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Jazz On Edge Volume 2

Jazz On Edge 2010 was the first Central Florida appearance of the Tiptons Sax Quartet – in fact, it was the first jazz show presented at the Garden Theatre, and the only time internationally renowned pianist Edward Simon, a resident of nearby Orange City, had performed in the Orlando area, with his family in the audience. The weekend started with a free "Fridays on the Plaza" concert with the Fellsway Trio on Feb 5, and a free preshow performance by the Lakeview Middle School Jazz Band outside the theater on Saturday.

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With a repertoire that ranges from New Orleans second-line to Jazz, Afro-Cuban to Balkan, klezmer and beyond, the Tiptons Sax Quartet & Drums create some of the wildest sounds ever to come out of a sax quartet. An all-women sax quartet (who sing!) from Seattle, New York and points Midwest, with 10 CDs under their belt, touring and playing festivals in Europe and the US for more than 15 years. Each member is a solo artist in her own right. Their dynamic, playful concerts feature high-energy interaction between artists, and a repertoire that touches on soulful music from around the world. The Tiptons are: Amy Denio, alto sax, clarinet, voice; Jessica Lurie, alto & tenor sax, voice; Sue Orfield, tenor sax, voice; Tina Richerson, baritone sax, voice; Lee Frisari, drums & percussion.

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Lovers of the tender elegance and power of jazz piano and Latin-flavored music will find all this and more in Edward Simon. Venezuelan-born, and currently living in Orange City, Simon has been quietly but profoundly making an impact for a number of years. Performing with Edward Simon: Adam Cruz, drums; Joe Martin - bass

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The “after hours” jam with critically acclaimed New York trumpeter Brian Groder brought acclaimed sax player Tamara Danielsson and pianist Per Danielsson to the stage to play with Brian and Sam Rivers' bassist Doug Mathews.

REVIEWS

  • Improvisation at the heart of Jazz On Edge

    Jazz is one of those things that's hard to define. The legendary Louis Armstrong took a shot at it, famously saying that if you had to ask what it was, "you'll never know." Not too much help there, Satch!
    "Jazz On Edge" is a concert series that is the brainchild of Orlando freelance writer, promoter and musician Joseph Hayes, who put together the inaugural show in 2008 at Taste in College Park. The follow-up is moving on Saturday to the larger Garden Theatre in the emerging business center in downtown Winter Garden. The theater will accommodate a bigger audience and also offer a setting that is conducive to listening, although Hayes is incorporating some potential audience participation in a "jazz loft" jam session that will close the evening.
    He's calling the show "International Flavors and the Sound of Sax," and the headliners are designed for jazz fans who appreciate challenging music that leans on skilled musicians equipped to solo. The latter quality is at the heart of Hayes' own definition of jazz: "The image of jazz is either of someone being in a concert to sit down and watch it, or of someone playing it as background music in some restaurant," Hayes says. "Rather than it being an act of creation in front of you, which is really the definition of jazz, isn't it?" The headliners at Saturday's show are well equipped for improvisation: Pianist Edward Simon, who will be playing with his trio, is fresh from two nights earlier this week at The Jazz Standard in New York. A sideman for the likes of trumpeter Terence Blanchard, Simon and his work have twice been honored as one of the Ten Jazz Records of the Year by The New York Times, for Edward Simon (1995) and Simplicitas (2008).
    Simon's penchant for Latin and Caribbean music is exemplified in compositions such as 2005's Venezuelan Suite, which melds jazz, chamber music and Venezuelan folk music. His performance in Orlando actually will be a homecoming, of sorts, since he lives in Orange City. Who knew? "He's been so supportive and, frankly, he wanted an opportunity to play locally," Hayes says. "There aren't many venues in town that will focus on original music, rather than covers of the same five standards while people are eating shrimp scampi."
    Also on the bill is the Tiptons Saxophone Quartet, an ensemble of four saxophones and drums that combines New Orleans' Second Line style with Balkan and gypsy influences, Bebop and Swing. The Tiptons set will be followed by a short intermission, in which tables will be moved on to the stage to create a "jazz loft" atmosphere for the closing third-set jam session led by New York trumpeter Brian Groder. "The things we're trying to accomplish with this series is, first, to have musicians play their own music," Hayes says. "Second, we want to expose people to the astounding variety of music that is still classified as jazz. "Everything is listenable and rhythmic and from the heart," he says. "I don't think there will be a lot of real 'out-there' stuff until we get to the jam, and then all bets are off." Besides, when it comes to the music, Hayes isn't hung-up on definitions. "When someone says they don't really like jazz, it's like saying they don't really like reading. It doesn't really say anything because there's so much of it."

freelance writer

As a writer on assignment, I've traveled to Italy, Scotland, England, New Orleans, California and New York City, with a specialty on all things Orlando. Whether it's a story about Arts & Crafts houses in Florida or new styles in computers, a Mounted Police squad or alien abduction insurance, I've written it. Environmental issues, music, movie and theater reviews and in-depth conversations with legends in jazz. Interviews and personality profiles are my specialty.

playwright

My plays take place on buses and in bars, in hotel rooms and government offices, farmhouse kitchens and jazz stages. 49 productions and readings of my plays from coast to coast and in three countries since 2001; creator of House Theater Project and the year-long 13in13 series of shows. "Best local playwright: Joseph Hayes" - Orlando Sentinel

food writer

Florida Magazine Association Award winning food writer and Orlando restaurant critic. James Beard Foundation judge, knowledgable champion of world cuisine and avid advocate of undiscovered chefs. I can write about the front of the house of a restaurant as well as the kitchen with equal expertise. Founding member, goFLA/SunshinePlate Central Florida.

jazz producer

Producer of the Jazz On Edge series, spotlighting new and original jazz from Central Florida since 2008, showcasing the best that Central Florida has to offer in jazz to appreciative audiences, giving creative hometown and nationally-known musicians a place to perform their own music, without boundaries, in person and online. Chair of Alternative Programming, Timucua Arts Foundation.