In Our Dreams
A riveting first night at the inaugural Denver Jazz Fest
Hi, everyone. How are you? I hope spring is bringing you some joy, despite all we have to worry about just now. For today, something unusual here at Call & Response: fast rather than slow writing. About last night.
It’s hard to imagine a better start to the inaugural Denver Jazz Fest than guitarist Dale Bruning introducing his former student and longtime collaborator Bill Frisell. New York’s Roulette, the Big Ears Festival, and other venues have already presented Frisell’s new In My Dreams sextet. But only in Bill’s hometown of Denver last night did we hear Mr. Bruning—at 90, still sharper than most—tell a story about when Bill invited him to give a workshop in Seattle and borrowed his amp of choice from cartoonist Gary Larson. We heard Mr. Bruning trace the origins of Bill’s smooth legato guitar to a start on clarinet and sax and remember his own guidance for young Bill to listen to Lester Young and other saxophonists—before concluding, as great teachers do, that Frisell’s extraordinary musicianship was mostly self-made.
The introduction of the internationally acclaimed Frisell by Denver legend Bruning generated warm pride in the city’s jazz legacy and the new fest. The four-day festival, which continues through Sunday, April 6th, includes 30 shows at 12 venues throughout Denver and Boulder. The Denver Jazz Fest has been in the works for several years, ever since Don Lucoff1 of DL Media arrived in town and asked jazz presenter David Froman why a city of Denver’s size and jazz riches didn’t have a national festival. (The city-funded Five Points Jazz Festival presented local acts in a one-day summer event for more than 20 years, until it was canceled last year). Together Froman and Lucoff founded Denver Jazz, a Colorado 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, and with it the Denver Jazz Fest. Roughly two-thirds of its 30 shows involve local artists.
On my slow drive to the new fest through a spring snowstorm (trusty Subaru Outback FTW), I couldn’t help wondering what the late Ron Miles might have brought to the proceedings. Among many other things, Ron would have provided another valuable link between Denver Jazz Fest’s national and local acts. This reflection brought a resolution to appreciate the hell out of every Frisell show I’m lucky enough to catch, especially here in Colorado.
Appreciation came easily last night. Frisell’s In My Dreams sextet includes collaborators from throughout his long career: bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston (another Denver native) along with the quartet for Frisell’s Richter 858 project: Frisell on telecaster, violinist Jenny Scheinman, violist Eyvind Kang and cellist Hank Roberts. The performance included new Frisell compositions and reimagined older pieces in a continuous suite.
I’m still processing this mesmerizing show (see the video above for an earlier Roulette performance), but was moved to hear music combining Frisell’s many facets: spiky Knitting Factory avant-jazz, the siren song that drew me and others to New York; the charged Americana that made so many of us fall in love with our folk music heritage; that brilliant string quartet from Frisell’s project with the abstract painter Gerhard Richter (for which producer David Breskin advised only, “No banjos for Richter.”) Old friends and classic styles but fresh sounds—even occasionally the sound of surprise. They closed with a shorter suite including Stephen Foster’s “Hard Times” and Daniel E. Kelley’s “Home On The Range.” Encore: Thelonious Monk’s “Skippy.” I expect to be thrilled by Frisell. This was one of the best Frisell shows I’ve ever heard.
After Frisell’s concert, I hurried downtown to Dazzle for another Denver Jazz Fest event, Omar Sosa’s Quarteto Americano. The last time I saw the beautifully unclassifiable Sosa was at the 2015 Jarasum Jazz Festival, where I arrived backstage mid-set to see tens of thousands of young Koreans dancing to Sosa’s trio as if it were K-pop.
The 200-seat Dazzle was a more intimate venue for Sosa’s jazz group last night. With characteristic brio, KUVO’s Arturo Gomez introduced Sosa’s quartet to a diverse crowd; I’ll second Gomez’s recommendation to watch the fleet new Sosa documentary streaming on Amazon.
Communication among Omar Sosa’s piano, Ernesto Mazar Kindelán’s baby bass, and Josh Jones’s drums was incredibly nuanced and just plain fun. After close, intense listening at the Frisell show, I relaxed into the Quarteto’s rhythmic virtuosity and the club’s casual vibe, feeling extremely lucky to have way too much great music to hear in Denver on a Thursday night.
Denver Jazz Fest Recommendations
Family responsibilities will prevent me from rejoining the festivities until Sunday, when I’ll hear Dianne Reeves with Romero Lubambo (sold out) at the Newman Center and local pianist Eric Gunnison with his trio at Nocturne.
I’m skipping any recommendations that are already sold out. Which are many—the fest is doing very well.
Friday (tonight)
Go hear Ganavya at the Boulder Theater. I can still remember the stunning moment when I first heard Ganavya’s voice on Alfredo Rodriguez’s 2016 album Tocororo, as I shared on NPR at the time. Her star has been rising and will soar after her ravishing performance at Big Ears last week. Catch her while you can.
Saturday
Also at Boulder Theater is Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet with guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Asante Santi Debriano, and Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun. I feel sick about missing it.
But be sure to check out Denver Jazz Fest’s outstanding local musicians as well—again, if the show’s not already sold out. Rico Jones is in town, playing for free on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday
If I could be in two places at once, I’d see The Muse All-Stars, a group that gathers top local jazz talent like Gabriel Mervine and Clare Church.
Have fun out there. And talk to someone you don’t know! This is a chance to grow Colorado’s jazz community.
Disclosure: Don Lucoff provided me with complimentary Denver Jazz Fest tickets. He’s also an old friend. I hugged Don when I ran into him last night at Dazzle.
Mile High jazz. thanks for the report, Michelle.