Actual Jazz at Alex City Jazz Fest, Opera Simulcast, Columbus Jazz Society and More

Opera in Cinema, Jazz at Piccolo and Ariccia

On Monday (6/13), Verdi's Macbeth from the Royal Opera House will be simulcast at 1:30 PM at the Carmike Wynnsong 16 in Auburn. Here's another post where I talk more about this series of presentations of some of Earth's highest art beamed into our little village here on the Alabama plains. That's Opera in Cinema's promotional video at right.

Tonight (6/9) from 8-11, the Jane Drake Trio will perform at Auburn's Piccolo. I just did a rehearsal with her Tuesday night for something else, and feel strongly that there are potential fans out there who don't even know that she has a regular thing at Piccolo. Playing with her each week are bassist Sidney Simmons and pianist Jonathan Lynn, both AU students to check out while we have them with us.

Simmons and Lynn (there's a good stage name) will be back on Friday night (6/10) at Piccolo to support saxophonist La'Roy Bodiford from Troy. Here's another post with video of him playing with the Troy University Jazz Band. La'Roy is a powerful player. I heard him a couple of weeks ago, walking in on his final chorus of "Misty." It was just beautiful. And he is versatile, as evidenced by this video of him playing a great solo on Georgia Satellites's "Hands to Yourself" with the JB Roberts Band at Skybar in Auburn.

Then on Saturday night (6/11), saxophonist Coleman Woodson from Montgomery will headline with Patrick Bruce on bass and Kermit Orr on piano. His son, Coleman Woodson, III, who often plays there on piano, will be at Ariccia for its jazz brunch on Sunday (6/12) with Patrick Bruce, on guitar this time, and David Zuwiyya on drums, 11 AM - 2 PM. Patrick and I had a great jazz-duo gig at Hamilton's on Magnolia this past Monday night.

Alex City Jazz Fest, Columbus Jazz Society, Montgomery Jam

The Alexander City Jazz Fest will be this Friday and Saturday (6/10-11) at the Lake Martin Ampitheater. As other festivals do across this great land, this one uses the term "jazz" loosely. The performers are mostly rock or blues artists and jam bands. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I have friends who are rock or blues artists and jam bands. But there is one act that brings Alex City's event into compliance. The Yonrico Scott Band performs on Saturday (6/11) at 6:30 PM. This is a good band. Yonrico Scott is part of the Derek Trucks Band that won 2009's Grammy for best contemporary blues band. He has played with everybody (figuratively) including Ray Charles, Gary Burton, Aretha, Whitney and the list goes on.

Below is "Crawfish" from the Yonrico Scott Band's 2004 release, Turning the Corner. The flute player (keyboards, too), Kofi Burbridge, is awesome. This may be his tune. Bassist is Todd Smallie. Listen to more tracks on Scott's music page, and, if you can make it, lake it. I just made that up.

Yonrico Scott Band's "Crawfish"

On Sunday after the jazz brunch, go home, take a nap, then head over to Columbus to hear Solar at the Liberty Theatre from 6-9 PM **EASTERN TIME**. At the time of this posting, the Columbus Jazz Society's website has extensive information up about the group. Saxophonist Fred Ezekiel has played at Piccolo a couple of times recently, as has drummer David Morgan. I had a good gig at Hamilton's a couple months ago with the guitarist, Elwood Madeo. Other players are Auburn Knights alum David Johnston and pianist Donald Tipton. There will be an open jam session after the show.
 
In Columbus on Friday (6/10) at The Loft will be jazz group Silent Threat from 7-9 PM **EASTERN TIME**.

In Montgomery on Sunday (6/12), 1048 Jazz and Blues will host its weekly jazz jam session, 9:30 - 12:30.

Atlanta and Alabama Symphony Orchestras

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is presenting Puccini's Madama Butterfly tonight (6/9), Saturday and Sunday (6/11-12). Here's the event page. The cast is an international one with bios full of top awards and performances at top venues so maybe they sing good.

Each night this weekend, Friday to Sunday, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra will perform a different concert at Birmingham's Railroad Park. The symphony has made the concerts free to the public and each night will collect certain food and household items for the tornado victims. Here is the event page with a link to a list of items. On Friday and Saturday, they'll perform popular pieces from standard repertoire like Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture and others. Family Fun Sunday will be a pops concert. It looks like a lot of fun.

Events Upcoming

Local
6/16 - Jane Drake Trio at Piccolo
6/17-18 - Jazz at Piccolo
6/19 - Jack Dresher Trio plays Jazz Brunch at Ariccia
6/20 - Auburn Summer Jazz Concert at Goodwin Hall (Auburn)
6/22 - Macbeth simulcast encore at the Carmike Wynnsong 16 (Auburn)
7/9 - Children of Paradise from the Paris Opera simulcast live at the Carmike Wynnsong 16 (Auburn)
7/22-23 - Auburn Knights Alumni Association Reunion at Opelika Marriott 

Columbus and Montgomery
6/17 - Bill Perry Trio at The Loft (Columbus)
6/19 - Jazz jam session at 1048 Jazz and Blues (Montgomery)

Atlanta and Birmingham
6/16-18 - 32nd Annual National Sacred Harp Singing Convention (Birmingham)
6/18 - Jazz guitarist Pat Martino at Center Stage (Atlanta)
7/4 - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's All-American Celebration
8/9, 8/11 - Atlanta Sacred Chorale holds 2011 auditions