Branford, Bela and Chick all in town
In just three years, The Royal Conservatory’s exquisite concert venue, Koerner Hall, has established itself as the premiere soft-seat jazz venue in the city. This season’s lineup is all about winning collaborations.
Robi Botos & Friends, featuring Branford Marsalis, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Robert Hurst and more. Oct. 12, 8 p.m. Tickets from $35. The fall’s first must-see show finds local Oscar Peterson prodigy Botos supported by Marsalis in a rare reunion with the American saxophonist’s original quartet.
Bela Fleck & Marcus Roberts Trio. Oct. 19, 8 p.m. Tickets from $45. With pianist Roberts rooted in classic jazz tradition and banjo master Fleck celebrated for a bluegrass hybrid, their “unlikely pairing” on 2012’s Across the Imaginary Divide was a surprise hit that’s a sure bet live.
Jane Bunnett, with very special guest Chucho Valdés. Oct. 20, 8 p.m. Tickets from $50. Noted for her deft work on soprano sax and flute, as well as her passion for Cuban music, Conservatory alum Jane Bunnett pairs up with legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés for a setlist of Cuban jazz and folk traditions. They’ll have plenty of company: Bunnett’s Spirits of Havana octet, which includes another stellar Cuban pianist, Toronto-based Hilario Duran, and the 10-piece Iyá Iré, a local Afro-Cuban drum and dance ensemble.
Chick Corea & Gary Burton, with the Harlem Quartet, Dec. 5, 8 p.m. Tickets from $45. The longtime collaborators will perform material from their album
Hot House, described as “a unique take on standards” by composers such as Kurt Weill, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Thelonious Monk and Lennon & McCartney. The addition of violins and cello, through the Quartet, is certain to round out the chamber-jazz repertoire.