($25-$35 + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) Renowned drummer Dave Potter will take you on a nostalgic groove down memory lane, celebrating your favorite 1980’s hits with music from his recently released album, Retro Groove 2. Potter performs the most tastefully arranged jazz renditions of popular 80’s classic from artists including Whitney Houston, The Doobie Brothers, Paula Abdul, Toto, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Rush, Anita Baker and more.

A native of North Carolina, Dave began playing drum set in high school and starting performing with his elders in the Triangle area at the age of 16. Following his graduation from Florida State University, he was chosen from a national pool of applicants to be a member of the Louis Armstrong Quintet at the University of New Orleans. Unfortunately, the tragedy of hurricane Katrina temporarily ended his hopes for a career in Louisiana. Soon after, Dave was awarded a full scholarship to the prestigious Julliard Jazz Program in New York City. However, after several days of intense meditation he declined the offer and returned to Florida State University, where he received his Master’s Degree after further collaboration with his mentor Marcus Roberts. In 2010, Potter was featured in a novel entitled “The New Face of Jazz” about the younger generation of Jazz musicians making an impact in the current scene. Dave is now located in Atlanta where he maintains a busy teaching and performing schedule while also touring the globe as a member of The Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Greg Tardy, Eric Reed, and Marcus Roberts, as well as his new project as a leader, Retro Groove.

For this performance, Dave is joined by Brice Winston (tenor saxophone) Angelo Versace (piano) and Rob “El Tón” Linton (bass)

($10-$15 + DICE fees | 10:30pm Show) After Saturday night’s show, stick around for late night with drummer JC Chiriguayo and his band!

($5-$10 + DICE fees | 6:30pm-9:30pm) Come sit in with multi-instrumentalist Max Goldschmid and the Century Room house band! Band opens up with a short set followed by an instrumental jam until 9:30pm. Musicians who sit in get in free thanks to the Sonora Arts & Music Initiative!

($15-$25 tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm shows)

Join us for a big band bash featuring the University of Arizona’s large group ensembles!

The U of A jazz program is overseen by Dr. Angelo Versace, and currently offers a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies.

At the moment there are two big bands – the Studio Jazz Ensemble (or SJE) and the Concert Jazz Band (or CJB)- as well as two small ensembles – the Fred Fox Jazz Ensemble and the UA Experiential Ensemble.

The program’s flagship groups, the Studio Jazz Ensemble and the UA Jazz Ambassadors, have had numerous high profile performances to its credit, including two tours to China, a performance in the Yuma Village Jazz series, a performance as the invited showcase at the ABODA State Jazz Festival in Phoenix, two performances in Nogales, Mexico as part of a cultural exchange with the US State Department, and a performance in Las Cruces, New Mexico as part of the Onate Jazz Festival. Recent guest artists with the band include Terell Stafford, Joe Lovano, Gerald Clayton, Mike Moreno, Brian Lynch, Chris Potter, Joel Frahm, John Fedchock, Bobby Shew, Bill Watrous, Michael Davis, and Troy Roberts.

($5-$15 + DICE fees | 6:00pm Doors) The UA Jazz Combos perform their End of the Year Concerts at the Century Room!

There are three combos this year:

6:30pm: Experiential Combo (directed by Jason Carder)

7:30pm: Explorations Combo (directed by Arthur Vint)

8:30pm: UA Jazz Ambassadors (directed by Brice Winston)

There are seperate tickets for each band, or a preferred ticket will get you a seat for all three bands!

($10-$15 + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8pm Sets) Multi-instrumentalist Marco Rosano leads Marco & The Polos through a swingin’ night of traditional jazz every other Wednesday!

“Hot Jazz Wednesdays” take you back to the roots of jazz with music from the 1920s and ’30s. Every 1st, 3rd & 5th Wednesday, Marco & The Polos perform music from New Orleans. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays are reserved for the Hot Club of Tucson, which performs French Jazz Manouche in the style of Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli.

($30-$40 tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) Naomi & Her Handsome Devils is a modern band with a vintage sound that has been swinging dance floors around the world. Original but authentic – in the pocket but bringing the party – they have performed at every major dance festival and competition there is, as well as many major jazz clubs and have been featured at Lincoln Center for their “Midsummer’s Night Swing.” Described as a “velvet-voiced chanteuse” by Time Out New York, Naomi Uyama is the perfect bandleader, curating her band’s repertoire to transport audiences and dancers alike to another era.

Naomi Uyama was an international swing dance champion searching for the perfect band to perform at swing dances and festivals. After searching the world over, she took it upon herself to form her own group, “Naomi & Her Handsome Devils”in 2013. Now based in Mineapolis, MN, Naomi calls on the best musicians from all the major jazz hubs from New York to New Orleans to perform with her. Naomi & Her Handsome Devils have cemented their reputation as the premier swing band of the 21st Century!

“Beautifully crafted melodic swing.” – Michael Steinman Jazz Lives

For this performance, she’s joined by Jason Carder (trumpet) Aidan Schofield (trombone) Brice Winston (saxophone) Ed DeLucia (guitar) Leo Stealey-Euchner (piano) Scott Black (bass) Arthur Vint (drums)

This event is sponsored by the Tucson Jazz Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in partnership with The Century Room with support from the Arizona Commission on the Arts.