Bob and I went to Yellowstone National Park yesterday. It is such a great place to spend a time to relax and feel the Mother Earth. We watched about 10 bison relaxing in a meadow for quite a while. Amazing place.
* To musician friends, if you would like to add your message or on going projects like new albums on this website or news letter please contact me!
* Detail of these concerts can be changed due to artists/venues’ circumstances.
ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT PLONK
On Wednesday, May 15th from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Scott Jeppesen on saxophone, Bob Bowman on bass, and Roxanne Jeppesen on drums will be making fantastic sounds! If you are around Bozeman on this Wednesday please come down to enjoy live Jazz with delicious food and wine! No Charge.
Plonk Wine Bozeman
29 E Main St, Bozeman, MT 59715
Wednesday, May 15th 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Facebook event page
Just in case you haven’t heard about them, here are a little bit of info of the musicians :
Scott Jeppesen (Saxophone) – Billings, MT – Prior to accepting the position at MSUB, Scott lived in Los Angeles for seventeen years. In that time, he performed with Maria Schneider, Bobby McFerrin, Burt Bacharach, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Pasqua, Bill Watrous, Shelly Berg, Manhattan Transfer, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson, Artie Shaw, Bob Mintzer, Dave Brubeck, Natalie Cole, Louis Bellson, Al Jarreau, Steve Miller, Randy Brecker and James Moody…just to name a few. Scott has composed and arranged for many different artists including Steve Miller, Ramsey Lewis, Natalie Cole, Ruben Studdard, Dave Koz, Ledisi, Burt Bacharach, Monica Mancini, Scott Martin, and the PBS Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, which aired in the spring of 2007.
Bob Bowman (Bass) – West Yellowstone, MT – Bob has toured and recorded with many artists including the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the legendary Carmen McRae, Pat Coil, Freddie Hubbard, Bud Shank, Ed Soph, Karrin Allyson, Steve Houghton, Steve Allee, Bill Mays, Clay Jenkins, Danny Embrey, Todd Strait, Bob Sheppard, Matt Otto, Rod Fleeman, John Stowell, Jerry Hahn, Bobby Watson and others.
Roxanne Jeppesen (Drums) – She has studied drum set with Billy Higgins, Dan Schnelle, Sherman Ferguson, Rick Lotter, and Stan Lunetta. Roxanne is the President and founder of the 501c3 non-profit organization, Cultivating Creative Minds (2010), which employs 32 professional teaching artists who teach at 15 different elementary schools in Santa Clarita, CA. The non-profit organization provides 45 minutes of arts instruction per week to over 5,000 students.
ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT THE MINT IN BELGRADE
On Thursday, May 16th band Skylark will be performing at The Mint Cafe and Bar in Belgrade from 7:00p.m. to 9:30p.m.! Singer Krista Barnett, guitarist Craig Hall, and bassist Bob Bowman will be making sweet and lovely music. Please come to The Mint to enjoy the live music with great foods, drinks, and service! Dancers welcome. No charge.
The Mint Cafe and Bar, Belgrade
27 E Main St, Belgrade, Montana 59714
Thursday, May 16th 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Facebook event page
ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT CRAFT LOCAL IN BILLINGS
On Thursday, May 16th at Craft Local in Billings Alex Nauman on guitar, Phil Griffin on bass, and Matt Devitt on drums will be performing and it will be great night of music! Craft Local is a non-profit that provides artists with the space to show their works, musicians the space to charm their audiences, and a one of a kind bar to quench your thirst with some of the best local brews and wine around. Please come down to support local artists!
Craft Local
2413 Montana Ave., Billings, Montana 59101
Thursday, May 16th 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Facebook event page
ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT RED TRACTOR PIZZA
Every Friday, there is a Jazz Night at Red Tractor Pizza in Bozeman from 7:00p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This Friday, May 17th Alex Robilotta on guitar, Eddie Tsuru on bass, and Alex Platt on drums will be making excellent sounds! Please come down and enjoy your Friday night with good live music and of course delicious pizza and beer/wine!
Red Tractor pizza
1007 W Main St, Bozeman, MT 59715
Friday, May 17th 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Facebook event page
SUNDAY BRUNCH AT SOLA CAFE
Gypsy Jazz group Montana Manouche will be performing at Sola Cafe in Bozeman on Sunday, May 19th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You’ll hear many Django Reinhardt compositions along with American jazz standards played in the Gypsy Jazz style. Gypsy jazz sound for your Sunday brunch enjoyment. No cover!
Sola Cafe
290 W Kagy Blvd, Bozeman, Montana 59715
Sunday, May 19th 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Facebook event page
ON SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE EAGLES THE BRIDGER MOUNTAIN BIG BAND
The Bridger Mountain Big Band or small combo performs at The Eagles on every Sunday led by a drummer Adam Greenberg. No cover charge but there will be a tip jar so be generous. For more information please check https://www.facebook.com/TheBridgerMountainBigBand/.
Bozeman Eagles Club & Ballroom
16 E Main St, Bozeman, Montana 59715
Sunday, May 19th 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Facebook event page
ON SUNDAY NIGHT AT WALKERS IN BILLINGS
On every Sunday American Grill & Tapas Bar Walkers in Billings has Jazz night through 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Walkers features some of the very best jazz cats in the Rocky Mountain region and is well known for its depth of musicians. This weekRaphael Lopez Trio will be making fabulous sounds!! Please come down to enjoy the music with delicious food and drinks! No charge.
American Grill & Tapas Bar Walkers
2700 1st Ave N, Billings, Montana 59101
Sunday, May 19th 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
https://walkersgrill.com/
UPCOMING JAZZ & MORE CONCERTS
MICHELLE MANZO COBB WITH BOB BOWMAN, CHEYENNE JOHN-HENDERSON, AND ALEX PLATT AT CIKAN HOUSE
On Tuesday, May 28th, a very special concert will be held at the Cikan’s residence! We are welcoming a new jazz singer to our community, the wonderful Michelle Manzo Cobb! If you haven’t heard her, check her out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nLIw3X0Qgk
The door will be at 6:30, and the show begins at 7 PM. Seating is limited, and reservations are highly encouraged. You can RSVP to the event by emailing plattalex@gmail.com. The door charge is $20. Refreshments will be provided. The address is in Bozeman, Bozeman, MT, 59715.
Facebook event page
Here’s our lineup for the evening!
An acclaimed vocalist dedicated to jazz, Michelle Manzo Cobb puts her heart in everything she sings. She believes improvisation is not just a technique but a way of life. Originally from Miami, FL she moved to New York to further her music studies and began performing with Les Paul, Gene Bertoncini, Ray Santos and Victor Jones. Among the countless music endeavors she embraced there, she also dazzled audiences in the far East. She has performed in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Now based in Bozeman, she looks forward to exploring all the music it has to offer.
Bob Bowman (West Yellowstone/Kansas City) has performed with numbers of artists including Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Frank Mantooth, Carmen McRae, Pat Coil, Freddie Hubbard, Bud Shank, Ed Soph, Karrin Allyson, Dan Haerle, Steve Houghton, Steve Allee, Bill Mays, Clay Jenkins, Danny Embrey, Todd Strait, Loren Stillman, Bob Sheppard, Matt Otto, Rod Fleeman, John Stowell, Jerry Hahn, Bobby Watson and others. Bob has toured around the world and been on many recordings that have won or been nominated for GRAMMY awards. While performing with these artists, he works with his own bands including the legendary Kansas City group, INTERSTRING and BOWDOG. Also he has also dedicated himself to jazz education. Bob now resides in Montana continuing to play and influence the music scene.
Cheyenne John-Henderson studied jazz piano and ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles and completed his master’s degree in composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has composed music for a variety of settings from mobile video games to jazz ensembles. As a performer he has performed in numerous jazz groups and extensively as a soloist as well. He began teaching at MSU-Bozeman in 2016.
Alex Platt began playing the drums at the age of 10, began performing at the age of 13, and received his degree in jazz from the California Institute of the Arts. He has performed and/or recorded with jazz artists such as Alice Coltrane, Oranyon Coltrane, Jack Walrath, Larry Koonse, and Brad Rabuchin; as well as country artist Stephanie Quayle, soul/funk impresario Big Joe Hurt, Persian legends Bahram Bajelan and Mehrdad Arbifarb, Jake Faulkner and Zac Sokolow of The Americans, and many others. He also is part of the rotating faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. After many years in Los Angeles, he has returned to Bozeman and continues to perform, teach, and produce music.
May 22nd @ Plonk
Alex Nauman on guitar, Bob Bowman on bass, and Brad Edwards on drums
May 23rd @ Yellowstone Valley Brewing (Billings)
Jazz Jam session
May 24th @ Red Tractor Pizza
Scott Jeppesen on saxophone and Bob Bowman on bass
May 24th @ Wild Ginger (Billings)
Alex Nauman on guitar, Brad Edwards on drums, Mark Bryan on Bass, and Matt Austin on saxophone
May 25th @ Red Tractor Pizza
John Swendseid on saxophone, Alex Robilotta on guitar, Eddie Tsuru on bass, and Mike Gillan on drums
May 29th @ Plonk
Montana Manouche
May 31st @ Red Tractor Pizza
Luminous
BigSkyJazz.net and news letter Jazz this week are non-profit. I am doing this to be a little help for jazz community around Bozeman while I work as a website/graphic designer.
If you feel like helping me with a little reward please donate from “Buy me a glass of wine page“. It is much appreciated!!!