A recent road trip to Montana provided the opportunity to do some deep dives on a couple of box sets.
The latest collection from the mail-order-only Mosaic Records reissue label (mosaicrecords.com) features hours of mesmerizing vibraphone genius (“Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970”) that truly is classic. For current innovations, the traditional sax-piano-bass-drums quartet known as (ahmed) just released the five-CD “giant beauty.” Each disc consists of a single, extended performance, and it will keep the adventurous listener alert. You can find that one on Bandcamp.
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a melodious piano trio projecting serenity into the evening. Pianist Bill Charlap and his longstanding group (bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, no blood relation) wraps up the weekend at Denver’s Dazzle on Aug. 4. Charlap is an accomplished, subtle keyboardist, and his playing is more contemplative than flashy, which can come as a relief.
He seems more committed to capturing the appropriate mood of a standard than awing his audience with pyrotechnics, though he’s quite capable of that approach if the mood strikes him. There’s a new live album from the trio, “And Then Again,” due out on Blue Note Aug. 16, recorded at New York’s Village Vanguard. It’s elegant, timeless music. The trio’s performances take place at 7 and 9:30 p.m.; tickets start at $30 and can be found at dazzledenver.com.
CITY PARK JAZZ closes out its 38th season with the Jakarta Band, a horn-heavy powerhouse funk unit that the CPJ website calls “without question the most popular party dance band in the country.” That’s quite the boast, but a look at Jakarta’s YouTube demo video presents an argument that the claim may be true. One thing’s for certain: City Park Jazz was a popular success again in 2024, and its final free show of the summer begins at 6 p.m. on Aug. 4 at the City Park Pavilion.
Stop by the Board of Directors booth before or during the show and purchase a T-shirt to support the continuation of this Colorado tradition. Info is available at cityparkjazz.org.
VOCALIST GREGORY PORTER, recipient of two Grammy Awards, returns to the area with a performance at the Denver Botanic Gardens on Aug. 15. More than most, Porter’s comforting baritone can be a reassuring antidote to the anxieties of everyday life. Also, the cap that he always seems to wear in public is quite fashionable. Tickets are still available, but it’s probably best not to hesitate, as most Denver Botanic Gardens shows sell out. Find out more at botanicgardens.org.
ALSO IN AUGUST: The Matt Fuller Quartet plays Thursdays in August at Nocturne. … Inventive slide trumpeter Steven Bernstein and his long-running group Sexmob, who often back up Laurie Anderson on tour, plays Dazzle on Aug. 7. … Swallow Hill Music presents Student Showcase, Jazz Ensemble: The Music of Ron Miles on Aug. 7. … The trombonist behind James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic in their glory days, Fred Wesley, brings his New JB’s to Dazzle Aug. 28-29. … Bid farewell to the summer at the annual Vail Jazz Party, Aug. 30-Sept. 1. The performers are the best at what they do: vocalists Ann Hampton Callaway, Niki Haris and Curtis Steigers, instrumentalists Wycliffe Gordon, Lewis Nash, Terell Stafford and many others. Ticket and lodging information awaits at vailjazz.org.