A week from this Friday the first annual JazzFest Denver will kick off. The two day event and features a great line-up. In the last two issues we've highlighted headlinners Wallace Roney and Marlena Shaw. Also flying in for the event is noted vibraphonist Mark Sherman who New Yorker Magazine writer Andrew Porter calls "A sensitive virtuoso on the vibraphone". His excelent new release "One Step Closer," is a swingin' set features the great Joe Lovano on Sax. The native New Yorker studied to be a drummer (with his idol Elvin Jones)but later turned to the vibes. He recorded his first release as a leader in 1980 and has had a sucesful career since as both a leader and a sideman. He'll be joined at JazzFest by Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Dean Johnson on bass, Jeff Jenkins on piano and Todd Reid on drums.

Also on the bill at JazzFest are a stellar group of Colorado based artist including:the Brad Goode Quartet with John "The Baron" Von Ohlen, the Mistura Fina Sextet, 3ósity, Bob Montgomery-Al Hermann Quintet,Neil Bridge 7 + and the CCJA Jazz Latin Youth Band. While Colorado has several great Jazz festivals (UNC, Vail, Teluride and Jazz in the Sangres) Denver has not had one in quite a while. Kudos to the JazzFest crew for begining what we hope will be a longstanding event for the Metro area.

Aside from promising to be a great event JazzFest Denver is a benefit for a great cause, The Griffith Centers for Children. Let's all make sure that this new event is a sucess! The festival will be held in the Temple Event Center @ 1595 Pearl St on February 24th & 25th. You can find more details on the artists, schedule and ticket information on the event website @ www.jazzfestdenver.com.

Thank you for your patience whith last weeks change over to our new email broadcast system. The new system will allow us to manage our ever expanding email list more efficiently. This issue of the Beat is the first for our new wider format, we made the change in responce to coments from readers regarding the readability. Today's format is the beta so look for more minor changes in the coming weeks. We're always interested in your comments so feel free to drop us a note with your thoughts on the new format .

Trumpeter Brad Upton will be joined by Eric Gunnison on keys, Matt Houston on Drums and Bijoux Barbosa- seven string electric contrabass guitar for an evening of cutting edge fussion at Sambuca begining @ 8:00.

Lynn Baker Presents the music of Woody Shaw featuring Hugh Ragin on trumpet. 8-11 @ the Robusto Room

The Peak View Jazz Series presents Jazz vocalist Lynn Skinner with Bob Schlesinger on piano, Ron Bland on bass, Larry Thompson on drums and Bob Rebholz on reeds. 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

CD release party at Dazzle. Sets @ 7 & 9

Peter Sommer Presents Saxophonist Rich Perry. Perry is a top call player from NYC who regularly performs with the Maria Schneider Orchestra and the Village Vanguard Orchestra Shows @ 7:00 & 9:00

The Mark Diamond Quartet featuring Mary Ann Moore will be at the Robusto Room Saturday from 8-11

Featuring Dale Bruning on guitar, Jude Hibler anration, Jeff Jenkins on piano, Mark Simon on bass and Paul Romaine on drums. 7 pm @ the Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden.

Fred Hess will be celebrating the release of his great new CD with a free concert on Sunday @ 3pm. He'll be joined by Ron Miles, mark harris, Johannes Weidenmueller and Paul Romaine.

Next wednesday Mark and Andy are joined by Dominic Lalli and Paul Romaine. Dominic, a member of the very popular group The Motet is a great player who blends many styles, but is a killer jazz musician.

As always, the gig is on Wednesday on "The Mezz" at Boulder's historic Hotel Boulderado. They'll be performing from 5:30 to 9:30.

Home, Home On The Front Range This Week's CD Releases: Ms. Cindy Williams releases her new CD, "The Blues Are Relative" on Fri., 2/17 @ Dazzle. Her featured Trio is Jeff Jenkins(p), Ken Walker(b) & Todd Reid(d). HitTime: 7PM. Professor & Tenorist Fred Hess offers up "How 'Bout Now", his new Tapestry(Capri) release with Ron Miles(t), Mark Harris(reeds), Ken Filiano(b) & Matt Wilson(d). Strong musical artistry: mindful & heartfelt on Sun., 2/19 @ 3PM @ St. Cajetan's Church (9th & Lawrence Sts.) opposite The King Center on The Auraria Campus, DCO. Sitting in for Filiano will be Johannes Weiden-Mueller; while Paul Romaine is @ the drum kit; the rest sit in for themselves. Check out the cover art of the CD which will take you places --- & oh, the places you'll go. FREE to the public. Additional info @: (3003)/556-3180 or www.creativemusicworks.org.

The Woodsheddin' Is Done. Pianist Chip Stephens, Bassist Ken Walker & Drummer Todd Reid go into the recording studio @ Mile High Music to document this Trio this week. I've been hipped that it'll be a combination of Chip's original compositions melded with tasteful standards. Look for this Capri Records --- www.caprirecords.com --- release in hopefully the not too distant future.

Bone2BWild: Former Boulderite, Trombonist Alex Heitlinger & Present Boulderite, Pianist Art Lande will feature their duet @ The First Unitarian Church, 1400 Lafayette St. this Friday, DCO, a co-sponsored event by The Church, The Coalition For Creative Music, & The Creative Music Works. HitTime: 7PM. For more info: www.creativemusicworks.org

A Peak @ The Vocal Side: Ms. Lynn Skinner will lead her Quintet featurin' Bob Rebholz(reeds), Bob Schlesinger(p), Ron Bland(b), & Larry Thompson(d) as the current installment of The Peak View Jazz Society's series @ The Mad Russian Event Center, Milliken, CO (off Hwy 257, east of I-25 & west of Greeley --- that's like east of the sun, & west of the moon...). For additional info: www.lynnskinner.com; Larry & Phyllis Eaton @ (970)/353-2267 or phylliseaton@comcast.net; Norm Noe @ (970)/330-6663 or normnoe@yahoo.com; or Bill Shade @ (970)/353-4594. HitTime: 8PM; Buffet @ 6:30PM (reservation, (970)/587-5000) with dinner music provided by the lovely & talented, Ms. Phyllis Eaton on piano, accompanied by a flutist.

The Only On-Time Combo That Plays Timelessly: The Dale Bruning Quartet featuring Narrater, Ms. Jude Hibler, presenting "The Timeless Music Of The Gershwins" on Feb., 18th @ The Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 W. 32nd St., Golden --- (303)/279-5282 or www.jazzlinkenterprises.com for additional info, reservations & directions. .

The 2006 Grammy Award winners were announced 2/8/06. Congratualtions to Dianne Reeves for garnering her 4th Grammy for "Best Female Vocalist Album Of The Year" with "Good Night, And Good Luck", the amplified soundtrack to the movie of the same title which is the cinemagraphic story of TV Broadcaster, Edward R. Murrow.

The Hot Ticket: Tenorists Peter Sommer & Rich Perry ( of The Maria Schneider Orchestra Reed Section) will be @ Dazzle, Sat., 2/18 with a Quartet. Subsequently, Mr. Perry conducts master classes @ CSU, Ft. Collins on Mon., 2/20 & Tues., 2/21, the culmination of which will be a CSU Jazz Ensemble Consert in new, highly acclaimed Edna Rizley Griffin Auditorium, @ the site of the renovated Ft. Collins HS. Check with Peter Sommer @ Peter.Sommer@colostate.edu for more info. Tix are @ (970)/491-4TIX (CSU).

Live! Radio Theater --- "Destination Freedom: Black Radio Days" presented by donnie l. betts of No Credits Productions and KGNU, and featuring: "Peace Mediator: Ralph Bunche". Very Special Musical Guest: Ms. Renee Marie. airs Mon., 2/20 @ 8PM on KGNU 88.5FM & 1390AM. Again, tix for the LIVE! performance can be procured by calling (720)/748-1388.

TO BE HEARD:Also: Peter Sommer & Pianist Art Lande's Duo Concert originally scheduled for SuperBowl Sun. 2/5 has been re-scheduled for Sun. 2/26, again @ The Edna Rizley Griffin Hall (see above for additional info).

If You're In The Mood: Moody @ Mt Vernon Country Club Thurs., 2/23 --- www.mountvernoncc.com or (303)/526-0616. On the following Thurs., 3/2 The Conrad Herwig(tb)---Brian Lynch(t) Septet will feature The Latin Side Of Trane & Miles with Mario Rivera(ts, fl), Edsel Gomez(p), Ruben Rodriquez(b), Robby Ameen(d) & Perdro Martinez(perc, cnga, & vcl). The night before, Wed., 3/1, The Band will have been @ Colorado College in Colo Spgs. the Andy Bey Quartet is due in on Wed., 4/12. Stay tuned.

Chacun A Son Gout: Chanteuse Georgann Low with piano and trumpet & flugelhorn accompianists, Andrew Cox & Terry Hannum, respectively in tow, can be heard in the comfy confines of Michelangelo's on S. Bdwy & Ellsworth Sts., DCO on Fri., 2/24 @ 7:30. For more info: www.georgannlow.com.

You're goin' Bin There: Virtuosic Baritone Sax Player, Gary Smulyan who turned heads @ Dazzle this past weekend with The Chie Imaizumi 11+1 little BIG Band, will be releasing his new CD on Reservoir, "Hidden Treasures", in late Winter/early Spring. His captivatin' Trio features Christian McBride(b) & Billy Drummond(d) and covers obscure standards. Go figure, an off-the-beaten path threesome playin' o-t-b-p repetoire. And talkin' 'bout listenin' forward...

LISTENING FORWARD: The UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, the largest Jazz event of its kind with over 7,000 participants representing over 300 MS, HS, & Secondary Programs, will take place, 4/20 - 4/22. The Featured headliners will be The Maria Schneider Orchestra (Sat., 4/22); The Cedar Walton Quintet featuring Steve Turre. Also, Maestro Jim McNeeley with The UNC Jazz Lab Band I, (Fri., 4/21); The NY Voices w/ The USAF Falconaires, & The Extraordinary Jazz Vocalist, Ms. Nancy King (Thurs., 4/21). For more info: www.uncjazz.com.

Thanx For The Sonic Tonic: Composer Chie (Chee -ay) Imaizumi's (Ee-my-zu-mee) 11+1 little BIG Band with virtuosic Baritone Saxophonist Gary Smulyan and featuring Brassmen, Greg Gisbert & Ron Miles; Reedists, John Gunther & Peter Sommer; Trombonist Alex Heitlinger; a Rhythm Section consisting of Mike Abbot(g), Jeff Jenkins(p), Mark Simon(b), Paul Romaine(d); Manavihare "Mimy" Fiandratovo(perc); & Jeremy Ragsdale(vcl) played 3 slammin' sets to 3 SRO audiences @ Dazzle this past weekend. Then on this past Monday, they went into the recording studio to record the lively rehearsed music for Ms. Imaizumi's up-coming Capri Records release, "A Change For The Better" due out later this year. The CD is Co-Produced by Greg Gisbert, his first venture of this nature and a "successful one [he] may add, into this realm of the recording industry. This Band was recorded under the BIG ears of Executive Producer, Tom Burns (Capri Records) and Master Engineer, Scott Griess @ Mile High Music Studios. (303)/733-8110.

Until The Next Gig, dig, Peter Poses, Host of "OverNight Jazz: The Soundz Of Surprize" from "'Round Midnight, Thurs. to 6AM, Fri. on KRFC FT COLLINS HomeGrown Community Radio @ 88.9FM, or streaming on . Poses is also an Associate Editor of "The Rocky Mountain Jazz Beat" & can be reached @: pposes@rockymountainjazz.com

CBS4 anchor Molly Hughes recently presented a couple more instalments on 14 year old Denver Jazz singer Erienne Romaine. If you missed it ,you can read a transcript and watch the segments on the CBS4 website: