Blog of a Jazz Singer - Marc Courtney Johnson - WEB JOURNAL

Got a chance to see and hear them at the Green Mill last night.

Absolutely fantastic!!

Orbert Davis, Dee Alexander, Ari Brown, and Yours Truly.

Orbert (on trumpet) and his sextet of Ari Brown on tenor sax, Kobie Watkins on the drum kit, Lorin Cohen on bass, Ryan Cohan on piano, and Tracy Kirk on trombone was amazing. Got a chance to hear some cuts from Orbert's new CD: Blue Notes which is now in my collection.

Of course for me the highlight of the evening was to actually meet these great jazz stars of today (the young lions of bop). Dee was just as warm and charming off stage as on (what an amazing instrument she wields), and I am just as impressed with Orbert's talent level with his instrument as with his propensity for daring, new composition, as with his passion to give back to his community, and to fight for the viability of jazz music in the new millennium...

Yeah, I think I'd like to be like him when I grow up.

I cannot think of a place in this big old town (or its surrounding suburbs) where you could possibly get fantastic, live entertainment for two hours, delicious FREE food of a cajun persuasion, a nice atmosphere, et. al. for a mere $10 (the cost of two mandatory drinks and where in the Chicago land area can you even get drinks for $5 anymore anyway (and yes, they had alchohol in them)).

Denise Jordan Walker

The place I'm referring too: The Gale Street Inn.

The Tim Green Trio played wonderfully, I got to meet one of the other stellar jazz disc jockies from the Miles Ahead crew, Ms. Denise Jordan Walker. We spoke of many exciting developments in the industry (well actually she did most of the talking while illuminating the possibilities! I've said it once, I'll say it again, these cats at Miles Ahead are nothing but class, bringing a sincere enthusiasm for this jazz music). Mr. Neil Tesser was on hand to MC the event and everybody seemed to be enjoying every aspect of it.

Also the Chicago Legend Marc Pompe was in attendance with his trio as well as a number of the Miles Ahead support cats.

After checking the place out, I can't be happier to have been invited to sing there on June 20th. For everyone looking for a good cheap(more at inexpensive cause the quality of what you experience will be there) date, come on out on June 20th, I guarantee you won't be dissapointed.

Thanks for everyone who came out to the gig last Saturday at Pops(Jinky and the pussycats from the north region of the ICOC), my old NIU college roomate and his wife(Tim and Kristina), Mario and Karen, The VanZales, (Steve & Julie, happy 11th anniversary so glad you chose to spend it with me), The CBOT crew (Tremayne and his wife and his mom, and Brigitte), my old High School running buddy and fellow United Airlines employee (Beth) with friends, my better half, my mom and Carol Lee, Kasia, Scott, me loyal Icelandic friends Einar and Lena and everybody else who was in there!

As gigs go, Pops rocked (well as much as Jazz does which with Dan's trio playing is a lot!), and so it goes my first feature length gig at a public venue. I do have some shots of the gig, but we didn't get a lot of good ones so I'll probably post these in conjunction with the stuff from the next gig (see below)!

Wedding season is kicking in and pretty much weekly I'll be in that scene, but I've got one Public gig that is happening on Monday June 20th at the Gale Street Inn hosted by MilesAheadJazz the only prime time jazz radio station in Chicago. Check out the station for some great jazz. Also I've got a little spot plugging the upcoming performance that I did the other day with Neil Tesser.