June is the month the Five Points Jazz Festival and City Park Jazz return to Denver. That means there will be plentiful free expression, and free concerts, in the Mile High City.
The Five Points Jazz Festival, taking place June 10, celebrates 20 years as a local, multi-venue party, mostly along Welton Street, but including some other neighborhood locales.
The history of jazz talent in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood was so rich that it became known as the “Harlem of the West.” There was a time when legends like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday would perform in the area’s storied hotels.
In an attempt to recapture the energy of that legacy, the annual Five Points Jazz Festival will present numerous Colorado artists, like the Annie Booth Big Band, a tribute to the well-loved late pianist Joe Bonner, and Vincent Wiggins and Latin Soul, with special guest trumpeter Hugh Ragin.
A longtime local fixture, Ragin established his name on the world stage long ago. He currently performs with the esteemed Art Ensemble of Chicago, taking part in the expansive 2023 release, “The Sixth Decade – From Paris To Paris.” I had the opportunity to experience the Art Ensemble at the Big Ears Festival in Tennessee a few years ago, and the group can be gloriously overwhelming, especially with Ragin’s magnificent tone and improvisational skills.
Latin Soul appears at Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center at 215 p.m. on June 10. Dozens of other local acts will perform that day, and all the details are available at artsandvenuesdenver.com.
City Park Jazz has become a Denver tradition, and this year’s lineup is the most promising yet. Beginning June 4 and running every Sunday at 6 p.m. into August at City Park Pavilion, the concerts include performances from Denver saxophonist Sarah Mount and the Rushmores, trombonist Stafford Hunter and Jazz Explorations, local favorites Dotsero, and Ritmo Jazz Latino in June. These are free shows, and there’s always a lot of enthusiasm for this series. Get the lineup at cityparkjazz.org.
Meanwhile, Harpist Brandee Younger is scheduled to appear at Dazzle at Baur’s June 4. The celestial tones that emanate from her instrument are part of an excellent but rarely recognized part of the jazz continuum. Younger’s new album, “Brand New Life,” is relaxing and contemplative. The music’s subdued nature is part of its considerable charm, and there’s a nice cover of “The Windmills of Your Mind,” previously recorded by the mid-20th century harpist Dorothy Ashby. Much of Ashby’s work, coincidentally, is being made available on vinyl in box-set form June 9.
“With Strings Attached” represents Ashby’s influential output from 1957 to 1965, and it proves that her work was far more than a novelty. Her mastery of the instrument is presented in its sophisticated and swinging glory, “remastered directly and lacquers cut from the original analog tapes,” according to the press material. I’ve heard a digital version of the collection supplied to reviewers, and am happy to report these recordings really sound terrific, even otherworldly. It can be ordered here..
Younger, who supplies thoughtful liner notes to the Ashby collection, plays two all-ages shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at dazzledenver.com.
And there’s more jazz in June: The Big Swing Trio plays LoDo’s Orchid Denver on June 7. … The Bud Powell Project will be Nocturne on June 9. … The boisterous Rebirth Brass Band appears at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox June 22. … The Gabe Mervine Quartet performs at the Appaloosa Grill on Wednesdays. … Eliane Elias, Galactic, Jeff Hamilton and others will play the Jazz Aspen Snowmass June 22-25. Find out more at jazzaspensnowmass.org.
