Remember: Bad Ass Jazz, every Monday night!

One of my favorite things to do in Dallas is to stop into the Amsterdam Bar for the Bad Ass Jazz on Monday nights. There's no cover for this weekly event, but it draws a large crowd and features key players in the Dallas jazz scene. The band is slightly different every week, but is based around the members of The Shelley Carrol quartet. The lineup can be anything from a trio up to a quintet (and occasionally a sextet). Some of the musicians I've seen at the Amsterdam recently include:

Shelley Carrol - Tenor Saxophone
Brad Leali - Alto Saxophone
Gary Granger - Drums
Jonathan Fisher - Bass
Scott Bucklin - Piano
Jay Jennings - Trumpet
Andrew Griffith - Drums

The Amsterdam is also a great place to go for a cold beer.

Blue Petal and Don Cento, Saturday August 8th!

Blue Petal is a Dallas, Texas band with a powerful melodic folk rock sound. The band is fronted by Russian-born lead singer, Manya Repnikova, who plays as well as writes songs on the guitar. Though their music is quite energetic, it can quickly turn dark yet beautiful on songs like "Host" and "Turning it Around." Peter Anderson also plays guitar, keyboard, and writes songs for the band, while Bryan Butler taps into his native Texan roots for some authentically southern finger picking and harmonica playing. All mixed together you have a real recipe for music here.

Don Cento can play the guitar, and he does. Whether it’s a green solid body one, a yellow masonite one with lipstick pickups, a Bakelite one that sits in his lap while being slid on, a baritone one like Glen Campbell’s solo in “Galveston,” he has no natural enemies in the guitar family. Originally from Mark Twain country, where Missouri loves company, he came to study at UNT some seasons back; when the train pulled out after graduation, he missed it. Don is the first guitarist to join the LJM experience, and he brings an erudite versatility and unerring musical decency to the table.

Come early to ensure you get a good seat.