It’s summertime. Let’s listen to live music outside.
THE CITY PARK JAZZ series is one of Denver’s best free Sunday traditions. There’s still a lot of celebrating to take in when beloved Colorado singer Hazel Miller and the Collective take to the park’s Pavilion stage June 30 at 6 p.m. In July, enjoy the vibrations of JoFoKe & Same Cloth on the 7th, Delta Sonics Blues Revue July 14, the powerful Denver Jazz Orchestra on July 21, and saxophonist Nelson Rangell July 28. Everything you need to know is at cityparkjazz.org.
Nigerian musician Seun Kuti performs on stage during the Nice’s Jazz Festival on July 18, 2018 in Nice, southeastern France. (Photo by VALERY HACHE / AFP) (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
SEUN KUTI BEGAN performing with his father, Fela Kuti, and the band Egypt 80 when he was 9 years old. The Nigerian revolutionary Fela died in 1997; now, vocalist and saxophonist Seun leads the expansive Egypt 80. The group plays Denver’s Levitt Pavilion on July 20. The youngest son of Fela has kept his dad’s thunderous, polyrhythmic genius alive, and you can be awed by their free performance, though it’s a good idea to RSVP at levittdenver.org. There are also VIP tickets available for $35 with early entry and access to a reserved viewing section.
RENDEZVOUS EVENT CENTER at Hideaway Park hosts the annual Winter Park Jazz Festival July 20 and 21. Headliners include Boney James, Pieces of a Dream, Anthony Hamilton and Lalah Hathaway. Escaping to the mountains may be the best way to beat the oppressive heat for a weekend, and you can find tickets and lodging information at playwinterpark.com.
Boney James will perform at this summer’s Winter Park Jazz Festival. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
ALSO OUTDOORS, THE ideal setting that is the Denver Botanic Gardens presents Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue on July 22. New Orleans’ Trombone Shorty, aka Troy Andrews, is an exciting, charismatic stage presence, and his live shows project an energy not often found on his studio albums. Get ticket information at botanicgardens.org.
OF COURSE, THERE’S an abundance of live music indoors in July, too. Vocalist Jenna McLean performs at Denver’s Nocturne on July 5. … The Squirrel Nut Zippers presents “Jazz from the Back O’ Town” at Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium on July 13. … Trumpeter Hugh Ragin is an integral part of The Sun Ra Project at Lumonics Light and Sound Gallery on July 19. … Straight No Chaser, the a cappella group inspired by the Thelonious Monk composition of the same name, appears at Chautauqua Auditorium on July 20. … The El Chapultepec Legacy Project, featuring an excellent lineup of Denver-based artists, performs at Dazzle on July 21. … Also at Dazzle: saxophonist Allison Young and her Quartet on July 29; pianist Benny Green on July 30; bassist Derrick Hodge on July 31 and Aug. 1; and pianist Bill Charlap on Aug. 3 and 4. … The Evergreen Jazz Festival takes place in venues all over the community July 26-28.
AND, HEY, PERHAPS you prefer to stay in the basement and listen to jazz when it’s 100 degrees outside. I get it! This summer, I’m thoroughly enjoying saxophonist David Murray’s “Francesca” (Intakt Records) which is as thrilling as straight-ahead quartet records get in 2024. South African pianist Ndudzo Makhathini just released “Unomkhubulwane” on Blue Note, deep Spiritual Jazz from a complex thinker. Finally, bassist Kim Kass has an intriguing new album on the excellent Pi Recordings label, titled “Levs.” Inspired by “hand-notated scores from the 19th and early 20th centuries,” Cass, aided by star drummer Tyshawn Sorey and pianist Matt Mitchell, makes surprising, glorious sounds.