Grammy Grumblings, the John Heard Trio and Others

Mostly not talking about jazz, which sometimes seemed to be only the background music at these things, so as not to interfere with the conversations. How many of the people milling about have ever set foot in a jazz club anyway?

The disconnect between these jazz celebrations and the jazz you see in the joints around town is sad and surreal. No wonder, since as far as jazz goes, the Grammys don’t mean a damn thing. Not to living jazz anyway.

Celebrating the glories of Blue Note is fine — and that’s a lotta glory, a thousand amazing records’ worth — but it’s history. It’s old. Not one but two generations old. And while there isn’t a jazz freak around who doesn’t wish they had every single album Alfred Lion ever produced, this totally ignores the fact that there is a helluva lot of wonderful jazz being created and recorded right now.

Indeed, being created the very night all the suits and jazz celebrities had their shining Grammy hour putting this music to rest in a gilded, reissued casket. The jazz in the local joints in this town is alive. Creative and challenging and very much alive and usually as far below the popular radar now as a lot of now-classic Blue Note artists were then. And since these players are still with us, you can go hear them.

So Charlie O’s is swinging hard, old style with Don Menza and the John Heard Trio on Friday, or just swinging out there with the amazing saxist Benn Clatworthy on Sunday. Benn’s playing slays us every time; you never know where he is heading, but it will be both intensely beautiful and fierce and fine, like a good, strong booze.

And vocalist Mon David is at Vibrato on Tuesday. From the Philippines and now living here, he has a style so refreshing and affecting, his jazz feel so right-on and so swinging, and his take on “Footprints” nails us every time. He has pianist Tateng Katindig, a remarkable player himself, leading his band.

The same night over in Little Tokyo, the ever-imaginative vibist Nick Mancini has a trio (and guests) at 2nd Street Jazz (366 E. 2nd). This is one of those venues popular with the intense young players who have been popping up in little clubs clustered near downtown. Mancini has the kind of chops, ideas and attitude that make his shows a joy.