Solstice Time

Sunday night time stood still, the longest night has passed. Today will be a minute longer than yesterday, Winter has begun! Half of the longest nights still lie ahead.  Somehow the social bustle of holidays is balanced by the inward turning of hibernation, contemplation and recharging for a new year. It has been eventful and enlightening, and there is every reason to expect more adventure in the year to come.

Currently, variety and surprise rules:

Thu   Dec 24 7:00p	Divine Science Church Denver, CO	Michael Stanwood, Virginia Anderson            Christmas Eve music service
Show Details: Christmas Eve music service [hide]
Wed Dec 30 9:30p	Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge Denver, CO	With Jeff Jenkins Age Limit: 21+   No cover Jeff Jenkins' Piano Conversations
Show Details: Jeff Jenkins' Piano Conversations Series [hide]
Thu Dec 31 9:00p	Snowmass Village Snowmass, CO	Daniel Sadowski Org.

The Christmas Eve service at Divine Science Church has become a tradition for Michael and me, a rich variety of music is always the feature of the evening. I am honored to join Jeff Jenkins on his Wed night Conversation series, following the likes of Greg Gisbert and Kailin Yong. And a lovely blast from the past, Dan Sadowsky (Ophelia Swing, Pastor Mustard) has lured me to Snowmass for New Years eve.

Keep in mind the offerings from Dexofon Records for holiday giving and general good cheer! With 3 CDs collaborated together with Thiago de Mello, another recorded in Brazil and the recently remastered When Im Gone by our band the Forbears - Judy Roderick with special guest Dr John (4 stars in Downbeat Magazine) there is significant variety. If you are local, I will accomodate your Santa act, meet up with you, or whatever it takes. There are also a few CDs in local stores. In fact, Judy's CD is on the listening station in Bart's. Stop by there and give it a spin, even if you already have one! And need I mention iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Black & Read, Wax Trax, Albums on the Hill. All the above, and more, are also available (best of all) at www.dexofon.com 

Wishing you the best Christmas season,
Dexter

Its All Relative

 All relatives? For the lucky ones, anyway!

Lucky is all in how you look at it. As a friend pointed out, now when the sun shines and the temperature gets up to 32º F we feel tropical, very lucky indeed. A few days ago, 32º was a miserable prospect, sunshine or not.

I am lucky, indeed! Another week with a bunch of really great musicians!

Important:
Thanks to all who came to the St Julien Hotel this week, you totally made my day! Nights like that really bolster our good standing with the management. For those who were not there, we were joined by Carl Dixon, exceptional percussionist who directs Bateria Alegria.
Dexter Payne Quartet is back Tues, Dec 15,  a critical one, not only for us, but for the future of Tuesday music at St Julien's in general. Keep the free music venue we have here in Boulder alive! Now we need all the good vibrations we can get.

If you weren't able to make it last night, COME ON TUES, Dec 15!

DP Quartet will be there only once in Jan, so now IS the time!

 Dexter's Schedule:

SUN  Dec 13  5-8pm   with Joao Junqueira
Blending Cellar, 946 W Pearl, Boulder, CO

Joao has a Brasilian style all his own (ask one of his loyal fans)
and beautiful originals.


TUE   Dec 15  noon  Kailin Yong Peace Project
Canyon Theater Boulder Public Library, 1001 Canyon

Kailin, Jeff Jenkins, Andy Skellinger, Charles Parker, Dexter.


TUE  Dec 15  6:30-9:30  Dexter Payne Quartet
St Julien Hotel Walnut & 9th, Bldr

with Bill Kopper, Francisco Marques, Raoul Rossiter

All the best for your week... you lucky so-and-so!

Dexter

Kailin Yong Peace Project [hide] Tue Dec 15 6:30-9:30 St Julien Hotel - Boulder, CO DP Quartet: Bill Kopper, Francisco Marques, Raoul Rossiter  Choro, samba, bossa, baiao. Holiday CD special: 1st CD $15, more for $10 ea.

Thursday is the day

Cold weather. Short days. Stay home and shiver, reflect on a year that sailed by, wait for relief? Too much pressure, shopping and partying? Makin' the list... oh, yes, and work! I know, way too many hours, projects and deadlines piling up.

Here is the antidote. Decompress now! No options to juggle. No schedule conflicts. This is especially to make it easy for you.

Thursday 6:30-9:30 at the St. Julien with Dexter Payne Quartet: Bill Kopper, Francisco Marques, Raoul Rossiter. Just come. Sit by the fire. Listen to the roots of Brazilian samba, bossa nova and jazz.

Pretend you are someplace tropical, or checked into some swanky hotel with all the amenities. Or don't pretend at all - just enjoy good music with friends, food, drinks. Get up and dance.

If you were thinking of buying me an expensive gift, (or any gift) ... Don't! Give the gift that keeps on giving, and come to downtown Boulder Thursday night. That way we can keep playing, giving it back to you all year long. We will have fun, but it won't be the same without you!

Did I mention CDs? I'll be stocked up. And for the next two weeks...  CDs are on sale: buy one at $15 and every one after that is $10. Help me spread this music around!

December arrives

It's here - the dark time! A natural time to turn inward - take a little time to reflect. Stay home, order new CDs. Seems I notice it more - short days, and now we have - cold nights (and they are long!)  Time to jump up! Get your blood running. Here's how:

Note: The parade on Thurs seems a bit up in the air. If you want to get the latest update, check me on Facebook tomorrow... or call me at 303.883.4412. 

Thu Dec 3 7:30p

Pearl Street Mall Boulder

Bateria Alegria

Show Details: "Weather permitting" From Bway & Pearl to the Laughing Goat [hide]

B'way to the Goat, "weather permitting"

Thu Dec 3 10:00p

Appaloosa Bar and Grill  535 16th St, Denver

Salem

Salem R&B/Soul / Hip Hop / Jazz Boulder, CO Sample Song: Timeless [hide]

Sat Dec 5 6:00p

Downtown Boulder Lights of Dec Parade

Bateria Alegria in full Rio-style samba parade, joins the annual event

Show Details: Full Rio-style samba parade, along with the rest of the usual parade! [hide]

Sun Dec 6 10:00p

The Vine Street Pub 1700 Vine St,  Denver, CO

Salem

Judy Roderick

The communication I have receive around the release of When Im Gone is a continuing source of great satisfaction. Connecting with people who knew Judy Roderick before I did, and introducing her to people who had never heard her voice and music ... these things create a web of shared esthetic or emotion, or something in between.

That connected feeling was reinforced when Frank John Hadley gave the album a four star (****) rating  in a brief  September '09 Downbeat Magazine review, saying things like:

"One of the few outstanding white blues singers" 
" She and her ... band got it just right" 
"Oh, Lord, she's missed."

Downbeat is primarily a subscription item these days and newsstand copies are few. Read all of the short review, and others at www.dexofon.com/whenimgonepress.html

Sample the CD on this tunepak: http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/2064197 and if that's still not enough, come on over and get a CD at www.dexofon.com. You deserve a little pre-holiday gift to yourself!

And while you are there, have a listen to some of my more recent recordings. They are not as firey, but just as heartfelt. Three of them are collaborations with my "big brother", Brazilian composer Thiago de Mello.

Thanks for reading to the bottom! Feel free to comment here - makes it feel more like we are just hanging out.

Dexter

I'm thanking You.

Why wait til November? Never wait to give thanks! Of course, there are those things that slip by - we forget. It's always a good time to remember! Have I told you lately how great it feels when you come out to hear live music? I know there are choices, lots of good ones, so when I see your face I am  honored. Plus, it's great to see you! More than anything, I feel a lot of gratitude for the great people in my life.

Some are really talented musicians, and I am blessed by the tremendous variety of great players I get to work with - this weekend is no exception. Friday and Saturday with wonderful W. African guitarist and singer, Moussa Konate, who is starting to appear more on the local scene again. last we week we had a real spur of the moment live radio duet (archived on www.kgnu.org Fri Morning Sound Alternative with Meredith Carson) In the last year or so he has done a bit of traveling with blues wizard, Corey Harris, and this summer he was teaching and performing at the Centrum Blues Festival at Port Townsend.  We play in two contrasting settings - Fri with a band and Saturday as a duo. Sunday continues the duo theme - with Lionel Young. Have you heard Lionel lately? His musical persona, always amazing, has grown significantly with the experience his accolades have earned him.

All this in Aurora, Arvada, Denver - can you beat that! (See below.) And if you missed out in the eating department this week, you can check out some of the best Ethiopian, pizza and barbeque, respectively. It's the holidays, live a little. Sometimes we need to thank ourselves, too...

See you there,
Dexter

Fri Nov 27 2009 9:30p Selam Ethiopian Restaurant 1030 Havana Aurora, CO Moussa Konate and Tribe Show Details: Moussa Konate & the Lost Tribe [hide] Sat Nov 28 2009 5:30p-7 DNote 7519 Grandview Ave, Arvada, CO Duo with Moussa Konate Show Details: Duo 5:30-7pm [hide] Sun Nov 29 2009 6 to 9pm The Q Blues and Jazz Lounge 2817 E 3rd Ave, Denver, CO Duo with Lionel Young Show Details: Moussa Konate & the Lost Tribe [hide] Show Details: Duo 5:30-7pm [hide] Show Details: Moussa Konate & the Lost Tribe [hide] Show Details: Duo 5:30-7pm [hide]
Show Details: Moussa Konate & the Lost Tribe [hide]
Show Details: Duo 5:30-7pm [hide]

Denver weekend with Salem

Inspired by recording sessions with George Inai, this weeks percussion rehearsals for Bateria Alegria, not to mention the crew I heard at Dazzle Thurs, I head into my weekend... grateful that I have one!

Oh, and the real excitement: I am trading clarinet for ney lessons with Chakib Hilali - a dream come true!! Luckily we got started before Chakib travels home to Morocco for a visit.

Hey all you Denverites! Come on out. Boulder folks too - I don't believe we have any big storms coming...

FRI    Nov 20  9:00p

Salem

Highland Pacific       (3934 W 32nd, Denver)

SAT   Nov 21

private

SUN  Nov 22  2:30p

Salem

LoLa     (1575 Boulder St, Denver)

 Lola is a great Nuevo SW restaurant and Sunday afternoon there is mellow - the music is low key. So call up some friends, come on out and relax. You deserve it!

Your other option is plan your own party! Give me a shout - I play with so many kinds of bands its ridiculous! Have your friends over and we will all have a great time! Meanwhile, come on downtown and lets talk about it...

See you soon,
Dexter