Jazz calendar for March 13-20

Friday, March 13:
Guitarist Jim Gratton and bassist Jim McDonough will be at the Chambers Walk Cafe at 2667 Main St., Lawrenceville, from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Jim will be back next Friday, too.

Husband-and-wife team Vic Juris and Kate Baker will be at Trumpets in Montclair for two shows tonight, at 8:30 and 10:30. Both are excellent musicians, Mr. Juris among the best guitarists working and Ms. Baker a highly praised vocalist.

Put a little salsa on your weekend: The Tropical All Stars Band Playing will be performing classic salsa, merengue, bachata and more from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Maxine's 2, 120 S. Warren St. in Trenton. There's no admission, it's open to all -- you can get a free salsa dance lesson from 8 p.m. -9 p.m. by dance instructor Jose "Papo" Diaz.

Saturday, March 14:
Support your neighborhood jazz student! Hamilton's Steinert High School is hosting its Jazz Festival 2009, featuring young jazz musicians from several area schools, at 4 p.m. For more information, call 609-631-4150, ext. 3412.

Enjoy the music of Dave Brubeck performed by the Eric Mintel Group at Shanghai Jazz in Madison. It's the 50th anniversary of the release of "Take Five."

Trumpets has harmonica virtuoso, classical guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, composer Enrico Granafei for two shows.

Catch Mulgrew Miller and his Trio at McCarter Theater in Princeton at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 15:
Guitarist Jim Gratton will be at Hightstown's Bistro Soleil Sunday Jazz Brunch, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

John Di Stefano hosts Trumpets' Sunday Brunch from 11:30 a.m. tol 2:30 p.m.
Later, Sarah James (vocals/sax) will host her CD Release party at 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The New Jersey Jazz Society Member Meeting will feature music by pianist Larry Ham and bassist Lee Hudson at 2 p.m. at Trumpets Jazz Club, 6 Depot Square, Montclair. The meeting is open to non-members for a $10 admission (which could go a long way towards paying your membership, which gets you in these events for free).

The Somerset Jazz Consortium will host a Sunday jam session at PJ's Coffee, 315 Raritan Ave. in Highland Park.

Tuesday, March 17:
Jazz jam at Rhythms of the night on South Main Steet in Manville. www.rhythmsofthenight.com/

Wednesday, March 18:
Vocalist Bill Robinson, accompanied by pianist Betty Liste, will channel Nat "King" Cole
at Shanghai Jazz.


Friday, March 20:
The Bass Boards will be playing at the St. Patrick's Day party at Mangia Bene at the Ramada Hotel on Route 202 in Flemington for 8 p.m. to midnight. For mor eon the band, visit www.myspace.com/thebassboardsbluesband, or www.bassboardsmusic.com


Saturday, March 21:
The West Windsor Arts Council Cabaret will feature a quartet with trumpeter John Henry Goldman, Doug Miller on keyboards, Tom McMillan on bass and Joe Falcey on drums and percussion --- featuring vocalist Laura McMillan -- in concert at the D&R Greenway's Johnson Education Center, off Rosedale Road in Princeton. The event is a benefit to support the renovation of the West Windsor Firehouse into a flourishing center for the arts -- tickets are $75 and can be reserved at www.westwindsorarts.org.

Trenton's Passage Theater Seventh Annual Solo Flights Festival will present "This is Ragtime," conceived and performed Terry Waldo at 8 p.m. Waldo was a student and protoge of the great Eubie Blake -- his performance will include stories of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Irving Berlin, and Eubie Blake, whose music ushered in the jazz age of the 20s. Passage Theater, Front and Montgomery streets in Trenton. For ticket or general information, visit http://www.passagetheatre.org/; email info@passagetheatre.org, or call 609-392-0766 and/or 609-392-0318. www.passagetheatre.org/

Highlights from NYC:
There's always so much happening, let's just focus on a highlight or two:
One highlight is certain to be Sunday's Prez Fest 2009 at St. Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Avenue, at 54th Street. This year's event will be celebrating Billy Strayhorn -- lectures, performances by Randy Weston and Billy Taylor, the saxophonists Billy Harper and Ron Blake, and trumpeter Jimmy Owens. Begins at 4 p.m. (check saintpeters.org for more details). A $20 donation for the church's jazz ministry is requested.

You say "Philly Sound," I hear "Stanley Clarke": Sure, I love the Spinners and the O'Jays (seriously, I do), but when I think of Philly anymore, Stanley Clarke pops to mind. Head to The Blue Note Tuesday and Wednesday if you want to dig what's he up to now.