6-18-12

[Lazaro Vega]

June 18 2012

The Jazz Datebook:

Regular Hits:

Mondays through August 13, 6:30 – 8:30 the West Michigan Jazz Society presents the series of free summer concerts, “Jazz at the Zoo,” at the John Ball Zoo Band Shell, Grand Rapids. Groupo Aye; June 25, The Tom Hagen Quartet with vocalist Rick Reuther; July 2, Mark Kahny and The Boogie Woogie Babies singing group; July 9, Petra Van Nuis Quintet with guitarist Andy Brown; July 16, Mark Rademacher Reed sings with The Midtown Horns; July 23, Edye Evans-Hyde sings with Terry Lower’s Quartet; July 30, Evidence and Orquesta Tradicion; August 6, “The Family” led by Nick Ayoub; August 13, drummer Tim Froncek and The Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra. Information from (616) 735 – 4744 or www.wmichjazz.org.

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 and the return of trumpeter Chris Lawrence on occasion. www.republicgrandrapids.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. Wednesday, June 20, Bill Davidson; 6-21, Steve Talaga; 6-22, Greg Miller solo guitar; 6-23, pianist Bob VanStee, vocalist Kathy LaMar; Wednesday, June 27, Greg Miller solo guitar; 6-28, Robin Connell; 6-29, Mark Kahny; 6-30, Stephanie Sallie; Thursday, July 5, Robin Connell; 7-5, Bob VanStee/Kathy LaMar; 7-7, Mark Kahny; Wednesday, 7-11, Steve Talaga; 7-12, Greg Miller solo guitar; 7-13, Robin Connell; 7-14, Stephanie Sallie; Wednesday, 7-18, Christopher Cory; 7-19, Greg Miller, guitar; 7-20, Mark Kahny; 7-21, Bob Van Stee/Kathy LaMar; Wednesday, 7-25, Bill Davidson; 7-26, Greg Miller, guitar; 7-27, Mark Kahny; 7-28, Bob Van Stee/ Kathy LaMar. 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.

Thursdays from 7 to 10 and Fridays and Saturdays from 8 to 11 live jazz at Shepard’s Grill and Tavern, 6246 28th Street S.E., Cascade. (616) 350 – 9604.

Wednesday and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight jazz at The Ottawa Tavern Jazz Kitchen, west Michigan’s only full time jazz club, on the corner of Pearl and Ottawa Streets in The Waters Building. The venue features two stages running two different bands on the weekends. Wednesday, June 20, 6-9 p.m. The John Shea Trio; Thursday, June 21, 6-9 pm, vibraphonist Jim Cooper’s trio; Friday, June 22, 8 pm-12 am, pianist/vocalist and Grammy award winning composer John Proulx leads a trio with Fred Knapp and Dave Rosin (see www.johproulx.com); Saturday, June 23, 8 pm-12am Steve Smith and Vital Information’s 30th Anniversary Tour (tickets from www.brownpapertickets.com); Wednesday, June 27, 6-9 pm vocalist Libby York; Thursday, June 28, 6-9 pm the Paul Lesinski Quartet; Friday, June 29 8pm-12am vocalist Tony Reynolds quintet (see www.ynotsing.com) ; Saturday, June 30, 8pm-12am saxophonist Josh Quinlan (www.joshquinlan.com ); Thursday, July 26, 6-9pm Evidence with special guest ensemble Orqueta Tradicion. See www.thegilmorecollection.com/ot.php or call (616) 451-8000 for reservations.

Fridays from 7 to 10 p.m. pianist John Shea plays the J.W. Marriott, 235 Louis St. N.W. overlooking the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids. (616) 242 – 1448.

Saturdays, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. John Shea works outdoors on the patio at Restaurant Toulouse, 248 Culver Street, Saugatuck. (269) 242 – 1448.

Sundays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. pianist/vocalist John Shea 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. Word has spread, and this opportunity for young musicians to gain playing experience with a professional level band is a hit. June 24, pianist Robin Connell and bassist Tom Lockwood join Randy.

Sundays 6:30 – 10 p.m. pianist/vocalist John Shea is heard at Zing Eat Drink, 310 Blue Star Highway, Douglas. www.zingeatdrink.com or (269) 857 – 3287.

The World Class Jazz Mini Tour begins Tuesday, June 19th and continues until Labor Day weekend. See www.worldclassjazz.com. All concerts start at 7 p.m. Vocalist Mary Rademacher-Reed with the Mark Kahny Group opens the series with concerts: Tuesday, June 19 at First Street Beach Park Pavilion, Manistee; Wednesday, June 20 at Gull Landing, 438 S. Hancock Street, Pentwater (231) 869-4215; Thursday, June 21 at Rotary Park Pavilion, Cadillac; Friday, June 22, Rambadt Park Amphiteather, Reed City; Saturday, June 23, Wenger Pavilion, Baldwin; Sundaty, June 24, Gull Landing, 438 S. Hancock Street, Pentwater (231) 869-4215.

Timely Hits:

Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23 from 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. the East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Festival is held in downtown East Lansing and includes performances by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, bassist Rodney Whittaker, drummer Sean Dobbins, saxophonist Diego Rivera and The Detroit Tenors among others. See http://eljazzfest.com .

Saturday, June 23 at 8 p.m. drummer Steve Smith and the jazz fusion super-band Vital Information on their 30th Anniversary Tour plays The Ottawa Tavern Jazz Kitchen, 151 Ottawa Avenue N.W. in the Waters Building, Grand Rapid. Drummer Steve Smith won Modern Drummer’s #1 All Around Drummer award 5 years in a row and was voted one of the top 25 drummers of all time in a Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll. Joining Steve Smith on drums are keyboardist Tom Coster, bassist Barron Browne and guitarist Vinny Valentino. See www.vitalinformation.com. Ticket are $20 and available from www.brownpapertickets.com. The Ottawa Tavern Jazz Kitchen phone number is (616) 451-8000.

Saturday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. New Orleans trumpeter/vocalist Chris Clifton presents “Memories of a Friend, A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” at The Beardsley Theater, Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, 425 West Western Avenue, Muskegon. The 75 year old Clifton, who was 12 when he met Armstrong, is accompanied by bassist Paul Keller, drummer Pete Siers, pianist Glenn Tucker, clarinetist Jim Wyse and trombonist Chris Smith. Tickets from www.startickets.com. Phone at the Beardsley, (231) 722- 2890. See www.chriscliftonjazz.com.

Sunday, June 24 at 4 p.m. TRIO W.A.Z. with Chicagoans Edward Wilkerson Jr. on saxophones and clarinets, Tatsu Aoki bass and Michael Zerang drums plays the “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” concert series, held on the last Sunday of the month through October, at The Lakeside Inn, 15251 Lakeshore Road, Lakeside, MI. Directions from www.lakesideinns.com or phone (269) 469 – 0600.

Tuesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. The Truth in Jazz Orchestra plays The West Side Inn, 1635 Beidler Street, Muskegon. Great big band jazz with drummer Tim Froncek, trombonist Dave Collee, saxophonist Tom Stansell and trumpeter Max Colley. See www.tijo.org.

Friday June 29 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. pianist Mark Kahny plays solo in the main lobby of The

Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monore Center, Grand Rapids. See www.artmuseumgr.org.

Sunday, July 1st and 15th (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.

Sunday, July 8 at 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dave Greer’s Classic Jazz Stompers from Dayton, Ohio, play the West Shore Jazz Society’s Jazz Party at The Oakridge Country Club, 513 West Pontaluna Road, Muskegon. See http://www.msdicontrols.com/cjs/. For tickets and information about the West Shore Jazz Society, a traditional jazz club, please phone Bill Blakeman at (231) 759 0071.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 12, 13 and 14 the Idlewild Music Festival takes place on Williams Island, Idlewild, Michigan. Thursday, 7-12 from 4-7 p.m. Gospel Night; Friday, 7-13 from 4-11:30 pm, Detroit jazz musician Tricia Moore is among the Motown and R&B sets; Saturday, 7-14 from 1-10:30 pm, Detroit jazzers Yancyy and In the Tradition are heard along with sets of Motown, blues and soul. Information from http://idlewildmusicfest.com .

Monday, July 16 at 7:15 p.m. drummer Tim Froncek leads by the Blue Lake Faculty Jazz Sixtet in concert at Blodgett Recital Hall, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. See www.bluelake.org for more information or call (231) 894 – 1966.

The Blue Lake International Jazz Orchestra and International Jazz Ensemble embarked on a 3 week goodwill tour of Europe on June 18th, with stops in France, Germany and Luxembourg, and return to the States for a series of homecoming concerts this July. On Wednesday, July 18 at 7:30 the International Jazz Ensemble conducted by Rich Fanning plays in Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp’s Bartlett Shell, while simultaneously the International Jazz Orchestra appears at Stewart Shell. Then the International Jazz Orchestra travels to Ann Arbor for a post tour homecoming concert on Tuesday, July 24 at Hill Auditorium on the campus of the University of Michigan. See www.bluelake.org for more information.

Thursday and Friday, July 19 and 20, Rick Holland’s Little Big Band from Rochester New York plays The Ottawa Tavern Jazz Kitchen, 151 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids. On Thursday the band plays their swing book with vocalist Lindsey Holland; then Friday the flugel hornist and former instructor at Western Michigan University Rick Holland presents his jazz book with stunning arrangement of jazz classics such as “Stablemates” and “The Eternal Triangle.” Reservations from (616) 451-8000 or see www.thegilmorecollection.com/ot.php.

Friday, July 20 from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. (with a short break at 7 p.m.) drummer Randy Marsh brings his jazz organ trio to the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s GRAM On the Green event for their Live Music From the Terrace concert. See www.artmuseumgr.org

Tuesday, July 24 at 7 p.m. New York vocalist Libby York performs a free concert at the Centenary Methodist Church, 82 South Hancock Street (across from the Post Office), Ludington. With pianist Mark Khany and bassist Sam Webber. This concert is presented by The Pentwater Township Friends of the Library. Information from (231) 869 – 8401.

Saturday, August 18 from noon to 10 p.m. The inaugural The Grand Rapids Jazz Festival takes place at Rosa Parks Circle, downtown Grand Rapids. Information from www.grandjazzfest.com.

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

Friday, October 26, bassist Ben Allison’s band appears at 7:30 and 9:30 in the Wellspring Theater of the Epic Center, Kalamazoo. See www.fontanachamberarts.org for more information, or phone (269)382-7774. www.benallison.com.

Thursday, November 1, The St. Cecilia Music Center’s Great Artist Gala features John Pizzarelli, the world-renowned jazz guitarist and singer, called “Hip with a wink” by Town & Country, “madly creative” by the Los Angeles Times and “the genial genius of the guitar” by The Toronto Star. When he performs with his wife, singer/actress Jessica Molaskey, and his father, guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, they’re labeled “the First Family of Cool” (by the San Francisco Chronicle) and “the von Trapps on Martinis” (by The New Yorker). According to The New York Times, “the Pizzarelli-Molaskey duo are as good as it gets in any entertainment medium.” Sponsorships are now available. Contact development director Ricki L. Levine at 616.459.2224 (ext 205) or ricki@scmc-online.org. St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids. www.johnpizzarelli.com.

Thursday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m. vocalist Tierney Sutton’s Band opens the jazz series at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids. (616) 459 – 2224. www.scmc-online.org.

Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. bassist Dave Holland leads his quintet in concert at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids. (616) 459 – 2224. www.scmc-online.org.

Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 7:30 and 9:30 jazz saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Quartet presents performances in the Wellspring Theater of the Epic Center, Kalamazoo, as part of the Fontana Chamber Arts Jazz Series. Information from www.fontanachamberarts.org or (269)382-7774.

Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 pianist Bill Charlap leads his trio in concert at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids. (616) 459 – 2224. www.scmc-online.org.

Saturday, April 20th at 8 p.m. Beyonce’s saxophonist, Tia Fuller, appears in a jazz concert at Western Michigan University’s Dalton Recital Hall, Kalamazoo, as part of the Fontana Chamber Arts Jazz Series. Information from www.tiafuller.com or from www.fontanachamberarts.org and (269)382-7774.