Jazz For Seniors

Twenty women waited at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community to be picked up by an RTD bus and driven to Dazzle Jazz. None of the women knew exactly what awaited them. The bus made a stop at the Clement's Senior Center in Lakewood to pick up twenty more persons. There was a lot of chatter with the many senior citizens on the bus headed to Dazzle Jazz.

In downtown Denver the bus stopped at 930 Lincoln Street. It was an ordinary looking building, nothing fancy at all. As we entered the club I could see a lot of black drapes, a long bar and tables and chairs. Each group was seated in their assigned places and not only were the SOC and Clements groups seated, three other large groups entered the establishment and found their seats. One group told me they were from Notre Dame parish.

A waitress came by and explained the menu: A Flat -Roasted Pork Shoulder, mac and cheese with green peas; B Sharp - Chicken Curry Lentil Bowl with vegetables; Middle C - Crispy ham tomato Manchego
(cheese made from the Manchego sheep) salad with mixed greens, Roma tomatoes, almonds and mango mustard vinaigrette; and for dessert a white cake with strawberry chocolate Ganache, (chocolate and cream mixed together). The first drink was on the house and wine, Manhattans, daiquiris, and martinis were some of the drinks I saw being ordered.

The jazz band played in the background while we ordered and when we began to eat, the four excellent  musicians entertained us. Pernell Steen on the piano, Fred Fuller on Base, Jack McCutchen on Drums and Dave Adtkinson on Xylophone. Pernell told stories about jazz greats and tidbits about jazz players around town.

When they played St. Louis Blues, I danced in the aisle and made everyone laugh. I surely hope they were laughing with me and not at me! But I was fortified with a glass of wine and didn't care! When Pernell Steen came by to greet everyone he said, "I saw you strutting around and I thought you were going to come on the stage to do your dance!" I responded with, "I probably would need another glass of wine to do that!"

Everyone enjoyed the jazz, the food, the stories and the camaraderie. At 1:30 we found our bus among the three buses parked outside and once boarded, we talked about what a fun time we had at Dazzle Jazz.

"If you have to ask

what jazz is, you'll never

know."

Louis Armstrong