Local musicians take stage for an evening of jazz

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Local musicians take stage for an evening of jazz

By Jessica Gonzalez Journal Staff Writer

Friday, Feb. 13, 2015 1:19 AM

Updated: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 11:03 PM

When most of people think of cities that are havens for jazz musicians, it’s unlikely Cortez comes to mind, but local arts nonprofit Southwest Colorado Concerts aims to change that with its latest performance, An Evening of Jazz with Bob Newnam & Friends.

Mancos-based trumpeter Bob Newnam has assembled a bill of 14 musicians – largely from Montezuma County – consisting of jazz vocalists, flutists, saxophonists, pianists, guitarists and drummers, with a group of Fort Lewis College musicians serving as the rhythm section for full backing sound.

“It kind of grew really organically. I started thinking about musicians I knew in the area and liked playing with,” said Newnam on wrangling the talent for the show. “Everyone I asked said yes. Everybody’s excited. We’ve got a good venue and a great rhythm section.”

Newnam says he’s looking forward to sharing a stage with Pagosa Springs saxophonist Bob Hemenger. Hemenger, a music educator, has appeared as a guest artist with numerous national musicians including the Victor Wooten Band, Darrell Scott, the Zac Brown Band and the Dirty Dozen Band.

“He’s a lights-out terrific player. I always find it a delight to play with him,” he said.

Each musician will play a tune of their choice and is crafting the arrangement, Newnam said.

The musicians all have a preferred genre, ranging from jazz to rock to bluegrass, an all play within. But many are bringing a personal flair to the ultimate American music form, which should make the set list interesting for concertgoers.

While some will stick to the classics – Hemenger plans to play the 1939 Coleman Hawkins jazz standard “Body and Soul” on saxophone – others are reaching across genres. One musician plans a jazz rendition of the Patsy Cline country classic “Crazy.”

“Since the organization started 61 years ago, we’ve tried to bring really good music to small, out of the way communities,” said Southwest Colorado Concerts board president Joyce Stevenson. “We just want everyone to come ready for a really good time.”

The concert is Feb. 21 at the Montezuma-Cortez High School auditorium. Tickets are available at the door at 6 p.m. and are for $10 for adults. The show starts at 7 p.m.

The musicians

Bob Newnam began playing the trumpet at age 8 in school bands and graduated with a performing arts degree from Mesa College in Grand Junction. After a decade of road touring with rock, dance, and show bands, he returned to Denver to play with local groups including Clockworks as well as Solaris, which played the main stage at the Telluride Jazz Festival. Needing more open spaces, he moved to his ranchland near Mancos in 1990 and formed Durango-based groups Esprit du Coeur, R&B juggernaut Hues of Blues, and jazz quartet Actual Proof. Since moving nearer to Cortez two years ago, he has started teaching privately. He has derived much of his musical inspiration from his concurrent careers as a mountaineer and world traveler.
Lee Bartley has released six CDs nationally with the classical jazz group Images, including CDs for both MCA and Capitol Records. He has released three solo piano CDs (Adrift in Time in 2000, A View From Above in 201O, and Carried Away in 2014). A View From Above was awarded CD of the Year on Whisperings Solo Piano Radio for 2010. With the group Images, he has performed at the Riverbend Music Festival, the Catalina Jazz Festival and the West Palm Beach Jazz Festival, sharing billings with Kenny G.,Wynton Marsalis, Spyro Gyro and Ramsey Lewis. He has performed solo piano concerts with David Nevue, Liz Story, Lisa Downing, Joseph Akins, and Kathleen Ryan.
Mike Bordeman, originally from Los Angeles, has lived in Cortez for 12 years. He has recorded, toured and shared the stage with artists Spencer Davis, Greg Kihn Band and The Beach Boys. At the Cortez concert, he’ll play his modified electronic washboard.
Bob Hemenger is a Colorado-based saxophonist and educator. He has appeared as a guest artist with bands including the Victor Wooten Band, Darrell Scott, the Zac Brown Band, the Dirty Dozen Band, Band of Heathens, the Motet, Elephant Revival, and Railroad Earth. He has a master’s in education, and has been a high school teacher for the past 16 years. He has worked as an instructor at Victor Wooten’s Center for Music and Nature for eight years.
Tony Littlejohn, fed up with being a starving vacuum salesman, picked up guitar for a living. He joined forces with other college dropouts to form “Caledonia,” a popular 1970s traveling swing band. Twelve years ago, he co-founded the duo “Roscoe” and has been swingin’ the blues since.
Nate Mayfield, a member of the Tsalagi, Siksika, and Ani Yvwiya tribal nations, came to the world of music late in life. He enjoys the improvisational nature of jazz and as an incurable romantic has an affinity for love songs. Nate credits his success as a vocalist and performer to Susie Ewing, who aided him with vocal technique, along with local musicians Lee Bartley, Mary and Bob Hooped, Chad MacCluskey, Bob Newnam, Brad Tarpley and Jeff Solon.
Jack Maynes began playing music at an early age and took lessons on piano and guitar. In 2011, he graduated from Fort Lewis College with a degree in jazz studies after playing in the FLC Big Band and other ensembles. He studied classical music at Fort Lewis with Lisa Campi. He plays with numerous musicians in the Four Corners area including Jeff Solon and Durango Orquesta de Salsa. In addition to performing, He has taught private lessons at Katzin Music in Durango since 2008.
Skyler Smith has played trumpet for about 5 years. He has played in the bands Alpha Turkeys and Dude, Spencers Dead. He made it into the Colorado All State Band two years in a row, and the Colorado Western Slope Jazz Band. He has also played with the BYU Jazz Ensemble. He hopes to pursue music after graduation.
Evan Suiter, born and raised in Colorado, began his professional career at age 13. He studied music at Fort Lewis College and received his bachelor’s in music education in 2008. At FLC, he shared the stage with Wayne Bergeron, John Fedchock, and Bob Mintzer. He continued his musical exploration by attending and working on staff at Victor Wooten’s Center for Music and Nature near Nashville, where he learned from many of the center’s regular instructors including Chuck Rainey, Anthony Wellington, Steve Bailey, Adam Nitti, Jeff Coffin and Victor Wooten. He has taught privately as well as held faculty positions at Fort Lewis College and the Stillwater Foundation Music program.
Terry Wells got her first guitar with Green Stamps when she was a teen, and taught herself enough chords to play favorite folk, country, and popular songs for family and friends. She met Bob Newnam and Lee Bartley when she joined Mancos Valley Chorus, and began to sing jazz. She’s a soloist for the Mancos Chorus and performs with many of the artists on the jazz program.
Cat Hill has been singing professionally for 35 years, after receiving a degree in vocal performance from Southern Illinois University. She sang rock ’n’ roll in the 1980s, R&B in the 90s, and moved to Dove Creek in 2000, working as the K-12 music teacher for Dolores County Schools. She’s back on stage and ready to spread her wings.
Linda Gimble Baker grew up in a musical family learning to play flute with her dad’s western swing and her brother’s ’70s rock. Through her adult years, she has sat in with bands of many different genres, usually surprising the musicians with her versatile flute. She loves to improvise with musicians who are passionate about their songs.
Herb Folsom is a former member of the Bluegrass Aliens of Mancos and treasures his time performing with the late Carlton Johnson, of Hawaiian lap steel fame. He currently plays in the acoustic blues/swing duo Roscoe. Herb is a professional picture framer, who with Beth Wheeler, has owned and operated Custom Calligraphy and Frame since 1991.