June 5, 2011 - The Otone Brass Band

Chock full of happy energy, the Otone Brass Band mixes it up performing music like nobody’s business! Just add a generous supply of Funk, Latin, and Soul, stir in a serious helping of New Orleans Groove and you’ve got the Otone Brass Band! Led by Dan Sjogren, this eight-piece group of seasoned pros and young, new talent, is held together by the heavy bass of the marching sousaphone. The horn section is comprised of bari, tenor and alto saxophones, trumpet and trombone. The percussion section is a tight snare and bass-drum duo.

 

Hazel Miller has been a sought-after performer in Colorado for the past 24 years. Whether she is singing blues, jazz, pop, or Gospel, her voice charges the songs with a primal dose of genuine soul. Hazel's voice has been called "stunning, moving and powerful." Hazel began her 38-year career in Louisville, Kentucky, where she rose to the top of the music scene. She opened for popular artists such as Mel Torme, James Brown, Temptations, Earl Klugh, Bob James and many others. The city of Denver singled out Hazel as one of 150 people who make Denver a better place to live.

Rekha Ohal was born, surprised and unexpectedly, in a tiny house in India. She came to America (on a ship, of all things) and moved to Denver. She recorded her first self-titled album in 1995, and her second album "I Miss Everything But You" in 2006. Rekha lists her influences as "Rickie Lee Jones, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Tom Waits, Oscar Peterson, Stevie Wonder, Beck, Bjork, Thelonius Monk, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Earth Wind and Fire, Leo Kottke, Cat Stevens, the Flintstones, I Love Lucy, Agatha Christie, Thich Nat Hanh, Lyall Watson, and chocolate."Rekha describes her sound as "like Steely Dan stuck in a New Delhi train station."

La Candela is one of Denver's premier Salsa bands. This 10-person band is led by the talented Suzanna Morales.

This concert is generously sponsored by:

Come celebrate our Nation's Independence Day with the Denver Municipal Band, the oldest professional concert band in the continental United States.The Denver Municipal Band was founded in the late 1860s by Alex Sutherland, bugler at the "Charge of The Light Brigade." Surviving the ordeal, he settled in Denver where he was active in many of the city's early musical activities. Originally constituted as the GAR Post Band, it performed early municipally funded concerts throughout the 1870s and 80s, changing its name to the Denver Municipal Band in 1891 when it began its continuous history of Denver Municipal Funding.

Convergence is dedicated to the idea of sharing the intimacy and the spark of improvised music with their audience. They have been creating music together for over 20 years and they are excited to be sharing the whole journey at City Park Jazz.

This concert is generously sponsored by:

The Bob Montgomery - Al Hermann Quintet presents improvised music in a very unique manner, utilizing three and four part harmony (trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass and drums) within the melodies of the tunes they perform in what audiences have called a “conversational” approach to improvisation. Rather than the typical “soloist/accompanist “ presentation this quintet demonstrates a “group” effort with the soloist of the moment becoming the “moderator” of the improvisational dialogue. Audiences become very involved in the musical experience and their energy is mirrored in the Quintets performance. Bob Montgomery's unique arrangements provide wonderful springboards into the improvisational waters of this quintets music. The Quintet performs the same original music, standards and jazz standards that they perform in their concert tours throughout the world.

A Colorado native, Manuel Lopez grew up with a great passion for music. Having a natural taste for Latin music he began playing congas in his early teen years. Not too long after he picked up a pair of drum sticks and began playing the drums. Since then his experiences performing and meeting great musicians has led him to form the Latin Jazz trio. The trio quickly became known for playing a variety of repertoire from old Cuban standards to more modern arrangements. In 2007 the band was featured on KUVO 89.3 (Denver Jazz radio) and from that session "Danzon for My Father" was selected to be a part of their "Best of live performances 2007" album.

 

The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra s 18-pc "big band" featuring male and female vocalists as well as Musical Director/MC. With many of Denver's finest jazz musicians, the MJO performs the toe-tapping, finger-snapping big band hits of the '40s and '50s all the way to present day NY/LA sizzling big band tunes.

Chris Daniels & the Kings are one of the world's best "horn bands" in the tradition of Blood Sweat & Tears, Booker T. and the Memphis Horns and Tower of Power. Chris has toured Europe more than 15 times and played in the States from South Carolina to Seattle, New York City to LA. They have been compared to"Little Feat with horns" and "John Hiatt meets Tower of Power." It's a fine gumbo of Memphis horns, Texas blues, New Orleans punch and bounce and sweet soul and roots music that is just get down funk for your feet.