What's up, John?

Last month, the Xavier University Jazz Ensemble released "What's up, John?" a compilation of tunes performed by the group under John DeFoor's direction between the years of 2008 and 2010. John passed away in May of 2010, and is far from forgotten (click here for the
Jazz Half May 2010 article).

The CD contains popular numbers played by the ensemble like "Senor Blues", "Sir Duke", and more. Throughout the liner notes, you will find messages to John from the students that are both heartfelt and humorous. A BIG thanks to Sue Brown-DeFoor for coordinating the effort of putting this fabulous project together. The Jazz Ensemble recently played with the XU Faculty Jazztet in a first-time-ever collaborative performance. Click here to see footage from the show.

- jh

The Jazz Half recommends: "The Search Within" - Sean Jones

My first encounter with the music of Sean Jones came about a few years ago in a Chicago bookstore. An unexplainable feeling of relaxed contentment overcame me as I heard "Allison", a tune from his 2007 Kaleidoscope album (Mack Avenue Records). Romantically endearing, I was captivated by the tune, and wanted to hear more from this extraordinary Trumpeter and Composer. Here enters "The Search Within", Jones' 2009 release, and fifth release as a bandleader (all under the Mack Avenue label). One of the tracks is "Life Cycles", a fluid and pleasing number with a relaxed feel. But don't let the two aforementioned songs fool you; Jones also throws down and kicks in the spice, as demonstrated in "Transitions" and "The Storm".

An Ohio native, Sean Jones is also a lead trumpeter for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis. In 2004, he became the Music Professor at Duquesne University.

You will thoroughly enjoy Jones' clean, pure sound. His tracks are wonderfully arranged, with a straight-ahead vibe that is classy and rich.

Visit his website (www.seanjonesmusic.com) or iTunes for a copy of The Search Within.

- jh

The "Jazz Lounge" returns to Fountain Square

It’s another year, and Chris Comer and his Trio are at it again, headlining the ‘Jazz Lounge on Fountain Square’ series every Monday throughout the summer starting June 6th, from 7:00 to 9:00pm.

In last year’s series, the trio, with Comer on Piano, Chris Barlow on Bass, and Grant Cambridge on Drums, featured special guests each week, and this year is no different. Be ready for great performances from the trio featuring guests like Ricky Nye, Sandy Suskind, Saxophonist Dan Barger, Guitarist Will Toedtman, and more. The June 6th kickoff will feature Dan Barger on Saxes and Flute, with Liz Wu on the Vibes. Please note that in the event of rain or bad weather, the show will move to the Cincinnatian Hotel’s Cricket Lounge.

Let’s face it - no one’s excited about returning to work on Monday, but the Jazz Lounge series in the evening give us something to look forward to! Spend a Monday evening at the Jazz Lounge on the Square this summer – it’ll change your whole outlook on the week!

For a full schedule, visit the MyFountainSquare PNC Music Summer Series site. Here's to summer!

- jh