Jazz in the summer: festivals, new music and more

By Robin James Contributing Writer

It’s summertime, so that means the Twin Cities Jazz Festival is upon us again. In the coming weeks there is plenty to celebrate, not to mention new books and new recordings to check out, too.

Happy 75th birthday (June 4), to multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and composer Paquito D’Riveria. Looking forward to having him on the Jazz88 Mainstage at the 25th TC Jazz Fest on June 23, at Mears Park in downtown St. Paul.

A happy birthday is also in order for bassist, bandleader and composer Christian McBride, who shares a born day with this author (May 31). He’ll perform at the TC Jazz Fest on June 24.

The “Jazz Night in America” radio show host is bringing along with him musicians Nicole Glover on saxophone, Ely Perlman on guitar, Mike King on piano, and Savannah Harris on drums. McBride has proven he knows how to put a great band together, so this one should be a treat.

In addition to seeing Mc-

Bride and D’Riveria, this year, I look forward to seeing the Walker West Music Academy students and instructors perform at the TC Jazz Fest again. Their take on standards from the Great American Songbook is truly inspiring to watch.

Another fun jazz festival takes place on September 9— the Selby Avenue JazzFest.

This year’s headliner will be saxophonist Najee, also known as Jerome Najee Rasheed. He’s well-known for his superior sound in the smooth jazz world. Festivalgoers can expect to hear Najee play music from his 2022 album “Savoir Faire.”

In the world of jazz, some ultra-exciting news was recently announced. A recording of the performance of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy at the Village Gate in NYC in the summer of 1961, that was once thought to be lost, was recently discovered in the New York Public Library. “Impressions,” a track from that album, can be heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

For NPR’s accompanying story, Nate Chinen, the director of editorial content for WRTIFM’s Philadelphia jazz station, says, “John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy’s fearless experiment sets a new album ablaze.” The intrepid depth of their musical rapport takes center stage on a stunning new archival release, “Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy,” which Impulse will release on July 14.

Hot on the charts

For the week of June 5, JazzWeek charts included: No. 1, biggest mover, most reported: Louis Hayes, “Exactly Right” (Salvant) Most added (tie): Thom-

Highest debut: Dan Wilson

For more, visit jazzweek. com.

Jazz in literature

In the literary world, there’s reason to celebrate the publication of “Easily Slip into Another World: A Life in Music,” the autobiography of saxophonist and composer Henry

Threadgill, co-written with the Schomburg Center’s Brent Hayes Edwards. In other book news, Dexter Gordon’s widow and biographer Maxine Gordon is preparing for the publication of her next book entitled “Quartette: Stories from the Lives of Four Women Jazz Musicians—Maxine Sullivan, Velma Middleton, Melba Liston, and Shirley