The Jazz Scene: Trombone, vocals, and saxophone you shouldn't miss

The late, great jazz vocalist Mel Tormé was one of the most versatile and talented performers ever to work in the music business. His singular vocal talents are almost impossible to channel. But Steve March-Tormé, son of Mel, does channel the voice and style of his dad, albeit in a refreshing, swinging, and understated manner that is devoid of ersatz imitation. Tormé, who rarely comes east, will appear on July 14 at the Milton and Betty Katz Jewish Community Center in Margate, NJ, for a 7pm performance of jazz standards and some originals. For tickets and details, call 609-822-1167.

Though the Jersey shore is hardly a jazz hotbed, Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel and Casino is presenting major names this month. Trumpeter Chris Botti checks in July 15 for a 9pm show, and guitarist/vocalist George Benson will appear on July 23 at the same time.

Glenside, Germantown, and Chestnut Hill

Dino’s Backstage in Glenside is the newest addition to this region’s club scene. Primarily a cabaret (Grammy Award-winning pianist/arranger Billy Stritch opens Dino’s July 1 and 2), the club will feature popular jazz singer — or “jazz-aret” singer, as she describes it — Paula Johns each Wednesday, and later in the season, one weekend per month. For information, call 215-884-2000.

Alto saxophonist /educator Tony Williams has spent seven decades as this area’s natural resource for jazz. He’s played with everyone from Wynton Marsalis and Groove Holmes to Lionel Hampton and Grover Washington, but fortunately for jazz fans here, he has chosen to stay close to his Philadelphia home. Williams is a semi-regular at Germantown’s popular LaRose Jazz Club, and will appear there for a special July 4 show at 6pm.

Singer Wendy Simon, one of the most inventive vocalists anywhere, has also been enriching our jazz scene for several decades, and for good reasons: She swings, improvises, respects the lyric, and puts on one heck of show with her good humor and ultra-professional stage presence. Simon will be performing at Chestnut Hill’s Paris Wine Bar & Jazz Café for shows on July 10, July 31, August 14 and September 11. These Sunday sets begin at 6pm.

Spring Garden and Center City

Trombonist Robin Eubanks comes from a family of jazz stars. His brothers are guitarist Kevin and trumpeter Duane. Robin is no young upstart, having burst on the scene in the early 1980s with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and recorded with the likes of Slide Hampton, Sun Ra, and even Stevie Wonder. Eubanks will appear at South Kitchen & Jazz Parlor on July 6 for 7 and 9pm shows. Brother Duane, by the way, checks into Chris’ Jazz Café on July 30 for performances at 8 and 10pm.

Those who listen to National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” may not be aware that the program’s theme was written by trombonist/arranger/composer/bandleader Wycliffe Gordon. Gordon, who won the DownBeat magazine “Best Trombonist” award in 2012, 2013, and 2014, began his career with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in the late 1980s, and has since had a long and stellar career as a bandleader and award-winning recording artist. Gordon, who has appeared in this area previously at South and will be performing at the Merriam Theater on September 30, will play this month at Germantown’s Alma Mater on July 14, a performance that begins at 7:30pm.