Mark Chiriboga @ Three Dogs Grille

Palm Coast Jazz caught the 3rd set by Mark Chiriboga at the Three Dogs Grille on April 4th; just perfect for a winding down on a hump-day evening. The crowd was definitely enjoying the musical variety - slow torchy ballads on electric guitar with vocals, uptempo latin/flamenco on acoustic and flute on meditative pieces and soul jazz.

Mark's a laid-back performer: the sandals come off, and the music is on! A very pensive & moving vocal rendition of "My Funny Valentine" led things off. For solo sections, since he's playing alone, Mark will set up a groove on his guitar, into a looping device, and then start burning over it, sometimes grabbing his other axe and burning some more. He then got things moving with a latin number; I missed the name, but it was a toe-tappin' highlight of the set.

The result of Mark's music is an enjoyable, hazy euphoria in which one feels that the whole world doesn't have a care, if only for a few hours. As a guitarist Mark is impressive and fluent, and continues to reach and grow. A neat surprise was a medley that seemed to accidentally bump into "From the Beginning" - ELP's jazziest ballad; and after a verse or two the chance meeting was over.

If you missed Mark's show he will be back to the Three Dog's Grille for Mother's Day Brunch May 13th. You can also pick up a copy of his new self-titled album, filled with jazz and funky blues, and Mark at his best both vocally and on guitar! His wife Robin handed one off to me, you'll be sure to hear a cut in an upcoming podcast! Get yours at Itunes or CDBaby.

Mark just took the plunge and got himself a Facebook page! Please go have a visit, click that like button and show some love to a real nice guy! Thanks for stopping by our blog! - PCJ

Zach Bartholomew Trio at Three Dogs Grille

Palm Coast Jazz had the pleasure to catch the 3rd set of the much-hyped appearance of the Zach Bartholomew Trio at the Three Dogs Grille. The group came down from Tallahassee to give us a taste of what's developing and flourishing in the capital.

Zach Bartholomew Trio - 2/15/12

I must say I was immediately taken with the maturity of sound coming from these 3 twenty-somethings. Bartholomew is definitely his own man stylistically and shows all the confidence and prowess of a player twice his age. The trio has melded into a wily and flexible unit that manages, like most famous piano trios, to give the listener several angles to focus on, while never losing cohesiveness or taste.


The overall effect of the music is easy-going, comforting, intelligent, always swinging, with enough passages of intensity and passion to keep your ears in focus-mode. The set began with a smart and simple turn through Herbie's "Dolphin Dance". Once the band got warm, the interplay and freedom was pleasantly reminiscent of Bill Evan's classic line-up with LaFaro and Motian.

Fascinatin' Rhythm...

Zach then launched into a samba version of "Ladybird" that was both engaging and dreamy, thanks to a repeated single-note figure that began and ended the fresh interpretation.

Miles Bozeman

Broader harmonies and a more angular approach followed in Chick Corea's jazz waltz "Windows" and Cole Porter's "I Love You"; and the night ended on a real nice high with a downright brilliant version of Rodgers and Hart's "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" - arranged in 5/4, perhaps the best and most comfortable 5 I've heard live in FL so far.

Brandon Robertson

Zach Bartholomew, Brandon Robertson (bass) and Miles Bozeman (drums) met in FSU, and have been playing together for a few years now. Just a few weeks ago they went into the recording studio to lay down their debut album, comprised of originals and some of their crafty arrangements. We can't wait and will definitely be featuring a track or two on our podcast when "Out of This Town" is released! They should be back here in PC after the cd drops - if you are looking for the real deal - catching this trio is a must!


Click here to visit their facebook page (and click that 'like button').


Kudos to Three Dogs Grille owners Bob Plugge and Barry Markey - who assure us that they are 'in it' for the long haul - in other words, jazz has taken up permanent residency here in Palm Coast. Next time you see them - let them know you love jazz and appreciate what they're doing. Til next time! - PCJ

Zach Bartholomew