Lutes Summer Jazz 2023 begins Friday
Sponsored by KOFA 94.7Fm and KAWC 88.9Fm, the 20-year series at Lutes Casino returns.
Friday kicks off a strong, 20year Yuma tradition: The Lutes Summer Jazz series. Beginning June 2 at Lutes Casino, Yumans can enjoy food, drinks and the company of friends while the Yuma Jazz Company (YJC) and featured guests supply “coolness” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Friday evening through Sept. 1.
Per series organizer Steven Hennig, the series – sponsored by local Public Radio stations KOFA 94.7FM Border Radio and KAWC 88.9FM – will include guest vocalists Jennifer Wayman-hart, Eloisa Arviso and Keila Martinez, and guest trumpeter Bryan Stewart performing some of their favorite tunes. The YJC Quartet will feature Hennig on trumpet and flugelhorn, Jason Arviso on guitar, Tab Wilcox on bass and Brandon Coz on percussion.
Folks can expect to hear original tunes by Hennig along with Latin, straight ahead and contemporary jazz favorites.
“Yuma Jazz Company, in one form or another, has been playing summers at Lutes Casino for 20 years now – starting our third decade!” Hennig commented. “The music, being largely an improvised, creative struggle, has evolved a great deal with the times, with influences and with changes in personnel.”
He noted that the same is true of the quartet’s recorded music:
“The three albums we have recorded in the last three years are very different from what the original quintet recorded back in 2004. A very different direction but the same general idea. A tune is a groove, a mood, a blank canvas to collectively throw some paint at.
“What has been cool about the newer music is that it has received a lot of airplay, notice and reviews internationally: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, France, Germany, Israel, Chile, Argentina, plus in this country. New York City, for example, and Phoenix, of all places. And the Canary Islands – (we’re) big in the Canary Islands for some reason.”
At Lutes, folks can expect some of this newer style and more.
“Playing at Lutes, however, is about unleashing the whole gamut,” Hennig said. “We’ll play older original stuff, familiar tunes, standards, ballads. It is a relaxed, fun place to play, and for us, anything goes.”
As for what can be expected from the guest performers, Hennig explained that they’ve all performed with YJC before. He described Wayman-hart as “the kind of singer who always seems to be in top form. You give her the tune and the key and she is good to go. Spot on, flexible, plus a terrific personality.”
Singer and tenor-saxophonist Eloisa Arviso is married to YJC’S guitarist and “has unusually good musical style and phrasing, always a real pleasure to hear.”
Keila Martinez is best known for her performances around the country and internationally as Selena, with local group, Los Chicos Del 512. “She also fits in perfectly with a jazz group!” remarked Hennig.
“Trumpeter Bryan Stewart has performed with a lot of groups over the years both in the Yuma area and the Imperial Valley,” Hennig added. “He has really worked at his craft, developed his own unique voice as a jazz musician and is alway great to have sitting in with the group.”
This year’s Lutes Jazz schedule is as follows:
• Friday, June 2 – Yuma Jazz Company Quartet
• Friday, June 16 – YJC featuring vocalist Jennifer Wayman-hart
• Friday, June 30 – YJC featuring vocalist Eloisa Arviso
• Friday, July 14 – YJC featuring vocalist Keila Martinez
• Friday, July 28 – YJC featuring trumpeter Bryan Stewart
• Friday, August 11 – YJC featuring vocalist Eloisa Arviso
• Friday, August 25 – YJC featuring vocalist Jennifer Wayman-hart
• Friday, September 1 – YJC with surprise guest performers
With YJC having recently received a lot of airplay and international attention in response to its latest original music album release for “Some Tequila and a Plan,” Hennig highlighted some of the praise YJC’S been given. Among them, Radio Armazen of Brazil commented that their latest music “combines the elegant style of jazz with the heat of salsa” while Portal Rifferama of Brazil stated, “Everyone in the band are high skilled musicians but you play for the song and each member has the opportunity to shine. Great composition and soloing.”
Yumans can get a taste in person at Lutes Casino on Fridays and learn more about YJC by visiting http://www.yumajazz.com/.