I’m breaking one of my own rules with this post. I’m focusing my music calendar, which can be seen in its entirety here, on exceptional or promising gigs by touring acts — the go-and-hear-this-group-if-you-want-a-better-music-scene acts. All very subjective, of course.
And on Thursday evening 7/21, there’s just such a show at The Wormhole, when Dare Dukes opens for Dave Dondero in a gig scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.
Thursday night also offers a local trio playing a free (donations welcome!), all-ages jazz show at The Sentient Bean. It’s especially notable because Brendan Polk — a 2009 Savannah Arts Academy graduate now studying music at Florida State — will be on piano. I can’t even begin to say how impressed I’ve been with Brendan’s playing — and professionalism — in the past. I even hired him to play a couple of parties when he was in high school, including one for the grand reopening of the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home that included special guests (and major O’Connor Home supporters) Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer. Brendan’s high school graduation recital at Wesley Monumental attracted a great crowd and an impressive list of local talent who came to play.
Since he’s been away at college, Brendan’s gigs around town have been pretty rare. But on Thursday he’ll be joined by Robin Sherman on bass — an up and coming talent who has experience with a number of different bands and different genres, and Ryan Burd — a Hilton Head based drummer currently pursuing a Masters in percussion with a minor in jazz studies at the acclaimed program at the University of North Texas. Sherman has been studying at AASU but is transferring to Florida State. There’s more about the gig and the performers on The Sentient Bean website.
Together, Polk, Sherman, and Burd comprise Transcendental Swing.
Brendan told me that the first set will be devoted to both original compositions and new arrangements of standards, while the second set will be more of a jam session with other musicians coming to the stage.
This is one gig that I hope jazz lovers — and music lovers in general — will get out and support.
There should be more about this in Do in the SMN on Thursday — I’ll post the link when it’s up. And here’s that link.