WBLV FM 90.3, in Grand Rapids on WBLU FM 88.9 and streaming live on the world wide web from www.bluelake.org/radio.html. With Stephen Rush, piano; Jeremy Edwards, drums; and Edward Bishop, clarinet. Information from www.stephanjrushmusic.com.

Saturday, February 25th at 8 p.m. Stephen Rush’s Naked Dance is heard live at Mexicains Sans Frontieres, 120 South Division #226, Grand Rapids. With Stephen Rush, piano; Jeremy Edwards, drums; and Edward Bishop, clarinet, the trio celebrates the release of their new vinyl record album Naked Dance! See www.stephanjrushmusic.com.

Thursday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. The Grand Rapids Federation of Musicians and the Grand Rapids Community College Music Department present “The Ray Gill All Star Orchestra” directed by Bob Nixon playing charts from Gill’s big band book. Also on the program, GRCC student jazz orchestra and the vocal group Shades of Blue. The concert is held at the St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids. Proceeds of the concert will create a Ray Gill Instrumental Jazz Scholarship at GRCC. For information see: www.livemusicgr.org/raygilltribute.cfm.

Sunday March 28 East Lansing’s Summer Solstice Jazz Brunch at the East Lansing Marriott, University Place, 300 M.A.C. Avenue, East Lansing. (517) 337 – 4440. Details to follow.

Friday, March 30 at 7 p.m. pianist Terry Lower and vocalist Edye Evans Hyde plays duets at The Blackhawk, 8940 N. 32nd Street, Richland, MI (near the corner of M-89 and M-43). Information from (269) 731 – 5388.

Friday, April 13, the world music of 12 string guitarist Neil Jacobs is heard in the MAJIC Concert Series, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 250 Commerce Ave. SW Grand Rapids. See http://grmajic.org or www.neiljacobs.com.

Saturday, April 24 at 7:30 and 9:30 first prize winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, Gretchen Parlato, performs at Wellspring Theater, EPIC Center, Kalamazoo as part of the Fontana Chamber Arts Jazz Series. See: http://tinyurl.com/6ug45v4 or phone (269) 382 – 7774.

Sunday, April 29 at 8 p.m. Diana Krall returns to the Gilmore Keyboard Festival for an opening weekend concert at Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo. A full schedule with bios and videos of all the artists coming to the Festival is found at www.thegilmore.org.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Lazaro Vega