Baby Grand Jazz Series announces 2020 lineup
Hartford Public Library has announced the lineup for its 17th annual Baby Grand Jazz Series, which will run from Jan. 5 to April 26. A free concert will be held every Sunday (except Easter, April 12) from 3 to 4 p.m. in the library’s main branch at 500 Main St.
Opening the series will be the Darrell Green Sextet, with Green on drums, Wallace Roney Jr. on trumpet, Jordan Young on alto sax, Elijah Easton on tenor sax, Tom di Carlo on bass and Keith Brown on piano. The group performs original works influenced by Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Archie Shepp, Don Cherry and Elvin Jones.
The first and last concerts will be in the library’s atrium. The rest will be in the library’s Center for Contemporary Culture on the main floor. Overflow crowds can watch the concerts on live stream in classrooms 140 and 141, near the Center. The series is sponsored by The Kaman Foundation. hplct.org Here’s the rest of the lineup:
► Jan. 12: Ed Fast & Conga Bop, the Hartford-based band that performs music fused from Afro-Cuban rhythms and hard bop.
► Jan. 19: Dakota Austin Quintet, a group led by Dakota Austin, a Burlington native and graduate of Artists Collective in Hartford and Western Connecticut State University, who now attends the Hartt School at University of Hartford in West Hartford. The saxophonist was mentored by Rene McLean, Jimmy Greene, Kris Allen and Andrew Beals. The band also includes Matt DeLeon on trombone, Mike Carabello on piano, Conway Campbell Jr. on bass and Avery Collins on drums.
► Jan. 26, Saskia Laroo Band, led by the trumpeter-vocalist, whose other members are Warren Byrd on keyboards and vocals, PremeAlom on vocals, Tang Sauce on spoken word, Doug ‘Basszilla’ Long on bass and Woody Floyd on drums.
► Feb. 2: Matt Chasen’s “This Is Our Music” Ensemble, led by the saxophonist-vocalist who grew up in Simsbury and graduated from Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at Hartt School and University of Bridgeport.
His band are Josh Evans on trumpet, Brian Simontacchi on trombone, Zaccai Curtis on piano, Luques Curtis on double bass, Jonathan Barber on drums and Bobby Torres on percussion
► Feb. 9: The Unity Quintet, made up of Hartt School attendees Ben Simmons on tenor and also sax, Matthew Pearl on tenor sax and Conway Campbell Jr. on upright bass, as well as Cam Campbell on piano and Wurlitzer and Ryan Sander on drums.
► Feb. 16: Emilio Solla Tributango, the New York-based creator of tangojazz fusion, led by Grammy nominee Solla, a native of Argentina. Others in the band are Javier Sanchez on bandoneon and Pablo Asian on bass.
► Feb. 23: Nathan Davis Sextet, led by trombonist Davis, a graduate of Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, who is now in the inaugural class of that institute’s masters program. Davis, who teaches at Artists Collective. He will be joined by Dakota Austin on sax, John Hasselback on trumpet, Michael Carabello on piano, and a bassist and drummer to be determined.
► March 1: Ron Smith Quintet, led by the Massachusetts-based saxophonist. He is joined by James MacDonald on bass, Dara Adams-Smith on trumpet, Greg Snedeker on piano and Jacob Smith on drums.
► March 8: The AfroSemitic Experience, the ensemble that merges music from Jewish influences and the African diaspora. Members are Will Bartlett on sax, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet and percussion; Warren Byrd on piano and vocals; Alvin Carter, Jr. on drums and vocals; David Chevan on bass and vocals; Saskia Laroo on trumpet and vocals; and Jocelyn Pleasant on percussion.
► March 15: Iris Ornig Quartet, the New Yorkbased ensemble made up of Ornig on bass, Kenny Warren on trumpet, Gregg Belisle on guitar and Michael Davis on drums.
► March 22: Haneef N. Nelson Quartet, led by trumpeter-flugelhornist Nelson, the Hartt School graduate, who curates the Jazz Mondays at Black Eyed Sally’s in Hartford. Other members are Ben Rice on piano, Alec Safy on bass and Mike Camacho on drums.
► March 29: Ricky Alfonso’s Jazz Unit, made up on vocalist-trumpeter Ricky Alfonso, Fred Scerbo on sax, Chris Casey on piano, Steve Bulmer on bass and Tito Holtkamp on drums.
► April 5: Envisage Collective, made up of Kris Allen on sax, Chris Dingman on vibraphone and Noah Baerman on piano.
► April 19: The Joe Carter Samba Rio Quarteto, a “samba jazz” band made up of Joe Carter on guitar, as well as Brazilian musicians Felipe Viegas on piano, Leco Reis on bass and Graciliano Zambonin on drums.
► April 26: TAEKO, the Japan-born, New Yorkbased singer-koto player who is accompanied by Sharp Radway on piano, Alex Blake on bass and Victor Jones on drums.