The Music
National & Local Jazz Musicians
We are putting a slight twist on the typical wine festival music by focusing on the complex harmonies and syncopated rhythms of jazz. Our sense is that Wine and Jazz just complement each other. The complexity of the music bringing out the depth and richness of the wines.
The music never stops. We are excited to bring you a National, Regional, and Local act performing for six hours straight.
Performance Schedule for 2025
- 11am-12pm: Chantil Dukart Duo
- 12-2pm: Robert Johnson & The Mark Diamond Trio
- 2-3pm: Chantil Dukart Duo
- 3-5pm: The Shape of Jazz
Performers 2025
The Shape Of Jazz (3-5pm)
Led by drummer and composer Jeffrey James Franca, this new contemporary jazz ensemble highlights the musical renaissance that’s happening in Colorado right now. Musicians from all over the world are flocking to our home state, and each player brings their own story and style.
Jeffrey himself is best known for his work as drummer and musical director for Thievery Corporation. He’s also known to lay down grooves with the Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann in Billy & the Kids. His deep history of composition and jazz performance, however, inspired him to start this jazz project being unveiled at Ned Jazz Wine. As a double major in classical percussion performance and jazz studies, he collaborated with jazz greats, such as David Baker.
This accomplished group of entertaining players was carefully assembled by Franca and consists of Joey Porter (The Motet), Matt Jalbert (TAUK), Hunter Roberts (BTTRFLY Quintet), Nate Miller (Adam Deitch Quartet), and Scott Messersmith (The California Honeydrops). Focused on exploratory original compositions and cutting-edge timbres, they will showcase the diversity of influences that have penetrated Colorado and beyond, stepping into the “shape of jazz” to come…
Band members:
Jeffrey Franca – drums
Joey Porter – keys
Hunter Roberts – bass
Matt Jalbert – guitar
Nate Miller – trumpet/tenor sax
Scott Messersmith – percussion
Robert Johnson & The Mark Diamond Trio (12-2pm)
One of America’s finest jazz singers is Robert Bernard Johnson. He has been on tour and recorded with A-list artists, such as Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Roberta Flack, Lionel Richie, Robert Cray, Chuck Mangione, etc. Robert’s velvet-toned baritone voice has earned him considerable admiration in the jazz, blues, soul, and musical theater worlds.
Mark Diamond’s deep, grooving acoustic bass sound has its roots in the New York area and is heard widely around the Boulder and Denver area. Mark has played a vital part of the Colorado music scene for over three decades, lending his rich tone and impeccable rhythmic feel to local and international performers. Contributing to over 100 albums, including those of Grammy-winner Tim O’Brien, James Moody, Earl Klugh, Sally Taylor, Peter Rowan, Kenny Loggins, etc., he is a master of delivering diverse musical styles.
Larry Thompson is the only person in the world that can lay claim as the one-and-only house drummer at Nederland’s own Caribou Ranch Recording Studio, where he recorded with dozens of artists, including Otis Taylor, John Denver, Michael McDonald, Al Cooper, Dan Fogelberg, Dr John, etc.
Victor Mestas of Caracas, Venezuela, has been on more than 100 recordings for internationally renowned artists and toured with Latino luminaries, such as Julio Iglesias. A force in the Colorado Brazilian-Latin Jazz-World scene, he plays with Dexter Payne, Ginga, Los Chicos Malos, and others.
Band members:
Robert Johnson – vocals/percussion
Mark Diamond – bass
Larry Thompson – drums/vocals
Victor Mestas – keys
Chantil Dukart Duo (11am-12pm & 2-3pm)
Gonzalo Teppa – bass