Burlington Discover Jazz Festival 2004

[Chaz Longue]

We're including two weekends this year.

June 4 through June 13

Performances in =/- 48 venues over 9 days
The highlights include:

Chris Potter Quartet
Steve Coleman and 5 Elements
Han Bennink/Dr Eugene Chadbourne
(FLYNNSPACE: 150-170 seats - cabaret seating)

Randy Weston's African Rhythms Quintet / James Harvey and Garuda
Jane Bunnett and Spirits of Havana / Omar Sosa Quartet
Branford Marsalis Quartet / VT Allstate Band
The Grand Wazoo: A Zappa Cellebration, with Ed Palermo, Ike Willis, Ernie Watts and The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival Big Band
(FLYNN THEATRE: 1440 seats)

VT Jazz Ensemble Basie Night
featuring Dr H. Lawrence McCrory, Big Joe Burrell, Paul Broadnax and the VJE
(Contois Auditorium)

Holmes Brothers / Kenny Neal / Unknown Blues Band
(Blues Tent)

Jireh Gospel Choir - 16 voices and 4 piece band, from Montreal
(Gospel Tent)

Medeski Martin and Wood / Soulive / DJ Logic / et al
Memorial Auditorium

Plus various cruises, Lakefront performances, lecture/demonstrations, block parties, free concerts in the park, club dates etc etc etc

[John B]

Great news about the Randy Weston show! I've been hoping to see him for quite a while.

Do you know when the official schedule will be set? We are going to be out of town for that first weekend and I'm really hoping we won't miss any of the shows we really want to see.

Thanks for keeping us posted!

[Chaz Longue]

Hi John,

Official word won't appear untill the press conference on April 14.

But I do have dates etc for all of these shows, and I'm told they are pretty solid dates.

Randy Weston is scheduled for The Flynn Theatre on Saturday 6/12/04.

Meanwhile -
The Bad Plus tonight (1 April) in Flynnspace.
Kurt Elling at the Barre Opera House on April 10th

Shall I look for you in Barre?

DB

[John B]

Dave -

I'm breathing a sigh of relief now that I know we'll be able to see Randy. I'll wait until the 14th rather than ask for any more updates.

I won't be able to make the Elling show, unfortunately. We need to go to Massachusetts that weekend to help deal with some health related issues for my parents. I'll definitely take a raincheck for the next time a good show comes to Barre.

[Chaz Longue]

I thought Kurt Elling was thrilling. Sorry you missed it John...but hey...ya can't see them all.

We had our Burlington Discover Jazz Festival press conference today.
Looking over the press kits, something struck me:

Damn,...we're gonna see a slammin' bunch of DRUMMERS that week!

HAN BENNINK with Eugene Chadbourne
BILL STEWART with Chris Potter's Quartet
DAFNIS PRIETO (!) with Steve Coleman's 5 Elements
FRANCISCO MELA with Jane Bunnett's Spirits Of Havana
JEFF "Tain" WATTS with Branford Marsalis

...and even though I'm not familiar with him, I'm sure Neil Clarke, Randy Weston's drummer is no slouch.

Francisco Mela made a huge impression on me when I last saw Jane Bunnett. He plays in a dense polyrhythmic Afro Cuban style, but somehow has a certain clarity and focus that I've never quite heard before. He teaches at Berklee. Anybody heard him?