by Terry Curran

When a friend of mine came back from New Orleans after the Super Bowl one year, she remarked about all the wonderful music she had been listening to. Since she was a musician, I knew that she knew what she was talking about, as she went on about the blues and jazz she had heard on Bourbon Street.

If she were here today she'd be in her glory right here in Roslindale Village. Not only is the Jazz in the Square series flourishing on the first Friday of each month, but we also now have Blues in the Village on Thursday nights. This is thanks to Bill Walsh and his group Common Ground, who perform most Thursday nights at the Birch Street Bistro. Bill, as many of you know, has donated his time with the band that accompanies the Sacred Heart Youth Choir at the 9:15 a.m. Sunday Mass and wherever else they perform.

Each week they have a different featured vocalist performing with them, and this gives the band a different flavor. It also allows the band to grow, as they don't get bored playing the same songs over and over. The bonus for those in the audience is that it's fresh every week.

They started with Cheryl Aruda, who stepped away from her band "Dirty Blonde," and broke open the inaugural night with a throaty rendition of "Fever." Next came Delaware Floyd Brown whose silver voice and deep mellow tones is reminiscent of Lou Rawls. Weepin' Willie, a true blues legend and the winner of numerous Boston Music Awards, took the stage next and did cover versions of tunes by his friends BB King and Bobby Blue Bland. "Sweet Judy" Teo brought her sweet soulful voice to the stage. She is a regular at the House of Blues Gospel Brunch.

Silas Hubbard Jr. came to the front with his harmonica and had the crowd stomping and clapping along. Performers from the Boston Soul Revue, "Mr. Motion" Ronny Valentine and "The Godnephew of Soul" J.B. Junior brought a Motown rhythm to the evening and had the house rocking. Diane Blue did a mix of blues and rhythm and blues and played the harmonica. Her rendition of a Gladys Knight classic brought the crowd to its feet. On any given Thursday, no less than a half dozen musicians or singers will drop in to jam with the band, adding to the spontaneity of the evening. Such a night spent at the Bistro is a true treat for all. The members of Common Ground are Gary Barcus on bass, Mike Biblyk on saxophone, Diane Gately on drums, and Bill Walsh on guitar.

As noted above, the Jazz in the Square series takes place on the first Friday of every month at 7:30 p.m. from October through May at the Roslindale Congregational Church. They started off their fourth season in October with The JP Jazz Collaborative.

The November concert was the Centre Street Trio with special guest Bill Pierce, who is a Roslindale resident. They played old standards, as well as some original compositions, with Bill sight-reading everything on the fly. Only a truly great musician could have done it. The crowd was truly appreciative, as they gave them a standing ovation. In December The Sharp Nines Jazz Ensemble performed under the direction of Duncan Martin. Duncan and the John Payne School of Music in Brookline have provided many terrific performances over the past three years. They are one of the seventeen ensemble groups performing at the school. Upcoming on January 5th is The Cercie Miller Quartet. Having seen them before, I can vouch for the fact that they are not to be missed. Visit their website at jazzinthesquare.net for future schedules and music clips of past performances.

As you can see, Roslindale is not only the place for fine dining but now, live music is also all around us. Stop by either of these venues and you'll have an evening where the good times roll.