Norman Provizer Share
Earlier this week, on December 14, the jazz world marked what would have been the 10oth birthday of trumpeter Clark Terry if he had not passed away in 2015. Through his long career, Terry exhibited both musical talent and the kind of class that was hard to resist whether he stood in front of his own big band or the Tonight Show Orchestra or helping the development of young musicians on their way to fame as was the case with singer Dianne Reeves who he heard performing with her high school band during a convention performance in Chicago.
Terry invited the young Denver singer to sing with him and before too long, she was recording for Blue Note Record and picking up Grammy Awards with great regularity on her way to 2018 recognition as an NEA Jazz Master. In addition to Reeves, Terry also has ties to another Denverite, trumpeter Bob Montgomery, who played with Terry’s big band and appeared in the Terry documentary,
Back for their annual holiday Dazzle gig, this year, the Jazz Connection is celebrating the life of its leader, 89 year old Freddy Rodriguez, Sr., who passed away from Covid 19 complications in March and the club he performed at for the past 40 years, Denver’s legendary El Chapultepec which also announced it would be closing.
Join pianist and vocalist Freddy Jr., bassist Andrew Hudson and drummer Tony Black and special guests as they perform a musical holiday tribute to Freddy and the El Chapultepec. Connect with us online as we share memories, perform some of Freddy’s favorite songs and celebrate the life of this iconic Denver jazz musician.