Jazz always gangs up on the calendar around SPAC’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29.
Stay tuned for festival info with a Gary Bartz interview.
We’ve talked about Mark Kleinhaut’s new In This Moment trio debuting at Spring Street Gallery on Wednesday. Lots more follows.
Thursday is a coin-toss: the Royal Bopsters sing at Caffe Lena (47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs), while Joe Barna adds four-time Grammy winning saxophonist Ralph LaLama to his band at the Van Dyck (237 Union St. Schenectady).
The Royal Bopsters; Jeanne O’Connor second from left. Photo supplied
Area singer Jeanne O’Connor is the familiar face and voice in the New York-based Royal Bopsters, which she calls “a bebop vocal quartet.” The New Yorker hails them as “expert practitioners of vocalese,” the jazz art of adding lyrics to instrumentals, as practiced by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and Manhattan Transfer.
O’Connor has previously played Caffe Lena with her New Standard band and a trio with Peg Delaney and Pete Toigo.
The Royal Bopsters – O’Connor, Amy London, Tomas Cruz and Dylan Pramuk – will sing with pianist Will Gorman, bassist Dean Johnson and local hero drummer Bob Halek. They’ll likely sing “But Not For Me,” Freddy Hubbard’s “Red Clay,” Tadd Dameron’s “Our Delight” and “On a Misty Night,” Tito Puente’s “Cuando Te Vea” and some originals. ”I will probably sing a new version of ‘The Sweetest Sounds,’ co-arranged by Peg Delaney and John DiMartino – part of a new solo CD I am working on,” says O’Connor. The Royal Bopsters followed their self-named debut album (2015) with “Party of Four” (2020).
The Royal Bopsters perform as part of the Caffe’s Peak Jazz series. 7 p.m. $34.72 general, $30.37 members, $17.35 children and students. 518-583-0022 www.caffelena.org
Joe Barna, performing last summer Jazz on Jay
Also Thursday, area drummer, composer, bandleader and jazz catalyst Joe Barna welcomes guest tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama to the Van Dyck, joining Barna, keyboardist John Esposito and bassist Jason Emmond. Since training at SUNY Schenectady and SUNY Purchase, Barna has become one of the busiest and most valued jazz heroes hereabouts, leading or contributing to several bands and presenting shows in new venues.
Ralph Lalama. Photo supplied
Lalama came up through the Woody Herman, Buddy Rich and Mel Lewis big bands but most often plays in smaller groups such as Barna’s. He’s led or guested on a dozen albums since 1985, earning four Grammys along the way. “Staycation” (2022), perfect title for a COVID-time album, is his latest. Small plates in the upstairs music room; full dinners downstairs. 7 p.m. show, doors 6:30. $20 advance, $25 door. 518-630-5173. www.stellapastabar.com
WAMC jazz DJ and A Place for Jazz maestro Bill McCann hosts this show, a presentation of the NPR station’s new WAMC On the Road series of remotes.
COZY JAZZ FESTIVAL ENCORES AT SKIDMORE
As part of its annual summer Jazz Institute, Skidmore presents two groups next week after each played SPAC’s Saratoga Jazz Festival. Both shows are free; both start at 7:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, July 1, the all-women Artemis quintet plays the Zankel, and on Thursday, July 3, the Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars returns to campus to play there.
Artemis at A Place for Jazz last fall; Renee Rosnes at left
Next Tuesday’s show marks the third by Artemis since they played A Place for Jazz last fall. Pianist, composer and leader Renee Rosnes leads Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; Nicole Glover, saxophone; Noriko Ueda, bass; and Allison Miller, drums.
Skidmore Jazz institute Faculty All-Stars at Saratoga Jazz Festival 2024
On Thursday, the Zankel presents the Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars: bassist, leader and dry-as-the-Sahara host Todd Colman; Jimmy Greene, saxophone; Clay Jenkins, trumpet; Steve Davis, trombone; Dave Stryker, guitar; Bill Cunliffe, piano; and Dennis Mackrel, drums.
NEARBY…
Keyboardist/composer/everything man Jon Batiste plays Saturday at Tanglewood, coincidentally the first day of the Saratoga Jazz Festival. Always brilliant, Batiste is sometimes jazz, as when he played in Cassandra Wilson’s band at The Egg, his area debut. A graduate of Skidmore’s Jazz Institute, he bravely filled in for the irreplaceable Sharon Jones, fronting the Dap Kings to close SPAC’s 2018 Jazz Festival.
Hoke's Jukebox 