Times change and things we have loved get neglected. They get set aside for something new. Mold and rust replace bright original finishes. Out they go. Then they are missed. We hear an oldie on the radio and regret throwing out all those LP records. Is this happening to jazz today? Who loves jazz anymore? Who has time to listen? Is it time to move on?
We may have seen the answer at the Dirty Dog Jazz Café last week.
Trunino Lowe and his friends showed up. Trunino just turned 21 years old and plays the trumpet. When he isn’t playing he grins a lot. For two nights last week his smile and his passion for jazz filled the sold out room at the Dirty Dog. The audiences at the Dirty Dog are always respectful, knowledgeable and appreciative. Every once in a while they shed their reserved demeanor and share the exuberance of the band. Wednesday night the Trunino Quartet woke them up and blew them up and out of their seats. Four jazz musicians who just had had the time of their life and weren’t afraid of showing it stood in front of a standing and applauding crowd who weren’t afraid of showing their support. A nice moment and a bubbling cauldron of joy.
Trunino Lowe Quartet is comprised of four friends who love to play together.
Trunino Lowe is on trumpet, Louis Jones III on drums, Jonathon S. Muir-Cotton on bass and Sequoia Snyder on keyboard.
Trunino Lowe
Trunino Lowe is a young up and coming trumpet player in Detroit. Serving as a composer, band leader, sideman and mentor at the age of 21, his passion for music shows on and off the band stand. He is currently a student at Wayne State University.
Louis Jones III
19-year-old Louis M Jones III is a drummer and composer who has played with Wayne Shorter, Wendell Harrison, Pamela Wise and Sean Jones, and has been on numerous recordings and albums. He also attends Wayne State University.
Jonathon S. Muir-Cotton
Jonathon S. Muir-Cotton is an award winning, young, up and coming double bassist/bassist and composer, trained in both the jazz and classical traditions and a Jazz Studies major in the College of Fine, Performing & Communication Arts at Wayne State University.
Sequoia Snyder
This up and coming Jazz pianist is currently a student in the prestigious Jazz Studies program at Michigan State University.
JAZZ SEEMS TO BE SELF LUBRICATING. WHEN IT STARTS TO GET CREAY AND OLD SOUNDING SOMEONE PUTS A SHINY NEW FACE ON IT.
The real reason that jazz survives is that it was built so well in the first place. It has never stood still, mostly because improvisation prohibits it from doing the same thing every night. Jazz has a lot of refresh buttons built into its design. The refresh buttons have different faces. Every time a seasoned mentor puts a hand on the shoulder of a young artist and passes on some insightful tidbit the music gets nourished. The result is that someday the same young artist will look a younger cat in the eye and tell him/her that they got it.
That is what happened last week at the Dirty Dog. The crowd let the band of young artists know that they got it. Trunino got his supporters’ message and assured them that they were appreciated. He told us that they knew the importance of the process. They will help carry the banner. He finished the set with:
“Don’t worry, the music ain’t going nowhere”.
The band’s playlist for their first show on Wednesday night reveals to us a lot why jazz continues to move forward while sustaining a strong foundation. With the first piece they played they tipped their hat to an unfairly and often overlooked Detroit drummer, composer, educator, and long time collaborator with Marcus Belgrave. Lawrence Williams was a prolific writer and deserves his legacy. These young musicians are helping preserve his contribution to the music
No. 3 by Lawrence Williams
The band also played two jazz standards by two jazz giants. First they played something straight ahead:
Satin Doll by Duke Ellington
Satin Doll was Billy Strayhorn’s pet name for his mother. Johnny Mercer wrote new lyrics, resulting in the song we know today.
Cigarette holder which wigs me Over her shoulder she digs me Out cattin’ that satin doll Baby, shall we go out skippin’?
The band played:
The Challenge by Roy Hargrove
Last November we lost Roy Hargrove, an incisive trumpeter who didn’t sit on his hands. He was one of the brightest stars of his jazz generation, He was a young steward of the bebop tradition and a savvy bridge to hip-hop and R&B. He welcomed fresh ideas.
The band also played their own compositions. The titles speak for themselves. The tunes have obviously been drawn from their own experiences.
The Vision by Trunino Lowe
Search by Sequoia Snyder
Self Confidence by Trunino Lowe
Rage of a Teenager by Trunino Lowe
By All Means by Trunino Lowe
It’s Up to Us by Trunino Lowe
It is up to us is a song that a lot of young people can identify with today, a sense that there is a weight that has been put on one’s shoulders. What this band told us is that they are up to the task. I think that a helpful hand on a shoulder sometimes helps. By the response that they got, they came to the right place. I am proud to be associated with the Dirty Dog jazz Café and the Detroit jazz community.
John Osler
COMING THIS MONTH TO THE DIRTY DOG
MAY 1 -4
DAVID McMURRAY
Dave McMurray edits everything out except his personal thoughts, his power and his compelling spirit. Detroit knows David and Detroit know jazz.
MAY 8 -11
SEAN DOBBINS
You have to have a heart before you can have a heartbeat. Sean Dobbins has a big heart and a big beat. Sean is the whole package.
May 15, 16
MICHAEL ZAPORSKI
Michael will merge his understanding of the rhythms of West Africa from his travels with the State Department with his knowledge of jazz he has learned playing with Art Blakey, Pharaoh Sanders and Donald Byrd. A learning experience.
MAY 17, 18
JASON MARSALIS
With each passing year Jason Marsalis continues to grow and develop as both a composer and performer. With a fire in his heart and a passion for the music, his will to swing has never been more resolute. The maturity and the command he possesses over his music is clearly evident to those who have heard or seen him.
May 22 – 25
KATHY KOSINS
tracing back to the artist’s upbringing during the legendary motown years in Detroit. Catering to both jazz and soul aficionados, Kosins delivers her most intense and intimate singing yet and wows audiences with her impeccable, flawless phrasing and a deep-rooted passion for telling the story. Her eclectic musical palette delves deep into the rich history of both Jazz and Soul.
May 29 – June 1
JEFF CANADY
Don’t miss this chance to witness some high energy jazz that comes only from Detroit and our young artists.
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