SUNDAY, 5/15 ->  Don’t miss the Juan Lee Reed – Rhode To Heaven EP Release Party at Connected w/DJ Low Key at the Hai Bar at Sushi Hai.  J Reed himself will be in the house playing live trumpet while producer/Chops Records founder Nofrendo will be on the live beats.  I’ll be holding down the rest of the night’s music with the best in R&B, soul music and fun stuff like that.  As usual, we’ll be rockin with the THICK happy hour, featuring sushi, apps, sake, beer, wine & more.  21+ /// 8:30-11:30pm /// 32nd & Lowell in the Highlands/// No cover.

The Denver Post/HeyReverb.com on Rhode To Heaven:

Indianapolis-born Reed — who counts the legendary Hugh Ragin among his teachers — is a lyrical trumpet player whose emotive style comes closer to that of a great jazz vocalist than to the usual pantheon of jazz trumpeters.

For his debut EP, “Rhode to Heaven,” Reed (a.k.a. J. Reed) teamed up with Denver DJ, beatmaker and producer Nofrendo (a.k.a. Joseph Mezey, a.k.a. DJ Scrub), to create a record that skillfully balances jazz, hip-hop and even some drum-and-bass elements. Though occasionally reminiscent of ’90s acid jazz (and occasionally guilty of some its sins, like prioritizing beat over melody), “Rhode to Heaven” — which will be released on Nofrendo’s Chops Records — is a thoughtful and tasteful collection that just might create some new jazz fans. A number of the tracks would play just as well in a dance club as in a jazz lounge, with Nofrendo’s crisp production and funky beats providing the ideal setting for Reed’s laid-back horn playing. “Cryin’ Sun” — with beautiful guitar work by Chops Records artist Andy Nicolai — epitomizes this unique collaboration.