CoCo and Co.'s singer, Marion "CoCo" Coleman, will celebrate her birthday in style this year with a video shoot at the band's July 31 performance at Rosa Rosa Ristorante Italiano, 398 Harrisburg Ave., from 9:30 p.m. to midnight. Helping her celebrate will be friends and fellow musicians, including guest appearances by saxophonist Jerry Swalla and New Jersey drummer George Johnson, last heard locally at the Divas of Jazz charity gig at Rosa Rosa.
Tonight at Rosa Rosa, it's 3rd Power performing from 9:30 to midnight. Blue Light Special will perform Saturday and the Reese Project appears July 30.
nIs this the year of the saxophonist in the Red Rose jazz neighborhood? Tim Warfield and his newest CD, "In a Sentimental Mood," was recently thrust into the national consciousness with a New York Times review, complete with photo of Warfield on his CD cover.
Ben Ratliff, the Times former numero uno jazz critic and tastemaker, who once called the 44-year-old York saxophonist the best tenor man of his generation, gave the new recording of all standards and mostly ballads a guardedly favorable review. Ratliff saved his most direct language to praise Warfield's 20-year off-and-on musical partnership with the CD's trumpeter, Terell Stafford.
Lancaster saxophonist Dave Wilson's new CD, "Spiral", has gotten play on 30 radio stations in its fourth week of release, and landed at No. 54 on the chart of the radio-based Jazz Weekly. Wilson also reports that a second and relatively new ratings service, the Roots Music Report Chart, lists his CD No. 41 out of 50 in radio play. Warfield's "In a Sentimental Mood" peaked at No. 4 and is now No. 5 on the new listing.
Local station WRTI 90.7 FM ranks "Spiral" at No. 8 on its chart. Listeners can tune in tonight at 6:45 for a live interview with Wilson and DJ Jeff Duperon.
nThis Sunday's free concert at Long's Park brings Sammy Figueroa's Latin Jazz Explosion to the bandshell. Grammy winner in 2005 for "And Sammy Walked In" and 2007 for "The Magician," percussionist Figueroa's musical resume includes a half-dozen first-ballot music hall-of-famers, including mainstream jazz men Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, and Chet Baker, as well as pop crooners Roberta Flack and Luther Vandross. Local radio personality Adrian Garcia, host of the Latin Jazz Crossover show on WLCH 91.3 FM, says that the Long's Park crowd should expect fusion, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and personality plus at Sunday's show.
nOne of Lancaster's favorite bands, D.C. & Co., welcomes back trumpeter and New Orleans transplant Eric Ensminger for a guest appearance at what looks to be a great upcoming afternoon of music Aug. 1 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Marion Court Room, 7 East Marion St. D.C. & Co. will open for Big Sam's Funky Nation, a band seen and heard on HBO's "Treme." Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
nPianist Keith Jarrett's newest addition to his tractor-trailer load of recordings is called "Jasmine," a program of duets with bassist Charlie Haden. "Jasmine," recorded at Jarrett's home, like 1998's "The Melody at Night, With You," is one of the star instrumentalist's occasional breaks from the high gloss and drama of his standards trio, the dominant jazz band of the last 25 years. Jarrett and Haden give eight tunes a straight parlor-room reading, and the extensive liner notes by Jarrett give the straight story of a once headstrong and famously difficult artist who has mellowed considerably.
nSaturday Night Jazz at the Mount Gretna Playhouse will feature the New Black Eagle Jazz Band for the thirty-fourth straight year Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22-$29. The early jazz-era outfit will also perform a free Sunday morning jazz workshop service with the Rev. John Overman.
Also at Mount Gretna:
Aug. 14 -- vocalist Hilary Kole performs with the Dominick Farinacci Quintet at 8 p.m., $16-$28.
Sept. 14 -- the Harry James Orchestra plus singer Barbara Rosene, 8 p.m., $26-$33.
nGoing out on the town? Here's the lineup at Crazy Shirley's Lounge at the Belvedere Inn, 402 N. Queen St. Performances run from 7 to 11 p.m.
Tonight -- Tom Witmer Trio.
Saturday -- Sonia V. Trio.
July 30 -- Ryan Kaufman Trio.
July 31 -- Dave Wilson Trio.