The Jazz Scene: Summer songs you shouldn’t miss

The summer jazz season, as always, highlights a number of outdoor neighborhood festivals that are free and open to the public. One of the longest-running — at 18 years — is the Cedar Park Jazz Series, happening every Friday through July from 6 to 8pm at 47th Street and Baltimore Avenue. Nazir Ebo hit the scene in 2009 as an 11-year-old prodigy, and he’s grown into a mature and forward-thinking percussionist. Ebo and his friends will appear on Friday, July 6. On July 13, the always-swinging Clef Club Ensemble takes the stage, followed by the rhythm and blues-focused Firestorm on July 20. Closing out the month are vocals from the genre-busting Gretchen Elise and Friends.

Summer tributes and historic hosts

The Philadelphia Jazz Project, in partnership with Visit Philadelphia and several others, will be presenting an impressive lineup of free jazz programs all over the city through September 7. On Wednesday, July 18, the Jazz Project’s Who Got the Jazz program offers a tribute to groundbreaking jazz poet Gil Scott Heron at FringeArts. This program closes out on Wednesday, July 25 at Spruce Street Harbor Park with a tribute to two artists who are rarely mentioned in the same sentence: Duke Ellington and Marvin Gaye. All shows run from 5 to 8pm.

And there’s more: The Jazz Project, under the heading of Street Corner Symphonies, will feature live jazz this month and beyond every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — with an occasional Tuesday and Thursday — throughout the daytime hours. Locales include Christ Church, the Bourse, the National Constitution Center, Betsy Ross House, and the National Museum of American Jewish History. Performing at the majority of the events are the Simmons & Greenfield Quartet, featuring trombonist St. Clair Simmons and saxophonist Sam Greenfield; and the Brass 4tet, with the volcanic drums of Rob Henderson, Dan Nosheny on tuba and sousaphone, trombonist Frank Rein, and Koof ibi Umoren on trumpet. Visit online for full details.

Heads up at the Annenberg

The Annenberg Center has been consistently innovative in its annual bookings of jazz concerts, and its just-announced fall and winter schedule is a refreshing one. Perennial poll-winning pianist Vijay Iyer checks in Saturday, September 29, followed by progressive drummer T.S. Monk on Saturday, November 3. One of the most interesting bookings in the coming year — on March 23, 2019 — is the New Lionel Hampton Big Band under the leadership of Jason Marsalis, younger brother of Wynton and Branford. Jason started as a drummer and began doubling on vibes some 10 years ago, becoming a fine vibist. The legendary groups of Lionel Hampton were noted for Hamp’s circus-like showmanship, while Marsalis’s performing attitude is utterly serious. This should be interesting.

Keezer comes back

Grammy-nominated pianist Geoff Keezer has some heavy roots in the jazz tradition. At the age of 18, he joined forces with the group of famed jazz drummer Art Blakey, and later played alongside other jazz giants like Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Ray Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. His connection to Philadelphia came during his post as pianist, from 2000 to 2009, in the group of Philly bassist Christian McBride. Keezer will perform with his own group at South Restaurant and Jazz Parlor on Sunday, July 8, for shows at 7 and 9pm.

Above: Jazz in West Philly's Cedar Park. (Image via Cedar Park Neighbors on Facebook.)