Friendly Experiencers,
The response to last week’s Trading Fours post was so positive that I’ll make it a weekly feature on Thursdays. Think of it as your planning guide to a weekend of music and good times.
The Rumble, Thursday, August 3 , 8 p.m., Beachland Ballroom
Fat Tuesday may be six months in the future, but it’s never too early to get your second line strut on, especially when New Orleans funk krewe The Rumble rolls into the Beachland Ballroom. Led by Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux, Jr. of the Golden Eagles (son of Big Chief Monk), this seven-man party machine has the pedigree to turn Collinwood into the Quarter, if only for a night. Crazy Marvin & the Blues Express opens.
Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu, Saturday, August 5, Shiloh Baptist Church
He’s from Pittsburgh, she’s from Taiwan. She plays vibes, he plays electric bass. Together Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu play head-nodding, foot-patting, people pleasing jazz, as you can hear on their 2023 recording Connected. The musical couple connected with a good cause for a concert Saturday to benefit the Shiloh Restoration Project at the historic, 174-year-old congregation in Central.
Tony Leonardi Legacy Alumni Reunion Tribute Concert, Saturday, August 5, YSU Ford Theater, Youngstown
Few northeast Ohio jazz educators have been as influential and beloved as longtime Youngstown State University director of jazz studies Tony Leonardi. For proof, you need only to examine the list of his students who traveled thousands of miles to participate in the two reunion concerts that honored his memory. A third is scheduled for Saturday and you can expect the roster of participating musicians to be just as impressive.
Ronell Regis, Sunday, August 6, 4 p.m., Mustill Store Museum, Akron
It’s tempting to describe Ronell Regis as one of the region’s up-and-coming musicians, but that sells the saxophonist short. Fact is, the native New Yorker by way of Atlanta has already arrived. His fiery playing, brightened by the rhythms and melodies of his Grenadian ancestors, makes fast friends. Lately the Kent State graduate has found a musical home in Akron, and that’s where he’ll be for a Sunday afternoon Jazz on the Trail concert presented by the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival.
NOTE: This article was written by John Chacona, a real human being. No artificial intelligence or generative language models were used in its creation.
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