After Midnight
Denver
www.aftermidnightjazzband.com
Now well into their third decade, this incredible group continues to deliver its spot-on sound of the Benny Goodman Sextet along with equally authentic renditions of Artie Shaw, Woody Herman and other greats of the Swing Era. They’ve been thrilling Evergreen audiences ever since their initial appearance in 2006, and it is always a pleasure to welcome them back.
Special Sets
Sponsored by
Sue & John Dunlop
Roger Campbell – Clarinet/Leader,
Rick Weingarten – Vibraphone/Vocals, Mike McCullough – Guitar/Vocals,
Andy Weyl – Piano,
Dwight Thompson – Bass,
Jim Moore – Drums
Friday, 7:30 PM at the Lake House - Swing Dance
Saturday, 12:15 PM at Center Stage - Clarinets! With Rich Chiaraluce and Clark Burnside!
Saturday, 5:15 PM at the Church - Vocals in Five Languages!
Sunday, 2:45 PM at the Ballroom - Music from the Movies!
Friday
5:00 Patio
7:30 Lake House
Saturday
12:15 Center Stage
2:45 Ballroom
5:15 Church
7:45 Patio
Sunday
11:00 Patio
2:45 Ballroom
Sponsored by
Dianne & Gerald Berk
Barb & Don MacDonald
Megan & Brandon Potthoff
The Carl Sonny Leyland Trio
Southern California
www.carlsonnyleyland.com
One of the most popular groups to ever perform at the Festival, this trio always has audiences cheering with its range of boogie-woogie, blues and barrelhouse.
Their repertoire goes from familiar to original to total improvisation (“Let’s just do something in G”) and frequently includes very entertaining lyrics. But how can just three musicians generate so much energy?
Sponsor them now on the support page so we find out how.
Special Sets
Carl Sonny Leyland - Piano/vocals
Marty Eggers - Bassist
Josh Collazo - Drums
Friday
6:15 Church
8:45 Lake House
Saturday
12:15 Patio
2:45 Center Stage
4:00 Ballroom
6:30 Patio
9:00 Center Stage
Sunday
12:15 Center Stage
4:00 Church
Jon-Erik Kellso and the EarRegulars
New York, New York
www.facebook.com/TheEarRegulars
Just across the Holland Tunnel and around the corner of Greenwich and Spring, sits the EAR Inn since 1817. Jon- Erik Kellso, Scott Robinson and "TBA badasses" carry on as the regular band. They've agreed to save us the trip and bring their band to Evergreen. Expect the same performances filled with the joy of riffing and improvisation of traditional jazz the the big city folks have enjoyed for many years.
Sponsored by
Special Sets
Jon- Erik Kellso- Horn
Scott Robinson - Saxophones
Sam Rocha - Bass
Chris Dawson - Piano
Friday
3:45 Patio
7:30 Ballroom
Saturday
1:30 Ballroom
4:00 Church
Sunday
11:00 Center Stage
12:15 Patio
Sponsored by
Jeannie Mann
Sponsored by
Andy Scheer
Floyd Domino - Piano/Leader
Elana James - Vocals + Fiddle
Danny Levin - Fiddle
Dave Leroy Biller - Steel Guitar
Jamey Cummins - Guitar
Ryan Gould - Double Bass
Hal Smith - Drums
Special Sets
Floyd Domino's Western Swing All Stars featuring Elana James
Austin, TX
floyddomino.com
Floyd Domino, piano/leader ... Two-time Grammy Award Winner; studied with Bob Wills' original "piano pounder" Al Stricklin; original member of Asleep At The Wheel; played with Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Strait and the latter-day version of the Texas Playboys.
Elana James, vocals + fiddalin... Elana keeps busy at home and playing regular with our old friend Whit Smith (Whit Smith's Jazz Caravan) in The Hot Club Of Cowtown. I'm sure they've lit a few strings on fire with fastest guitar fiddle pairing legal within the Austin town limits. She has several albums with other bands and two of her own songs. Saddle soap your boots so you don't alight the parquet.
Danny Levin, fiddle ... Also a Grammy Award Winner and longtime band member of Asleep At The Wheel; multi-instrumentalist who has recorded with Glen Campbell, Johnny Gimble, Bill Kirchen, Junior Brown and Dale Watson.
Dave Leroy Biller, Steel Guitar has played with Ray Price, James Burton and David Grissom and is currently with Bob Wills' Texas Playboys, under the direction of Jason Roberts.
Jamey Cummins, guitar ... Heavily involved in the Austin, Texas jazz and swing community with bands including Rent Party, City Hands, the Relevators, Austin Django Project, Vintage Ties Quartet, Golden Hour Orchestra/Heptet and others.
Ryan Gould, string bass ... Another mover and shaker in Austin, performing Western Swing with the Quilted Southerners plus jazz and swing with the Golden Hour Orchestra/Heptet; Austin Django Project; the Relevators, Texas Moaners and more.
Hal Smith, drums ... Though he is best known as a traditional jazz drummer, Hal has played Western Swing with the Jason Roberts Band, Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition and Dave Stuckey's Hi-Lo Playboys.
Friday
6:15 Ballroom
8:45 Patio
Saturday
1:30 Center Stage
5:15 Patio
Sunday
1:30 Church
4:00 Ballroom
Sponsored by
Wendy Potthoff
The Hot Tomatoes Dance Orchestra
Denver
www.hottomatoes.com
OK, dancers, hit the floor! One of the top swing bands anywhere is back this year with their authentic re-creations of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and other greats of the Swing Era. Formed in 1982, the band has always consisted of top musicians, many having performed with such big names as Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Harry “Sweets” Edison and many others. If you’re not dancing or toe-tapping, you’d better check your pulse!
Special Sets
Kevin Bollinger - Band Leader, Trumpet, Vocals
Rich Chiaraluce - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute
Ward Durrett - Drums, Percussion
Joe Lopez - Bass
Rich Maul - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet
Doug Roche - Piano
Charlie Smith - Trumpet, Vocals
Jeremy Wendelin - Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute
Dave Wiske - Trombone, Vocals
Saturday
5:15 Ballroom
7:45 Ballroom
Sunday
12:15 Ballroom
5:15 Ballroom
Sponsored by
Elizabeth Buckner &
Michael Watson
Special Sets
Le Jazz Hot
San Fransisco, California
The Quartet/Trio of the Hot Club of San Francisco is an ensemble of accomplished and versatile musicians celebrating the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s pioneering Hot Club de France.
The ensemble borrows the all-string instrumentation of violin, bass and guitars from the original Hot Club, but breathes new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the group’s superb lead guitarist Paul Mehling.
Hearing the ensemble live, or on any of their eleven albums, carries the listener back to the 1930’s and to the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris or the refined lounges of the famous Hotel Ritz.
Often called gypsy jazz, the music of Le Jazz Hot has entranced audiences around the globe for over 30 years.
Critics have hailed the group’s playing as “intricate, scorching and often brilliant…” Guitar. From festivals in Mexico and France to concert halls across North America, Le Jazz Hot keeps this historic music fresh and alive.
Paul Mehling - Guitar
Nelsen Hutchison - Guitar
Cullen Luper - Violin
Dexter Williams - Bass
Sam Rocha - Bass (Friday)
Friday
5:00 Church
10:00 Lake House
Saturday
12:15 Church
4:00 Patio
Sunday
12:15 Church
4:00 Patio
Sponsored by
Wild Enterprises
The Poudre River Irregulars
Fort Collins, Colorado
https://www.prijb.com/
The Rable Rousing Rascals are back! Fresh from engagements martial and merry the motley assemblage of the men who heard the call will gather to recall the notes of "True Trad Jazz". Festival patrons will recall the fun of many past visits with the group that leaves it all on the stage. Kellogg, Lagerberg, Smith, Burnside, Leake, Thomas, DeZoto, Sparks, Bollinger, and Dale will gang up to deliver another year of expert testimony to the vitality of traditional jazz in our time. If you can't wait, check their tunes at Avogado's Number 605 S. Mason, Ft. Collins the first Friday of every month.
Special Sets
Charlie Smith - Trumpet
Kevin Bollinger - Trumpet
Larry Lagerberg - Trumpet
Clark Burnside - clarinet and soprano sax
Len Kellogg - Trombone
Ray Leake - piano
Alan Sparks - Bass
Rory Thomas - banjo
Oscar Dezoto - drums
Friday
5:00 Ballroom
7:30 Patio
Saturday
11:00 Patio
2:45 Church
5:15 Center Stage
7:45 Church
Sunday
11:00 Church
2:45 Church
Sponsored by
Barb & Don MacDonald
Jan & Dan Ostrom
The Rocky Mountain Rascals
Colorado Springs Colorado, Nashville Tennessee, California, and North Carolina
You loved them. You demanded them back!
It's a joy to see when musicians seem to mesh seamlessly and have a great time performing amazing traditional jazz. That's how this group met at another festival and decided to spend the weekend sharing the fun with us.
Festival goers will know Danny Coots drum licks from many Evergreen Jazz Festivals. He'll be playing with Festival veteran Chris Calabrese on piano and Dan Hitchcock on Sax. Sam Rocha, the busiest bassist at the Festival evens out the Quartet.
The vibes will be excellent.
Special Sets
Chris Calabrese - piano/ Leader
Dan Hitchcock - clarinet and sax
Danny Coots - drums
Sam Rocha - Bass
Friday
6:15 Patio
8:45 Ballroom
Saturday
11:00 Ballroom
2:45 Patio
9:00 Patio
Sunday
1:30 Ballroom
2:45 Patio
Special Sets
Sponsored by
The Great Scott Quartet
Denver, Colorado
Newcomers to the Festival family, The Great Scott Quartet is local to Denver and includes our old friend and volunteer Clint Dadian and our new friend Scott Grove.
Scott begain with piano before he could walk. Story is that his first step was to the piano. After a career playing with some of the biggest names in Jazz, he's settled down in Denver and we're glad he did.
Clint started back east receiving his BA in jazz performance from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, he traveled west receiving a Masters Degree in Jazz Composition with an emphasis on Big Band arranging from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. He currently teaches at the Evergreen Conservatory of Music and has served on faculty at Aurora Community College as well as Long Island University, Greenwich House Music School and the Village Community School in New York City.
You may have seen them playing around town at Dazzle, Nocturne, and other outlets.
They'll be bringing their friends Jill Frederickson, and a new bassist to entertain us at the all the venues. More as it becomes available.
Scott Grove - Piano
Clint Dadian - Guitar
Jill Frederickson - Drums
Bill McCrossen - Bass
Friday
2:30 Patio
7:30 Church
Saturday
1:30 Church
9:00 Ballroom
Sunday
11:00 Ballroom
2:45 Center Stage
Sponsored by
Betsy & Mike Slager
Sponsored by
Don and Marty Unger
Jim White, in memory of Anne White
The Queen City Jazz Band with Wende Harston
Denver
www.queencityjazzband.com
This local treasure has been thrilling audiences on both sides of the Atlantic for well over 60 years. Their big New Orleans sound was born in a smoky Lakewood roadhouse in 1958, and the band has grown to become one of the premier groups anywhere. Wende Harston is regarded as one of today’s standout jazz vocalists, reminding many of a modern-day Bessie Smith. Their Sunday gospel service is not to be missed.
Sponsor them now on the support page to bring on the band.
Get out to hear them https://queencityjazzband.com/schedule
Kevin Bollinger - trumpet
Jeremy Wendelin - clarinet/saxophone
Eric Staffeldt - trombone
Hank Troy - piano
Bill Clark - tuba
Wende Harston - vocals
Rory Thomas - banjo
Tony Pantelis - drums
Friday
3:45 Ballroom
8:45 Church
Saturday
12:15 Ballroom
1:30 Patio
4:00 Center Stage
6:30 Church
Sunday
9:00 Church
1:30 Patio
Sponsored by
Lynley Bernal
Baseline Solutions
Double 88s
Carl Sonny Leyland, Floyd Domino, Chris Calabrese
In addition to the great bands appearing this year, the Festival will present several sets of paired pianos featuring the three mega-talents listed above. Each will play at least once with each of the other two in what will likely be some of the most memorable sets of the entire weekend. Three superb musicians and two grand pianos in the acoustically marvelous Center Stage. This is going to be special!
Saturday
2:45 Center Stage Domino & Leyland
7:45 Center Stage Calabrese & Domino
Sunday
12:15 Center Stage Calabrese & Leyland
Evergreen Jazz Festival Footwarmers
The Festival's special set is the annual collection of gamin we affectionately refer to as The Footwarmers.
The completely unrehearsed display of skill and daring of true musicianship
will delight the senses.
Curated by our own Music Director, Ed Danielson, from among the stellar talents performing at this years Festival.
Embodying the ephemeral spirit of jazz it will happen once in this lifetime.
Sponsored by
Nancy Brunne
Jan & Dan Ostrom
The 2026 Evergreen Jazz Festival Footwarmers
Oscar DeZoto, drums - Poudre River Irregulars
Scott Grove, piano - Great Scott Quartet
Len Kellogg, trombone - Poudre River Irregulars
Jon-Erik Kellso, trumpet - EARregulars
Paul Mehling, guitar - Le Jazz Hot
Scott Robinson, reeds - EARregulars
Alan Sparks, bass - Poudre River Irregulars