Daring, diverse Jazz Fest series at Frankie's keeps the soul fires burning
From post-bop to cool jazz, blues to Latin styles, Frankie’s hosts a daring, diverse lineup
This year’s Jazz Fest series at Frankie’s Jazz Club is stocked with tremendous combos that thrive on bringing the rich legacy of jazz into the thrilling immediacy of the moment.
Speakeasies, supper clubs, juke joints—jazz has always thrived in social spaces where players and listeners commingle, and the musical conversations during the set lead to great hangs with friends during the breaks.
These spots come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, but the best players create and adapt in the moment, responding to the vibe of the room, taking chances, and going deep into unknown territories before emerging on the other side through sheer force of daring and creative will. Who’s better equipped than a jazz musician to navigate the uncertainty of the past year and a half and come out swinging?
Though the physical commingling needs to be eased into over time, we can still gather in a great casual environment to connect with music while keeping the soul fires burning and the synapses sparking. This year’s series at Frankie’s Jazz Club is stocked with tremendous combos that thrive on bringing the rich legacy of jazz into the thrilling immediacy of the moment. From the breezy sophistication of Sharon Minemoto Quartet, to the boisterous Prohibition-era swing of Jen Hodge All Stars, to Laura Crema and Bill Coon’s beautiful and reflective new book of original tunes, to top shelf quartets led by the likes of David Blake, Jerry Cook, and Steve Lloyd Smith, Frankie’s Jazz Club has a little bit of everything for fans of post-bop, cool jazz, blues, Latin styles, and everything that cooks.
Legendary vocalist Dalannah Gail Bowen will pay tribute to Billie Holiday in Billie’s Blues, while newer acts like Jamie Lee Trio, Kevin Romain Acoustic Trio, and the intergenerational Jimi James Quartet featuring veteran saxophonist John Gross will make sure the pulse of jazz stays strong for the next crop of local players and fans. And the next. And the next after that.
As broad a concept as “jazz” is, the through line has always been connection: between musicians pushing each other to deeper creativity, between artists and receptive audiences, among fellow music-lovers, and between proud tradition and the onwards march of innovation. It’s been a long set break. It’s time to reconnect.
For more information, see Coastal Jazz.
Frankie’s Jazz Club.
This post was sponsored by the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society.