Onstage Ogden delivers again with Leonard Patton Trio; local musicians react
An Ogden audience was treated to the stylings of the Leonard Patton Trio, a San Diego jazz band, on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.
An Ogden audience was treated to the stylings of the Leonard Patton Trio, a San Diego jazz band, on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.
An Ogden audience was treated to the stylings of the Leonard Patton Trio, a San Diego jazz band, on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.
“It was a breath of fresh air to gather safely amongst fellow music lovers,” said Ogden-based singer/songwriter Nicholas Garn.
On Friday, Jan. 29, Onstage Ogden presented the Leonard Patton Trio at The Monarch, a performance Garn described as, simply, “beautiful.” Soulful jazz filled the spacious venue with a charge that had the small, socially distanced audience dancing in their chairs, including local musicians who attended.
“I just wanted to get outta my seat and move to the groove,” said Caleb Wendt, of the local band Caleb and the Canvas, who ran sound for the trio that night. He praised Onstage Ogden for “the new directions they’ve taken with their talent lineup” and said that such “vibrant jazz” from world-renowned talent was something he hadn’t heard in a long time.
Although options are limited, Onstage Ogden has shined over the last several months, bringing exciting new shows safely to Ogden audiences during the pandemic. Executive Director Melissa Klein says their season primarily revolves around The Utah Symphony and large dance companies like Ballet West, but they’ve recently been growing and stretching their programming to reach new audiences and serve an ever-changing community.
The Downtown Series started in spring 2020 at The Monarch –” It’s the perfect location for a small ensemble to perform, and for a small audience to spread out,” Klein said of the venue. “The feedback we have received from programming at The Monarch has been incredibly positive.” Klein credits Onstage Ogden’s board of directors, sponsors, donors and a loyal audience for their ability to bring amazing performances each year, and adds: “Also, it doesn’t hurt that our small staff is comprised of art aficionados who are passionate about what we do — we love big ideas, and are very aspirational with regard to artists we’d love to see right here in our neighborhood!” For this show, it was Klein who had discovered Leonard Patton and brought him in, knowing it would be fun for the community.
For Brooke “Madame” Mackintosh, hostess and creator of the Spice Of Life Variety Show and a local musician, it was a night of “divine intervention.” She’d met Leonard Patton before in the San Diego music scene and has known Rob Thorsen and Ed Kornhauser, the other two in the trio, for years — she even performed with Ed when he played in a music group called Jesse LaMonaca & The Dime Novels that was a huge success in downtown San Diego. It was Rob’s Facebook post from their flight into Salt Lake City that notified Mackintosh of the concert.
“I walked into The Monarch and bumped into the sound crew, Ogden Music, including friends Nicholas Garn and Caleb Wendt (fine musicians themselves), and they were excited to tell me how amazing the trio was and led me to say hello,” she said. After catching up with her old San Diego friends, she settled in to enjoy the performance. “Ed’s piano playing lifted me out of my seat with a smile and Rob’s upright bass, thumping in perfect harmony with the melody of Leonard’s voice, was simply magical,” said Mackintosh.
Garns appreciated the “amazing original music and the way they moved with ease through genres, giving their jazz treatment to some of my favorite songs so artfully. … It was exactly what my soul needed that night,” he said.
Up next by Onstage Ogden on Feb. 25 is the renowned trio Time for Three. “If you’ve never heard of them, I invite you to look them up,” says Klein, adding that it will be an energetic night with an eclectic setlist. “For instance, they perform a mash-up of Mahler and Guns N’Roses’ ‘Sweet Child of Mine’! You will not want to miss this one.”
For all upcoming shows, visit onstageogden.org.