Articles by Geoff Anderson
Brandee Younger at Dazzle
by Geoff Anderson
Brandee Younger Dazzle Denver, CO October 28, 2025 The jazz harp is an unusual concept. The upside is that it makes the player instantly stand out because of the dearth of jazz harpists. A potential downside is that jazz fans may turn away, thinking a harp cannot possibly fit into jazz. Of course, those with a bit of knowledge of jazz history know that this ground has already been broken by Alice Coltrane and Dorothy ...
Continue ReadingKristin Korb at The Muse Performance Space
by Geoff Anderson
Kristin Korb The Muse Performance Space Lafayette, CO October 15, 2025 In the first half of the 20th century, jazz borrowed heavily from pop music, turning many tunes of the day into jazz standards. When rock 'n' roll came on the scene, the pop appropriation almost went the way of Blockbuster stores. Sure, many jazz players covered The Beatles, but those efforts often sounded like they were produced at the orders of record companies. Jazz ...
Continue ReadingPaul McCartney at Coors Field
by Geoff Anderson
Paul McCartney Coors Field Denver, CO October 11, 2025 A Paul McCartney concert, unlike most other musical events, is laden with cultural significance, bearing carts of baggage both good and bad; but mostly good. The weight of context complicates attempts at a dispassionate evaluation of the music. But it is music. It is inextricably intertwined with passion and emotion. Because of his longevity and cultural impact, McCartney's music just carries more of that ...
Continue ReadingDowntown Tacoma Blues And Jazz Festival 2025
by Geoff Anderson
Downtown Tacoma Blues and Jazz Festival Tacoma, Washington August 24, 2025 .Tacoma, Washington held its first annual Downtown Tacoma Blues and Jazz Festival on August 24, 2025, with a first-class lineup of new blues players, veterans and some in between. And it was free. For each band, the leader's name doubled as the band's name. Not surprisingly, then, it was a day of big voices, belting the blues from many different angles. The city ...
Continue ReadingBob Schlesinger at Dazzle
by Geoff Anderson
Bob Schlesinger Dazzle Denver, COAugust 14, 2025 For decades, renowned recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder captured one classic jazz album after another in his Englewood Cliffs, NJ studio. Perhaps because he did so many, he was extremely efficient. He was able to get an album on tape in a single day, sometimes in as little as three hours. Other recording artists have been known to take a bit longer. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the ...
Continue ReadingBlues From the Top Festival 2025
by Geoff Anderson
Blues From the Top Festival Winter Park, COJune 27-29, 2025 The Town of Winter Park and Grand County have been hosting this summer blues festival for 23 years now. During that time, the festival has grown from a small start-up operation in a field to a three-day festival with national acts and big-name headliners, all presented in an outdoor amphitheater with a grassy bowl pointed toward a state-of-the-art outdoor stage. Each year the festivities ...
Continue ReadingNitecap at Cervantes' Other Side
by Geoff Anderson
Nitecap Cervantes' Other Side Denver, Colorado May 9, 2025 Nitecap has often been described as a 'supergroup'--and rightly so. Each member brings a rich musical pedigree, collectively representing involvement in at least a dozen other bands, likely more, where they have each made a name for themselves. Tracking the comings and goings of these musicians--and the resulting band permutations--is a bit like watching professional sports teams shuffle players and rework their lineups. Fortunately, ...
Continue ReadingDenver Jazz Fest 2025
by Geoff Anderson
Denver Jazz Fest Denver and Boulder, CO April 3-6, 2025 The inaugural Denver Jazz Fest unfurled over four days from April 3 to 6, 2025. The sprawling festival presented 32 concerts at 12 different venues throughout the Denver and Boulder area. The timing was meant to coincide with Jazz Appreciation Month as well as tap into the ongoing events and celebrations associated with the 40th anniversary of KUVO, Denver's storied jazz radio station. The lineup included ...
Continue ReadingCymande at the Bluebird Theater
by Geoff Anderson
Cymande Bluebird Theater Denver, CO February 21, 2025 Zombies, vampires, the Phoenix bird--few bands use these as role models in formulating a career path. Actually, Cymande did not consciously decide to follow in their footsteps, but that is what happened. Cymande formed in the early 1970s in England and comprised a group of musicians whose families had immigrated from the West Indies. The original nine members, hailing from Jamacia, Guyana and St. Vincent, ...
Continue ReadingBilly Childs Quartet at the Newman Center
by Geoff Anderson
Billy Childs Quartet Newman Center Denver, CO February 1, 2025 Billy Childs is equally at home in both the jazz and classical worlds. He has worked with prestigious ensembles such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and served as president of Chamber Music America, among other prominent classical music affiliations. Bridging his passions for both classical and jazz, he recorded two albums of jazz/chamber music--Lyric, Vol. 1 (Lunacy Music, ...
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