Jazz Haven Will Be Jazz Heaven

More free jazz in Connecticut! For the next two Saturdays – August 14 and August 21 – the historic Downtown Green in New Haven, in the shadows of Yale University, will play host to some outstanding music and musicians. It’s two wonderful days at what they are calling “Jazz Haven”.   On Saturday August 14, jazz fans will be able to put down a blanket and enjoy the Neighborhood Music School Jazz Youth Orchestra, and then Noah Berman’s “Know Thyself Suite” with trumpeter Wayne Escoffery (remember my interview with him? No? Click here. ) The Afro-Peruvian Jazz Showcase, Winard Harper Sextet and Bobby Watson Quartet finish off in the evening.   Watson should be particularly interesting to see, as he is releasing a CD in September called The Gates BBQ Suite, an extended large ensemble work he first premiered at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2008.  Want a sneak preview? Click here to listen to "Beef On Bun". Sounds lip smacking good to me. The next Saturday it’s the Artist Collective Jackie McLean Youth Jazz Orchestra kicking things off, followed by Joe Morris (with ace pianist Matthew Shipp as a sideman), trombone master Steve Davis with Larry Willis sitting in, and then two acts with a Latin Beat – Claudia Acuna’s Quartet and Robby Ameen’s Sextet.