Jazz Police - Valves meet Slide: the Brad Bellows/Dave Graf Quintet Returns to the Artists' Quarter in St Paul

Jazz Police

Home

Twin Cities, MN

Twin Cities Musicians, Venues, Reviews and Calendar

Calendar

Valves meet Slide: the Brad Bellows/Dave Graf Quintet Returns to the Artists' Quarter in St Paul

Main Menu

Free and Cheap Jazz in the Twin Cities

Twin Cities Musicians, Venues, Reviews and Calendar

Best Hotel Rates, Twin Cities

Follow Jazz Police on Twitter

Like the Jazz Police on Facebook

Thursday, 17 May 2012

Valves meet Slide: the Brad Bellows/Dave Graf Quintet Returns to the Artists' Quarter in St Paul

Written by Don Berryman

Monday, 01 February 2010

"When people want music performed the way it should sound, they go to Dave [Graf]." Trumpeter David Jensen on MPR

Dave Graf and Brad Bellows © Don Berryman

On Wednesday, February 3rd, Twin Cities top slide trombonist Dave Graf and top valve trombonist Brad Bellows will combine forces once again at the Artists' Quarter in Saint Paul for an exciting evening of duelling trombone action. Dave and Brad will be joined by an solid rhythm section including Mikkel Romstad on piano, Chris Bates on bass, Mac Santiago on drums. Bellows and Graf have been enchanting audiences since they first formed the quintet in 2007 and in the handful of performances since. This highly anticipated return promises to be another night of stellar music, if their previous encounters are any indication. The Artists' Quarter is an intimate and cosy listening room and the cover of only $5 makes this a great bargain too. Don't miss this chance to let the warmth of this music melt the winter blues away.

The valve and slide trombones are closely related, but different animals. The slide provides the trombone's signature pitch-bending ability, but the valve version gives the trombone more agility, providing for more rapid transition between notes. While the slide trombone is by far the most prevalent, the valve trombone has been featured in jazz performance and recordings by such notable musicians as West-coast bebopper extraordinaire, Bob Brookmeyer, and Juan Tizol of the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Valve trombonist and band leader, Brad Bellows was trained at the Berklee School of Music in Boston and has been a professional musician for over 30 years. He is probably best best known as the founder and leader of Locally Damaging Winds, the Midwest's preeminent jazz trombone ensemble which brings together the finest trombone talent to perform original arrangements. Brad had a friendship and musical association with bthe late ebop legend Eddie Berger spanning decades. Brad also plays euphonium and released a CD playing it in a duo with guitarist Dean Granros called Bear's Delight.

Dave Graf is one of the most versatile and talented trombonists in the Twin Cities. Dave has worked in a wide range of musical settings: Dixieland, straight ahead jazz, salsa and Brazilian music, big bands, pit orchestras and recordings. He has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Jack McDuff, the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band, and the Woody Herman Orchestra. He has appeared on Prairie Home Companion and with the St. Paul Ragtime Orchestra, Mandala, and the Steve Wright Big Band. Dave had an eleven-year association with the late trumpeter Red Wolfe in his Port of Dixie Jazz Band and Ellington Echoes (now led by Percy Hughes). Dave also performs with the Latin ensemble Salsa Del Soul. In 2005 he released his debut recording as a leader, Just Like That on Artegra records [Click here for a Jazz Police review ].

The Artists Quarter is located in the basement of the historic Hamm Building at 408 St Peter Street in downtown St Paul. Call 651-292-1359 or visit artistsquarter.com for more information.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

Full Month View

Today's top ten jazz downloads

JP Archive

Add Jazz Police button to your google toolbar