[JPL] Q&A with jazz89 KUVO's Carlos Lando

[Arturo]

Jazz Man: A Q&A with jazz89 KUVO's Carlos Lando

As program director for the Mile High City’s premier jazz radio station,
Jazz89 KUVO (89.3 on the FM dial), Carlos Lando is extremely well-versed in
the past, present and future of jazz in Denver. Carlos has over 30 years of
experience in radio, starting out on the Armed Forces Caribbean Network in
Puerto Rico, followed by DJ stints in New York City and elsewhere. Over the
years he interviewed greats like Count Basie, Dexter Gordon, Betty Carter
and many others. Denver.org chatted with Carlos about the swinging jazz
scene in the city.

Denver.org: Why is Denver a great city for jazz lovers?

Carlos Lando: I think it’s a great city for this kind of music because of
all the jazz lovers. There’s such a wide variety of jazz lovers. You’ve got
young people hearing jazz in other kinds of music, whether it’s hip hop or
electronic or rock, and then you’ve got other people coming to it from a
more classic perspective. And it’s great too, because there’s such a good
mix of places where people can hear the music and participate in the scene.

Denver.org: How far back does jazz history go in Denver?

CL: It goes a ways back – although there are stories of Denver not being
quite ready for jazz at a certain point. Benny Goodman played at Elitch’s
way back in the 30s and he was basically told: “You guys can stop anytime.”
[laughs] So the city might not have been ready just yet. But in the late
‘30s and early ‘40s was when things really took off, when the Count Basie
Band, the Jay McShann Band and other big bands from Kansas City and Texas
started coming to Five Points on a regular basis. That was when the
Rossonian was cooking, and you had the Rainbow Lounge and Lil’s – that was
where bebop and hard bop really started taking off in Denver. In the '50s,
Five Points started getting more of an R& B flavor, with Louis Jordan and
Charlie Brown and those cats. It was an amazing scene, no doubt. And Denver
had its own great musicians. For this year’s Five Points Jazz Festival, we’
re paying tribute to George Morrison Sr., who wrote music and arrangements
for Fletcher Henderson back in the day, and formed the Professional Union of
Negro Musicians way back when.

Denver.org: What are some of the best clubs in the city for live jazz?

CL: First of all, I really love Dazzle, because it really delivers a good
mesh of music. They’ve got big bands, national acts, young musicians, they’
ve got it all. Everyone there just lives and breathes jazz. For classic
jazz, you should head out to Chapultepec II – the local acts who play there
regularly just can’t be beat. You can see Pat Bianchi, Ken Walker & the
Sextet, Convergence, Hugh Ragin. Those guys are local musicians who are
making great music every time they step onstage.

Denver.org: Who are some of the best local jazz musicians?

CL: You can see Pat Bianchi, Ken Walker & the Sextet, Convergence, Hugh
Ragin – all those guys [are] making amazing music every time they step
onstage. And we’re really fortunate in that we have three or four great big
bands – there’s the 9th & Lincoln Orchestra, the Denver Jazz Orchestra and
Ultraphonic. And just recently, there’s Chie Imaizumi. She’s a young
Japanese woman who recently moved out here who’s writing all original music
with incredible big band orchestration. And then of course, we’ve got Dianne
Reeves, who’s pretty much at the pinnacle of what a great jazz vocalist can
be.

Denver.org: What are some of the best music festivals in Denver that
showcase Jazz?

CL: JazzFest Denver, which takes place every March is really cool. And Five
Points Jazz is always fantastic. We’ve always got a great lineup and great
activities. And then in the summer, City Park Jazz is a great way for people
to be exposed to the jazz scene here. It’s free; it’s outdoors in a
beautiful spot. It’s a perfect way to spend your evening.


Five Points Jazz!

Jazz runs deep in Denver. Want proof? In the archives of the Denver Public
library, there’s a photograph taken sometime between 1890 and 1900 depicting
a group of nattily attired African Americans assembled on the balcony of the
city’s long-gone Empress Theater. They’re holding trumpets, clarinets,
trombones and drums. We may not know exactly what these musicians sounded
like – and the word “jazz” wouldn’t have been used to describe them yet –
but it’s probably safe to say that this band played an early version of the
music that has come to be one of the U.S.A.’s greatest cultural
contributions.

Any exploration of the Mile High City’s jazz legacy has to begin in Five
Points, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Denver, a place where you can
feel the history at every turn. Founded in the 1860s, Five Points was one of
the city’s first residential suburbs and accordingly still features some of
Denver’s oldest homes and storefronts. Over the years, it developed into a
thriving commercial district, earning the nickname “Harlem of the West,” not
only for its primarily African American populace, but also the amazing live
jazz that occurred on a nightly basis at the neighborhood’s dozens of clubs
speakeasies and theaters. Pretty much every great jazz musician of the big
band and bebop years made frequent stops here – including Duke Ellington,
Lionel Hampton, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and countless others. Many of
them stayed at the Rossonian Hotel, which still stands today at 27th and
Welton Streets. The vibe of the times was summed up by legendary Five Points
DJ Leroy Smith’s tagline: “Cool, Crazy & Hot!” Five Points is also where the
famously jazz-loving beat poets and writers like Jack Kerouac and Neal
Cassady came looking for hot sounds.

Today those hot Five Points sounds continue to be heard at the annual Five
Points Jazz Festival, a free celebration of this vital part of Denver’s
history. This year’s festival takes place on May 17th at numerous venues
along Welton Street. Denver’s finest jazz musicians will be performing,
along with talks and tributes from jazz experts and historians, children’s
activities, food, drink and much more. It’s an old school Five Points block
party that shouldn’t be missed.


The festival kicks off at 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning at the KUVO Jazz 89.3
FM studio at 2900 Welton St. for an on-air performance by the swinging Hugh
Ragin Ensemble – come by and join the studio audience! Then, the fun moves
outside to the KUVO outdoor stage on 29th and Welton, where the Denver
Municipal Jazz Band, the Hot Tomatoes Swing Band, the Buckner Funken Jazz
Band and the Sammy Mayfield Blues Review will hold court all afternoon.
Meanwhile, over at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library on
2401 Welton St., you can dig the sounds from the Dale Bruning Quintet and
the much loved, long-running Queen City Jazz Band. And at the Crossroads
Theater at 2550 Washington St. (the corner of 26th & Welton), the Future
Jazz Project will play, along with an encore performance from the Hugh Ragin
Ensemble. Finally, at the Blackberries Ice Cream & Coffee Lounge, (710 E.
26th St.), Dr. Tone & the Notes and the Wendy Fopeano Group will be jamming
the afternoon away. Check here for times and further information! 5 Points
Jazz is easily accessible by RTD light rail D-line, with a stop at 25th &
Welton. The 5 Points Jazz Committee encourages use of public transportation
to get to the event. Parking is also available in several lots along Welton.

MORE MILE HIGH JAZZ

After you’ve checked out all the Five Points Jazz Festival has to offer,
explore the wide array of jazz-centric venues in Denver. The legendary El
Chapultepec Club boasts two locations, one in Lower Downtown (LoDo) and one
in the Highlands. This place has been hosting phenomenal talent since 1951,
so they know jazz backwards and forwards. Downtown Denver’s got a host of
jazz hotspots: Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge is a laid back live music venue
with great jazz, great food and a great vibe; Jazz At Jack’s is an intimate
venue that features local and national talent performing contemporary and
mainstream jazz, latin and even the blues; Trios Enoteca offers an extensive
wine list and live music from local musicians every night of the week; and
the Apaloosa Grill on the 16th Street Mall also has nightly live music. Keep
an eye out for performance from the Denver Jazz Quartet, one of the most
in-demand jazz combos in town. And during the summer, head to City Park’s
pavilion for the always fun and free City Park Jazz concerts, every Sunday
evening.