Monday, January 16, 2012

Jazz Winterlude 2012

On this, I am unabashedly biased.

Because I first worked with Doreen Maronde when I was a volunteer organizing jazz festivals and she was with our partner, Kansas City Parks and Recreation. She left that post for Johnson County Community College (JCCC). She’s since retired from there, but not from organizing jazz festivals. For the third consecutive year, this retiree is organizing Jazz Winterlude. It happens this Friday through Sunday, January 20th through 22nd.

Friday’s music starts a 6 p.m. with the Bill Crain Quartet, followed by Crosscurrent, then headlined by Dave Brubeck’s sons with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.

Saturday’s music starts at 12:30 p.m. with the Jazz Disciples. Also this day: the Brandon Draper World Jazz Quartet, Lynn Zimmer and the Jazz Band, the Matt Otto Quintet, the Will Matthews Quartet and the Kansas City Brass Quartet. Finally, Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band headline Saturday night.

On Sunday, join a jazz brunch with pianist Roger Wilder leading a trio while you eat.

Friday actually starts early for 250 students participating in daylong clinics. Members of the Brubeck Quartet are hosting four of those sessions. And anyone can come and observe. One of the most intriguing sessions: At 4:30 p.m. Friday, Chris and Dan Brubeck host, Growing Up a Brubeck.

All this takes place inside JCCC’s wonderful Carlsen Center (with attached covered parking). Tickets are available at the Center’s box office, or by calling 913-469-4445, or online here. Any students with a current ID gets in for just $5 each day. More info on the festival is here. The weekend’s schedule is here.

Still don’t believe this will be a great weekend of jazz in Johnson County? Then take a look at the photos below from last year’s fest (clicking on one should open a larger version of it).

Millie Edwards Quartet. Left to right: Michael Pagan on piano, Bob Bowman on bass, Mille Edwards, vocals, Ray DeMarchi on drums

Diverse Trio. Left to right: Hermon Mehari on trumpet. Ben Leifer on bass, Ryan Lee on drums

Bram Wijands

Westport Art Ensemble with Gerald Spaits on bass, Dave Chael on saxophone and Todd Strait on drums (not pictured: pianist Roger Wilder)

Singer Megan Birdsall and saxophonist Steve Lambert with the New Jazz Order Big Band

Kim Park Quartet. Left to right: Joe Cartwirght on piano, Zack Beeson on bass, Kim Park on saxophone, Tommy Ruskin on drums

Hermon Mehari

Bram Wijands Trio. Left to right: Bram Wijnands on piano, Rod Fleeman on guitar, Tommy Rusklin on drums

New Jazz Order Big Band

5 comments:

  1. What great pictures of Kansas City musicians from Jazz Winterlude 2011. And this year the weather promises to be less threatening. Come on out!

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  2. Great photos from last year's Jazz Winterlude! I think the photo with Gerald Spaits, David Chael and Todd Strait was the Westport Art Ensemble... Interstring is Danny Embrey, Rod Fleeman, Bob Bowman, and Todd Strait.

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  3. You are right and I have corrected the caption. Thank you for catching that. I'd misnamed the group in my photo files.

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  4. Do you have any photos from the 2012 that will be posted?

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  5. Yes, I took photos this year. I will have two or three posts of them starting, probably, next week.

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Comments are welcome. If you prefer, you can reach me directly at kcjazzlark(at)gmail(dot)com.