Apr 15 2019
The Lexington scene has got two more shows for you this week: Rempis/Lopez/Packard at The Kentucky School; Keigo Hirakawa at TeeDee’s
Yet more evidence that Lexington, KY is a magnet for the modern jazz scene is displayed this week, with shows that’ll give you something to do midweek and for the weekend.
On Tuesday is the next installment of the Outside the Spotlight series, featuring the trio of saxophonist Dave Rempis, bassist Brandon Lopez, and percussionist-electronics specialist Ryan Packard performing at The Kentucky School. The trio are touring in support of their latest recording The Early Bird Gets. If they’re anything in a live setting like they are on the recorded medium, then expect the kind of focused intensity that is as likely to bleed into a catchy groove as it is to explode into a thousand fragments of melody.
[Listen to more of the album, and purchase it, on Bandcamp]
And I’m sure they’ll also have stuff available at their merch table, which, really, is the best way to support the band. Their album is released on Aerophonic Records, and if you like what you hear on this recording, you should go give some of the other music in their catalog a listen, because it’s all bird of a feather stuff.
This is the 15-year anniversary, and Event #209, of Ross Compton’s Outside the Spotlight series. Ross is one of those local music scene heroes who devotes a ton of sweat work bringing great music to his community. There have been a ridiculous wealth of talent from the experimental and jazz pool that has performed in Lexington because of Ross’s efforts. And most of those shows, like this one, is free to the public.
I’m personally excited to go see another show at The Kentucky School. I caught one there last week, and their outdoor area was an excellent spot to catch some live music and have a beer. Check out my write-up of the Friends & Neighbors gig for a rundown of what it was like. Also, if the weather looks like rain, the venue has an indoor option, too, so don’t let that dissuade you from coming on out.
If you want to read more about the artist, check out Lexington journalist Walter Tunis’s write-up for Under Main. Nobody covers the Lexington music & arts scene like Walter, so be sure to bookmark him for future reading, too.
The show details:
When: Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 at 7:00pm
Where: The Kentucky School. 607 North Limestone, Lexington, KY.
It’s a free show.
The Facebook Event page-> LINK
The Kentucky School’s site-> LINK
The artist’s site-> LINK
And a shout-out of thanks to the local student-run radio station 88.1 FM WRFL for their part in helping bring this music to town.
Here’s a video from a recent gig at the Elastic Arts Studio, back in my old neighborhood in Chicago…
And your weekend plans are covered, too. On Saturday night, the next installment of the Origins Jazz Series goes down at TeeDee’s Lounge over on 2nd & Elm, right next to The Lyric Theater. Keigo Hirakawa will be in town with his trio performing two sets, at 7pm and 9:15pm. The pianist brings a straight-ahead sound, like a fastball right over the heart of jazz. My personal tastes trend toward the more experimental stuff on the scene, but when it’s Saturday night and I just want to be out on the town and hear some sounds, give me the kind of jazz that originally got me hooked on this music, y’know? This right here is the stuff.
Here’s a video from a recent show at a cool jazz joint, the Greenwich, just up north in our neighbor city, Cincinnati. It included a performance by JD Allen, who is an Origin Jazz Series alum, as well as a musician I’ve written some glowing words about previously. Go buy all of his music.
As I mentioned previously, this show is brought to us courtesy of the Origins Jazz Series, a non-profit that has been bringing an impressive array of jazz to Lexington. That includes all-stars like Christian McBride, The Bad Plus, JD Allen, Chris Potter, Tryptych, Kneebody, and in upcoming show, Regina Carter & Xavier Davis. This is their second season, and it’s in Lexington’s best interests to support this organization so that the pipeline for all this excellent music keeps flowing. And, hell, this is an ideal way to spend your Saturday night.
Hirakawa has some CDs retailing on Amazon. I’m guessing, however, that there will be better opportunities to buy music at the show.
The show details:
When: Saturday, April 20th, 2019 at 7:00pm (1st show), 9:15 (2nd show)
Where: Tee Dee’s Lounge, 266 E. Second Street, Lexington, KY.
Tickets are $17.50 for each seating or $30 for the entire night (purchase here)
The artist’s site-> LINK
Learn more about the Origins Jazz Series-> LINK
Some other shows on the horizon:
- Tuesday, April 30 – The Chicago Plan (of Steve Swell, Gebhard Ullmann, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Michael Zerang) plus the quartet of Keefe Jackson, Christoph Erb, Jason Roebke, Tim Barnes @ UK’s Niles Gallery
- Friday, May 3 – Regina Carter & Xavier Davis @ First Presbyterian Church of Lexington
- Wednesday, May 15 – Brian Krock’s liddle @ JGumbosLex
Apr 30 2019
Your Tuesday night plans suck if they don’t include catching The Chicago Plan at the Niles Gallery
There’s no letup with the great music coming through Lexington, KY in 2019. Tomorrow night, it’s an excellent double bill with The Chicago Plan and Keefe Jackson‘s quartet both performing at The Niles Gallery on the UK campus.
The Chicago Plan is a quartet of trombonist Steve Swell, saxophonist Gebhard Ullmann, percussionist Michael Zerang and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm (who also adds a dose of electronics). This’ll be the kind of music that turns jazz on its head, but even flipped upside down, there’s a clear view of a familiar sound. It might not swing like your classic jazz albums, and the bounce of its bop will take some sharp, unexpected angles and spins, but the quartet plays with the energy and enthusiasm and a nod to the blues that makes all the different sounding music not so different after all.
Here’s a track from their 2016 self-titled release (on Clean Feed Records).
You can purchase the album at the Clean Feed Records store. Amazon, too.
And last year, this site gave a warm reception to another album from the trombonist Steve Swell, but with a slightly different kind of sound. His 2018 release Music for Six Musicians: Hommage à Olivier Messiaen is ten shades of fascinating.
Also performing this night is the quartet of multi-reedists Keefe Jackson and Christoph Erb, bassist Jason Roebke and percussionist Tim Barnes. Jackson has contributed to a bunch of excellent recordings receiving praise on this site (and elsewhere). While many of the albums representing Keefe’s body of work fall under the general category of post-bop, what he and his compatriots represent is the boundless creativity emblematic of the modern scene. This show could pretty much sound like anything.
This is the 15-year anniversary, and Event #212, of Ross Compton’s Outside the Spotlight series. Ross is one of those local music scene heroes who devotes a ton of sweat work bringing great music to his community. There have been a ridiculous wealth of talent from the experimental and jazz pool that has performed in Lexington because of Ross’s efforts. And most of those shows, like this one, is free to the public.
The show details:
When: Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 at 7:00pm
Where: Niles Gallery (inside the UK Fine Arts Library), 160 Patterson Dr, Lexington, KY 40506
It’s a free show.
The Facebook Event page-> LINK
The Chicago Plan’s site-> LINK
Keefe Jackson’s site-> LINK
And a shout-out of thanks to the local student-run radio station 88.1 FM WRFL for their part in helping bring this music to town.
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By davesumner • Jazz in Kentucky, Live Jazz • 0 • Tags: Keefe Jackson, Lexington (Kentucky), Lexington jazz, Live Jazz, Live Music, The Chicago Plan