Trombonist will play country club set

By Norman Provizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 22, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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In 2007, the National Endowment for the Arts placed trombonist Curtis Fuller on its list of Jazz Masters. And on Wednesday night, you can hear why when the Detroit-born trombonist hits Mount Vernon Country Club with a quintet co-led by New Orleans trumpeter Nicholas Payton. The band also includes pianist Luke O'Reilly, bassist Corcoran Holt and drummer Marcus Gilmore (who has recorded with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba).

Fuller, now 73 years old, has played with everyone on the post-bop scene. After his arrival in New York in 1957, the trombonist was one of the founding members of the Jazztet, as well as part of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (sharing the front line with saxophonist Wayne Shorter and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard during the first half of the 1960s). He also appeared on John Coltrane's classic 1957 album Blue Train.

In its Jazz Masters entry for Fuller, the NEA describes him as, "A remarkably fluent trombonist, whose impeccable sense of time and ambitious solos made him a mainstay of the hard-bop scene."

Amen.

As for Payton, the young lion trumpeter has a string of CDs out under his own name, though the New Orleans native is Fuller's junior by almost four decades. The talented trumpeter has a history of working with legends, having spent time during the 1990s touring with fellow trumpeter Doc Cheatham, who died in 1997 just days shy of his 92nd birthday.

The hard swinging, trans-generational quintet performs at the country club in Golden at 8 p.m., following a buffet dinner that starts at 6. The concert and dinner is $45.95 and the music alone is $18 (303-526-0616). Mount Vernon Country Club is located west of Denver off Interstate 70 at exit 254.

ALSO ON TAP: Also on Wednesday, the fine saxophonist Steve Wilson is on stage at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln St., with the Colorado Jazz Orchestra at 7 p.m. (303-839-5100). The Virginia-born saxophonist moved to New York in 1987 and began playing in a variety of contexts, including long stints during the 1990s and 2000s with bassist Dave Holland's band and pianist Chick Corea's Origins sextet.

After his Wednesday date at Dazzle, Wilson performs Thursday with the Colorado Jazz Orchestra in Greeley at the Panorama Lounge in the University of Northern Colorado's University Center ($8/$5 students and free for UNC students and staff).

* Trombonist and band leader John Fedchock visits town to play at Dazzle on Saturday and Sunday. At 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday, the trombonist will be with a small group ($15). He returns on Sunday to play with the 9th + Lincoln Orchestra also at 7 p.m. ($15/$10 Creative Music Works members and students).

From 1989 through 1993, Fedchock co-led a rehearsal band in New York with his then-wife, Maria Schneider, and he now heads his own New York Big Band whose current CD is titled Up and Running. For its part, the 9th + Lincoln aggregation, led by Tyler Gilmore, has produced an impressive, self-titled inaugural release on Dazzle Records.

* Tonight, Dazzle offers singer Sarah Partridge at 7 and 9 p.m. ($15). Like Payton, she, too, spent time performing with Cheatham.

* Finally, tonight saxophonist Kenny G comes to the Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place. The Songbird plays at 8 p.m., with tickets $39.50 to $125 (866-461- 6556).Tickets from the postponed Oct. 12 show will be honored.

FINAL NOTES: There's an extra day in February this year. On that day, the singer Rene Marie brings her touring trio to Dazzle to kick off a two-night stand. The 7 p.m. shows on both Feb. 29 and March 1 are sold out and an extra matinee performance on March 1 has been added. So, you might want to make your reservations now for the 9 p.m. shows and the 3 p.m. matinee.

* There's a new URL set up for "Great Day in Denver" photos (agdid.zipnil.com), when scores of Denver-based jazz players gathered at Five Points for a photo in front of the Rossonian Hotel.

Normanprovizer@aol.com

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