Lazlo Torok Quintet

Tuesday, August 2nd - 7pm

The Lazlo Torok Quintet is a jazz quintet comprised of passionate and hardworking young musicians from Denver, CO. They will be performing original compositions, reimagined standards, and modern works. Lazlo is an award-winning vibraphonist and recent graduate of the Denver School of the Arts who will be continuing his jazz education at the Juilliard School next year. This will be his last show in the Denver area before he travels to NYC. The band sincerely hopes that you will join them for this farewell show, and a night of some of their favorite music!

Lazlo Torok (vibraphone), Dylan Kries (alto saxophone), Max Moore (piano), Hunter Roberts (upright/electric bass), JJ Mazza (drums)

Jive City: “Sampled Jazz”

Wednesday, August 3rd - 7pm

Jive City is ready to bring their signature blend of Jazz Fusion to Dazzle for the first time! For this special performance, Jive City will be reflecting on the rise of hip hop and the role that jazz played in creating samples used to back hip hop artists. Artists such as MF Doom, A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla, Ice Cube, Nas, etc. played a huge role in the resurgence of many Jazz/Soul artists to a whole new generation of fans. At this show, you will hear tracks from Miles Davis, Ronnie Foster, The Isley Brothers, The Stylistics, Jimmy McGriff, Ahmad Jamal and many other jazz artists who, at the time, unknowingly helped pave the way for hip hop music.

Casey Hrdlicka (guitar), Bob Demmon (bass), Matt Schooley (drums), Jared Fischer (percussion)

Shamen Sextet

Thursday, August 4th - 7pm

SHAMEN is a group of six young musicians looking to push towards the edges of jazz music. Their playing takes inspiration from great jazz artists of the past, but don’t let that diminish their individuality. Every member of Shamen has written original compositions as well, ranging from avant garde and bebop to rock and fusion. Shamen brings breadth and variety to every performance.

Jake Rosen (drums), Theo Stathopulos (bass), Aidan Vogel (piano), Ben Kaufman (saxophone), Cyrus Jenkins-Nieto (trombone), Nik Varga (trumpet)

Samara Joy feat. Pasquale Grasso Trio

Friday, August 5th - 7pm & 9:30pm

Samara Joy is a singing star in the ascendancy, with a voice as smooth as velvet and endless charm. The young vocalist attracted attention in 2019 after winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now, the 21-year-old announces her self-titled debut release, which puts her spin on jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Grammy-nominated veteran Matt Pierson, she’s joined by jazz guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso and his trio (Ari Roland and Kenny Washington) for a release that furthers Joy’s reputation as one of America’s most promising young jazz vocalists. Pasquale Grasso is a budding star from the world of solo guitar. “It’s great working with him because I know he brings his best, which pushes me to bring my A-game – nothing less.” Roland and Washington complete the line-up, offering a subtle and swinging backdrop to proceedings.

Paa Kow

Saturday, August 6th - 7pm & 9:30pm

Having toured internationally, sharing stages with both African and American luminaries including Kojo Antwi, Amakye Dede and Victor Wooten, Ghana born drummer and composer, Paa Kow, (pronounced Pah-Ko), blends rhythm and artistry from his home with jazz and African roots creating his own Afro-Fusion sound. Dubbed “Ghana’s most artistic drummer” (Modern Ghana), he plays a custom, hand-carved, traditionally inspired Ghanaian drum set that is the only one of its kind in the world, guaranteeing an extraordinary cultural and musical experience.
Growing up in the small village of Enyan Denkyira near Cape Coast in Ghana, West Africa, Paa Kow began to play music and tour with his family’s concert band at a very early age. He has since grown to be widely recognized as one of the most remarkable drum set players to tour in Africa, Europe, and America. Paa Kow’s deep groove and prodigious talent reveal a unique ability to speak to listeners with his drums, inspiring a profound spiritual conversation and fulfilling his vision to spread the music and culture of his homeland by touring the world with his Afro-Fusion Orchestra.

Paa Kow (drumset), Tom Ogunribido (bass), Peyton Shuffield (percussion), Jonnie Cohen (guitar), Solomon Goldbas (keys), Brad Goode (trumpet), John Gunther (saxophone), Joel Michael Timm (trombone)

Annie Booth Big Band

Monday, August 8th - 7pm

The Annie Booth Big Band is an 18-piece jazz orchestra led by Booth that performs her original compositions and arrangements. The ensemble features a diverse cast of the best and brightest jazz musicians in Colorado and beyond. The Annie Booth Big Band delivers a dynamic and groovy array of fresh original music.

Saxophones: Wil Swindler, Anisha Rush, Heath Walton, Sam Williams, Allison Young Trumpets: Greg Gisbert, Josh D. Reed, Shawn Williams, Sonya Walker Trombones: Zach Rich, Paul McKee, Anna Panella, Bryan Powell.
Jenna McLean (vocals), Tim Wendel (guitar), Annie Booth (piano/conductor), Camilla Vaitaitis (piano), Patrick McDevitt (bass), Alejandro Castaño (drums)

The Benny Benack III Quartet

Wednesday, August 10th - 7pm

Trumpeter and Vocalist Benny Benack III has already become a leading voice in Jazz for his generation, and at 31 years old, his trademark ebullience and energy onstage assures his audiences he’s got “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” still to come! His sophomore album of that title featured the likes of Christian McBride and Ulysses Owens Jr. and even had a viral smash hit w/his vocalese rendition of “Social Call” ft. Veronica Swift that’s been transcribed and covered by artists around the world. Finishing 3rd in the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition and being voted #5 Rising Star Male Jazz Vocalist in the most recent Downbeat Critics Poll proves Benack’s chops as a crooner are just as viable as his trumpet playing, making him the rare true double threat. Whether it’s leading his weekly jam session residency at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC, performing piano trio at the Cafe Carlyle, or touring domestically and internationally headlining clubs and festivals, “BB3” is one of the most in-demand entertainers in Jazz music today.

Benny Benack III (trumpet/vocals), Julius Rodriguez (piano), Alex Claffy (bass), Joe Peri (drums)

Jocelyn Medina Group

Thursday, August 11th - 7pm

The sounds and styles of vocalist/composer Jocelyn Medina cross cultures, creeds and continents. A veteran of the New York jazz scene, she is fast becoming a strong, new element of the Denver/Boulder music community. Jocelyn developed her unique blend of jazz, neo-soul and world music over the course of two decades of studying, performing, recording and touring in and around the NYC area as well as abroad in Ghana, India, Spain and Brazil. Since moving to Colorado in 2021, she has been collaborating with great local musicians. Listeners can anticipate an eclectic mix of jazz, Brazilian and original music that pushes the boundaries of each genre and celebrates the human condition.

Jocelyn Medina (voice & compositions), Peter Stoltzman (piano), Bill Kopper (guitar), Bill McCrossen (bass), Dru Heller (drums)

Big Chief Donald Harrison

Friday, August 12th - 7pm and 9:30pm

NEA Jazz Master saxophonist Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jr. is known for his hard-swinging improvisational style and creating the “Afro-New Orleans,” “Quantum Improvisation,” and “Nouveau Swing,” styles of jazz. The latter being his blend of modern jazz with funk, R&B, hip-hop, rock, and soul music. Harrison founded the Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group. His cultural group keeps the culture alive of Congo Square where people of African descent practiced their native culture. He mentored world-renowned musicians including Jon Batiste, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Trombone Shorty, The Notorious BIG, and Esperanza Spaulding.

ATOMGA

Saturday, August 13th - 7pm

Since their inception in 2011, ATOMGA has continued to be a refreshing staple in the Colorado music circuit. Celebrating 11 years as a band and 11 years of creating a unique brand of afrobeat music infused with elements of jazz, rock, hip hop, and funk. Using this foundation, they are able to build polyrhythms which always get their audience moving!

LaSha “Calysol” Afarko (vocals), Joshua Merbitz (trumpet), Frank Roddy (tenor saxophone), Andrew Tobin (baritone saxophone), Casey Hrdlicka (guitar), Peter Mouser (keyboards, fender rhodes), Mark Dabrowski (bass guitar),
Matt Grundstad (timbales, percussion), Matt Schooley (drums)

Chad LB Quartet

September 10th

Chuchito Valdés

October 5th

The Kaleidoscope Project Benefit Concert

August 20th