Sundays at Spruce event brings coffee, live music – Boulder Daily Ca…

Summer Sundays on Pearl Street offer espresso, both the coffee and the swing band.

Espresso! is a Boulder-based swing and jazz band. On Sundays, the band plays a free show on the outside patio of Spruce Confections, 797 Pearl St., from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Attendees can enjoy their coffee and pastries while enjoying live music.

Emily Reynolds, guitar player and band manager, said that the tradition of Espresso! playing live on Sundays along Pearl Street has been going on for approximately 20 years. Reynolds said that the tradition is a partnership with David Cohen, founder of Spruce Confections and patron of Boulder arts.

The band is also made up of Bill Pontarelli, Denver-based clarinet player whom Reynolds calls a “superstar”; Jordan Ramsey on the mandolin and 2016 champion of the National Mandolin Contest; and Boulder-based Duane Webster on bass. Reynolds said that she has been seeing Webster play the bass for over 40 years.

Each band member has been involved in the music scene for a majority of their lives, Reynolds noted. As traditional in jazz music, each musician had their own solos which highlighted their instrument.

Reynolds has always been passionate about music. She sang in a church choir for 15 years and picked up guitar and violin before committing to swing music. She sang in English and French on Sunday.

Chairs of the patio did not remain empty for long, and a line out the door formed at Spruce Confections as a crowd of over 40 people sat together to listen to Espresso! as they sang swing and Manouche jazz songs in English and French. Reynolds said that the event always has an “adoring and appreciative crowd” and the band always has fun.

“This event promotes community, and I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘This was the highlight of my weekend: jazz music,’” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said that the event is a safe, welcoming environment and that the whole family can enjoy the event. She joked that sometimes people go to see Espresso! rather than attend church Sunday mornings. People go to the weekly shows to enjoy one another’s company, have a coffee and enjoy the swing music.

Karen Vent attended the show Sunday. She is a musician herself and a huge fan of Espresso! and owns the band’s CDs. Vent also joked and said she missed church Sunday morning to watch the band, as she makes an effort to watch the band live as often as possible. She sat close to the front while Espresso! played and let herself get immersed in the music.

“They’re just great, you know, and I want to see them do their thing,” Vent said.