Barbeque n' Jazz

Hello all,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The night before the big Turkey day, I caught word on some live jazz in, of all places, a Barbeque Restaurant. I don't know about you, but for some reason, I tend to correlate barbeque with blues. Maybe its from the live blues performances that always took place at Burbank's, or perhaps its the city of Memphis that comes to mind, with Behle Street, B.B. King, and the many Barbeque joints. But who says a barbeque place can't play live jazz - and moreover, who says you can't find live jazz in the Colerain/Mt. Healthy area?

Here enters Pit to Plate, located on 8021 Hamilton Ave. Pit to Plate was one of the restaurants providing food for the Fifth Third "It's Commonly Jazz" series in Eden Park back in August. For the past month of Wednesdays, Pit to Plate has hosted what I call a "String Sensation" of Jazz music from 6:30 to 9:00pm. On Thanksgiving Eve, I ordered 6 smoked wings and a cup of chili (both of which I recommend) and listened to Bob Rowlette on Bass, Dick Sorice on Guitar, and Lou Lousche on Violin. Lou is usually seen playing bass, but on this night he dusted off the violin and in convincing fashion, made it fit like a glove in various jazz standards they performed. Guitarist Steve Barone has played there on past Wednesday evenings as well.

This is what I've talked about for some time: The need for a place that has live jazz mid-week for those who can't make it down to the city, and without the late-night hours. With Pit to Plate LITERALLY 5 minutes from where I live, and the performance hours from 6:30 to 9:00, this was ideal for me. For those of you looking for the same, I will try my best to find places like Pit to Plate and include them on the Jazz Half's event calendar. Don't get me wrong - give me a Friday or Saturday night, and I'm there for the last note of the last set as the place closes. But its also nice to see that live music isn't limited to the weekend nights alone. As we exit the last week of November and enter the first week of December, make sure you check the event calendar on The Jazz Half for future shows at Pit to Plate - and don't forget to order the wings and chili. Here come the Holidays!!!

- jh

The best way to cap off the work week…

Hello everyone and welcome to a new week.

As many of you know, Friday is my favourite day of the week; and attending the Jazz Half’s “Event of the Month” last Friday made it all the better. The JHEOTM consisted of the Tim Warfield Quartet, who performed at The Blue Wisp. This was an absolutely magnificent performance. The Walnut Hills H.S. Jazz Ensemble warmed up the evening with a packed house, followed by the quartet of Tim Warfield on Tenor & Soprano Saxes, Neil Podgurski on Piano, Brandon Meeks on Bass, and Anthony “T” Lee on Drums.

Tim Warfield, originally from York, Pennsylvania is internationally-known and has performed with legends Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Christian McBride, Stefon Harris, and many others. In May of this year, he released his latest project, “One for Shirley” in tribute to longtime friend and mentor, iconic Organist Shirley Scott. The quartet performed some standards (“What would I do” in the 1st set, and “Summertime” in the 2nd encore), but the most captivating to my ears were the original numbers, some of these numbers which, when conversing with the audience, Tim mentioned were inspired by personal experiences, a point in his life, or colleagues which he’s collaborated with. One original piece called, “Blues for Mr. Bill”, sympathizes with the mishaps of the ‘70’s SNL claymation character of the same name.

Tim Warfield’s performance style is very poised and balanced. This is reflective of his persona. When he engaged the audience, his voice and demeanor was as fluid as the very way in which he plays – a wonderful performance indeed. BUT I CAN’T SAY ANYMORE ABOUT THE SHOW!!! Why, you ask? Because very soon, you’ll be able to read the full show review on thejazzhalf.com, that’s why! Also, after the show, I had an opportunity to chat with Tim Warfield about the early part of his career, his latest CD, Shirley Scott, and more. So keep your eyes (and ears) peeled to thejazzhalf.com for the review of the show and the exclusive interview! Ciao!

- jh

Up from the South...it's Gypsy Jazz!

Hello everyone,

I feel compelled to share with you some wonderful information regarding an upcoming event!

This event features a group that is led by one of the best finger-style guitarists in the WORLD. The group is The Hot Club of Nashville, and the event is an evening of Gypsy Jazz, starting off with Cincinnati's own Faux Frenchmen!

This exclusive, one-night show will be held on Friday, Nov. 21st at the 20th Century, 3021 Madison Ave. in the heart of Oakley. Advance tickets are $20. The doors and bar open at 6:00pm, with the show starting at 8:00.

Don't forget to mark your calendar for November 21st and tell all those you know! For more information, contact Tim Sendelbach at 513-919-9240. Or send him an email at tsendelbach@tamarackentertainment.com

Hope to see you there! Cheers!

- jh