Hit Pick

Related Content

• The Muppet Show's Top 10 musical guests
  November 23, 2011
• Feel The Burn
  January 27, 2011
• J. Michael Melton, exec chef of Zydeco's, on destroying candy bars and shi*tin' and spittin' up
  February 8, 2012
• Lovely Lena
  December 15, 2011
• The best national music releases of 2011
  December 29, 2011

More About

• Billy Tolles
• Ray Charles
• Quincy Jones
• Blues Music
• Italian Food and Cooking

In his long career, the ageless tenor saxophonist, bandstand wit and sometimes blues singer Billy Tolles has occasionally hit the road with stars like Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones and Ray Charles. But for the most part, "B.T." has been a solid local performer and educator who's firmed up Denver's jazz scene for three decades. The exuberant rasps and squawks in his playing style echo past forays into R&B, rock and funk, but his singing voice remains as smooth as butter -- even when essaying the bawdiest of lyrics. On Thursday, October 31, Trios Enoteca in Denver will host a release party for Tolles's new Synergy CD, Chapulteset, which was recorded live, way back in 1995, right around the corner at El Chapultepec. The saxophonist will be reunited with his able sidemen from the date: pianist Eric Gunnison, bassist Ken Walker and drummer Paul Romaine. Get set.