Mel Brown B3 Organ Band
Recommended
This event is in the past
Thursdays, 8 p.m. Continues through Dec. 29 2016
Jimmy Mak's
Northwest Portland (Portland)
$6
In just a couple of weeks, local jazz lovers will lose a longtime pillar when the Pearl District club Jimmy Mak’s closes for good. At the same time, Mel Brown—the godfather of Portland jazz and a former Motown staff drummer—will lose three regular gigs he’s been holding down for a long, long time. From behind his kit (and always with a smile on his face), Brown anchors a septet that plays Jimmy Mak’s every Tuesday night and a quartet that plays every Wednesday. But tonight, it’s time for his B-3 Organ Band, a quintet that’s been filling the club with exhilarating, airtight soul-jazz for two decades. Joining Brown in the band are organist Louis Pain, guitarist Dan Balmer, saxophonist Renato Caranto, and percussionist Curtis Craft. Together, these five dudes are a joy to watch—do so while you still can. BEN SALMON