Jason Crane Arrives in Auburn!

Great jazz interviewer and traveling poet Jason Crane is in town! He arrived yesterday to the 104-degree Columbus, Georgia Greyhound station. Last night he read some of his poems at The Gnu's Room, and I caught some pictures, embedded at right. Actually the slide show at right is all my Flickr pictures tagged with "Jason Crane", so by the time you read this, it may have more than just last night.

He also made it to our premier jazz venue, Piccolo, the lounge at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center. There was a very good lineup that included Atlanta saxophonist Taylor Kennedy, pianist Jonathan Lynn, bassist Sidney Simmons and Atlanta drummer Jared Lanham on drums. I'm trying to be cool, but Crane with his interview show, The Jazz Session, is on my favorite celebrities list, for sure. We're hanging out, and I'm talking a lot, which is what I do when I'm nervous.

Jason will speak tonight, again at The Gnu's Room, at 7:00 PM. This time, he'll share about his interviews and his tour which started June 1. He keeps his tour diary on his personal and poetry blog. Here's the link to yesterday's entry: "Tour Diary: What's Gnu" at jasoncrane.org. In my last post, I wrote more about tonight's event which will feature some of my original music to Jason's poetry. I would love to see you there!

After the TGR event, we have options for music tonight. Piccolo ^MAL will have Montgomery saxophonist Coleman Woodson, Jr., headlining from 8-11 PM with no cover. I think there will be jazz* at Auburn's Balcony Bar (114 West Magnolia Avenue) as well to warm up the crowd before 11:00 when Big Deal Burlesque, a New Orleans Burlesque show featuring Roxie le Rouge will begin. I'm dead serious. Here's a link to the Facebook event page. We might also go check out a funk/jam band I've been wanting to hear live but have not yet had the chance, namely, The Good Doctor (reverbnation.com page) who will play at Bourbon St. Bar (103 N. College St.), $5 cover. Why don't our bars have websites?

See you out there!

*UPDATE: No jazz at Balcony Bar. Opening for Roxie will be guitar duo the Tim Friedman Trio. I said that right.