Jazz Scene 061907

By Don Henke

If you like your tenor saxophonists to play nothing but tenor – no doubling on flute and soprano and alto – Jazz Central was the place for you Saturday night. Columbus legends Gene Walker and Charlie Cook were there, along with Eddie Bayard to give it a more modern, Coltrane-type touch. Teenage phenom Clarence Slaughter was supposed to be the fourth but he was ill; so Walker called one of his former students, now living in New York, Meilana Gillard. Another Columbus legend (are they all legends up there?), Uncle Dave, played Hammond B3. The rest of the rhythm section included guitarist Michael Kotur, drummer Miles Preston and percussionist Cliff Darrett.

Walker’s playing is in the Ben Webster-Coleman Hawkins tradition; Cook has a tone more like Sonny Stitt; Gillard shows what she learned from Walker with a big bottom sound reminiscent of Gene Ammons; and Bayard, as mentioned, is in the Coltrane style. Most of the tunes were definitely be-bop. They opened, fittingly enough, with Sonny Rollins’ “Tenor Madness”, followed by Kenny Dorham’s “Blue Bossa” and Rollins’ “Oleo”. Then it was time for individual features, with Walker playing “Georgia On My Mind” beautifully. Then his protégé, Gillard, also did a lovely job on Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood”. Bayard had the joint jumping with Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance”. Bob Bass sat in on organ for that one. Then Cook, with Jack Hart taking over the organ duties, played “On Green Dolphin St.” The group closed out with two Ellington gems, “Satin Doll” and “In a Mellow Tone”. The entire night was truly “Tenor Madness”.

This coming Sunday is the annual Women in Jazz Festival. Connie and Kenny are back this year to open the proceedings at 1:00. Teresa Monee, formerly known as Misty, is up next at 2, backed by the Jazz Central band. April Aloisio follows at 3:00 with the Phillip Burkhead Trio. At 4 the Kat Mehaffey Trio comes on, followed by Louise Cramer and Tim Berens’ group at 5. Columbus organist Linda Dachtyl brings her band LDB3 to the stage at 6. Cynthia Layne comes on at 7 and Tammy Powell and the Randy Villars Trio close things out in the 8:00 slot. Charles Stone, owner of Jazz Central, will be Master of Ceremonies for the day. His club will also host the after-party.

Pacchia Café will be Dayton’s premier jazz club for just two more weeks. Starting in July it will be part of Pacchia Prima when they take out the stage and the wall. The music will then be mostly jazz, with solos and duos playing “softly”, which means It will be harder than ever to hear with the clatter of silverware and the chatter of diners. Sic transit Gloria. This week will be the Steve Langemo Duo on Wednesday, the Jim Leslie Trio Thursday and Ian Ross on Friday and Saturday.

Other venues in downtown Dayton include the Crowne Plaza Stars Lounge with the Classic Jazz Stompers Wednesday from 7:30 to 11:30, Tammy Powell with the Randy Villars Trio Thursday from 8 to 12 and the Shawn Stanley Trio Friday and Saturday from 9 to 1. The Mario Abney Quintet plays at the 88 Club Thursday from 9 to 12. David Simpson is at Café Boulevard Friday night and the John Wagner Duo is there Saturday.

Gregory’s Piano Bar has Mike Brush from 9 to 11 Friday and Teresa Hunt Saturday from 8 to 11. The main ballroom of the Crowne Plaza has a dance party with Alan Parr’s Gem City Jazz Band and vocalist Rick Evans Friday from 8:00 to 11:30.

Khalid Moss will be at The Greene Wednesday from 5:30 to 9:30; Sunday the Randy Villars Trio appears at the Greene from 1 to 4. The Deron Bell band is at Yankee Trace Golf Club in Centerville Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:30. Thursday night the Jazz Attack – featuring Rick Braun, Peter White, Jonathan Butler and Richard Elliott – will be at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering. Also Thursday, the current edition of the Four Freshmen will be at Veterans Park in Springfield. Both Thursday events begin at 8. The Fraze show is ticketed; the Freshmen are free.

There is a wine festival at Lincoln Park in Kettering Sunday. Puzzle of Light plays from 2:30 to 4:30, followed by Magnolia Bolthead at 5. Inside the Fraze at 7:30, there is a ticketed event with Euge Groove (probably not his real name) and Columbus’ Urban Jazz Coalition. The Bill Burns-Brian Cashwell Trio plays at Sips Café in Centerville Saturday from 7 to 10. In Clifton (Greene County) the Clifton Opera House will present Springfield Banjos and Brass Saturday at 7:30.

Tonight (Tuesday) guitarist Dick Sorice and bassist Dave LaRocca will play at the Glendale Pub from 7 to 10. Wednesday the Barb Bruce Quartet plays at the Avenue in Covington. Also in Covington, Ricky Nye is at Chez Nora Wednesday from 8:30 to 12:30.

This week the Blue Wisp Jazz Club has the big band Wednesday and the Jim Connerley Trio Friday and Saturday. Cover is only $10 for one of the finest trumpet players in the country. Speaking of fine trumpet players, Mike Wade leads his group at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Friday night at 8. Cover is $10, free to Jazz Club members. April Aloisio sings with the Jim Hart Trio Friday night at the Hilton Hotel Palm Court. Music goes from 9 to 1. The Cincinnati Yoga School presents Cat City from 6:30 to 8:30 Sunday. The CYS is located at 6125 Ridge Rd. in Pleasant Ridge.

Vocalist Andrea Cefalo and keyboardist Billy Larkin perform at Gajah Wong in Northside Wednesday. Bone Voyage is at the Cactus Pear in Blue Ash Thursday at 7:00. Friday at 9 Mandy Gaines is special guest with Triage at Mecklenburg Gardens.

The Latin group Yumbambe performs double duty at Columbus Music Hall Saturday. They’ll be there at 11 a.m. for PBJ with the kiddies and they then come back at 10 p.m. to entertain the adults. There is an admission charge for both shows. Matt Adams is all over Comfest this weekend at Goodale Park. Friday night at 7 he plays with the New Basics Brass Band. Saturday at 1:00 he’s with Jon Coleman and at 3 he’ll be there with his quartet. Saturday night his quartet will be at Dick’s Den from 10 to 2 and Sunday he’ll be back at Comfest at 4:30 with the Jazz Poetry Ensemble.