In this stretch of late summer, some things are winding down, and others are gearing up. (Looking at you, Back to School sales.) But at least where the jazz scene is concerned, it’s a steady burn. This week brings a free concert by an NEA Jazz Master, a young star from another hemisphere, and a flagship fest for a local institution. Get out there!
Spotlight: Club Patio Jazz Day — Aug. 31, Whitemarsh Valley Event Center, Fort Washington
Club Patio, in case you’ve never heard of it, is a grassroots concert series that pianist Orrin Evans started up in the summer of 2020, when actual clubs and concert halls were still out of commission due to COVID restrictions. Originally held on the actual front patio of his home in Northwest Philly, the series — the subject of a profile by Jazz Night in America — has expanded in the years since. Next Sunday, as it did last year, it takes place at the Whitemarsh Valley Event Center in Fort Washington.
The lineup runs all afternoon and into the evening, kicking off at noon with the William Paterson University Quintet. At 1:15, saxophonist Caleb Wheeler Curtis will join drummer Vinnie Sperrazza for an exploratory duo set. At 2:30, Heart of Jazz presents The New Philly Sound 2025, with trumpeter Ace Williams, saxophonist Aiden McKeon, pianist Joe Block and drummer Mekhi Boone. At 4, the Imani Records All-Stars will go on, with an undisclosed special guest. Wrapping things up at 5:15 is Evans’ high-spirited Captain Black Big Band, which has gone three-for-three with Grammy nominations in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.
Aug. 31 at 12 p.m., Whitemarsh Valley Event Center, 493 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, $55-$110; tickets and information.
Stanley Clarke Band — Monday, Wiggins Park, Camden, NJ
It has been more than 50 years since the heralded debut by Stanley Clarke, and as an electric bassist he retains the rare ability to leave jaws on the floor. Clarke, a former prodigy from Philly, is 74; his latest band, 4EVER, consists of similarly wired musicians who could mostly pass for his grandkids, like tenor saxophonist Emilio Modeste. They’ll bring a fresh jolt to the Camden waterfront in this free show on Sunset Jazz Series.
Aug. 25 at 8 p.m., Wiggins Park, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ, free; more information.
Bokani Dyer Trio — Tuesday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
One of the most acclaimed jazz musicians to emerge from the current South African scene, Bokani Dyer has a compelling piano style rooted in churchly uplift, folkloric lyricism and deep harmonic fluency. He has lately branched out into a crossover mode with vocals, notably on his album Radio Sechaba — but on this tour he’s leading an acoustic trio with Timothy Norton on bass and Lumanyano Mzi on drums. This is a rare chance to catch him stateside.
Aug. 26 at 7:30 and 9 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $15, $70 and $90, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
Untethered — Thursday, Black Squirrel Club
This freeform collective of dauntless improvisers — spearheaded by Paul Giess on pocket trumpet and electronics and Grant Calvin Weston on drums — has a bracing live release titled Grasping for the Moon, which Bandcamp recently featured as its Album of the Day. The album was recorded this spring at the Black Squirrel Club, making this a return to the scene of the crime, with Weston and Giess joined by Matt "Honeybee" Little on keyboards and Rodrigo Pichardo on electric bass.
Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah Street, $15-$25; tickets and information.
Tenor Madness with Grant Stewart, Victor North & Aidan McKeon — Friday and Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
An intergenerational tenor saxophone front line joins the Neil Podgurski Trio for this weekend engagement, which is sure to evoke the spirit if not the style of past summits like Tough Tenors and Tenor Madness. The experienced hands on deck are Grant Stewart and Victor North, a pair of hard-bop specialists who can be trusted to infuse any bandstand with intelligence as well as fire. The up-and-comer is Aidan McKeon, who parlayed his formative training at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz into further studies at the Juilliard School.
Aug. 29 and 30 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $25, $95 and $115 on Friday, $30, $100 and $120 on Saturday, with dinner packages; purchase tickets.
