Full Moon Jazz

                                    
                Above: Mollie Kidari, Carolyn Karnes-Estrada, Hacksaw Tom, Bob Estrada, "Abdu," Bill Bellamak

Here are recordings by Full Moon Jazz:

 "Little Sunflower" 2010 Guests: Matt Crow, trumpet, Tom Moulton, tenor sax

 "Watermelon Man" 2010 Guests: Matt Crow, trumpet, Tom Moulton, tenor sax

 "One Love (Circular Motion)" 2010 Mollie Kidari, piano, composer

 "Mahna de Carnival" 2010 Guests: Matt Crow, trumpet, Tom Moulton, tenor sax

 "Footprints" 2009, tribute to bassist Ian Aguilera, 1983-2010 "NEW" VERSION

 "Dear Old Stockholm" 2011 Bill Bellamak, guitar, arranger, guest piano soloist Dave Valdivia (Mollie Kidari "marimba" keys and second piano solo) NEW VERSION

 "Forest Flower" 2010

 "Impressions" 2010

Biography:

Born out of necessity and legacy one night in 2009 on the patio of Grinders Coffee, FMJ was inevitable.  At a fundraiser a week earlier, Grinders owner/vocalist/guitarist/harmonica player Dennis Miller and drummer Tom Coulson were matched with flutist Carolyn Karnes-Estrada and pianist Mollie Kidari.  Tom realized Carolyn used to play with "New Moon Jazz" at Two Lips Cafe, where he and wife Genny met.  He was reminded Mollie also played at Two Lips.

Grinders needed a new jazz band at that moment.  Obviously Bob Estrada would play bass (another former "New Moon" member).  On that first experimental night, jamming with Dennis and members of Hacksaw's Blues, a full moon rose over the Phoenix Mountain Preserves.  We know it sounds corny, but IT WAS A SIGN.  Tom's long-time guitar cohort Bill Bellamak (who also caught New Moon at Two Lips) next made Full Moon Jazz a quintet.

Another part of the Full Moon Jazz legacy is that all five members knew each other when enrolled in college jazz studies at the same time.  Carolyn, Bob, Bill and Tom at ASU under Dr. Tom Ferguson (drum great Lewis Nash was there that year) while Mollie was across town at Mesa Community College in Grant Wolf's program.

Full Moon Jazz plays at 7pm each second Saturday at Grinders Coffee, Central and Dunlap in Phoenix.  http://grinderscoffeeco.com

And now a trio has splintered from Full Moon Jazz (grandchild of New Moon Jazz already?) "Refugees from the '60s:"  Mollie Kidari keys/vocals, Dennis Miller guitar/harmonica/vocal and David Newton, percussion, appear at 7pm each third Friday at Hob Nob's, 149 West McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1212, (602) 253-9220.  They also open up each Second Saturday at Grinders.

Below left: Full Moon Jazz germinating, fall 2009.  Half-moon Hacksaw?  (The late Ian Aguilera, bassist, right)

Below right: The "Click Chick" Gayle Bass (KTAR, Phoenix, 92-3FM Monday thru Friday 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40am) sings with FMJ at one of several live music locations along North Central south of Dunlap during the April 2010 Sunnyslope Art Walk.        

          

Booking Full Moon Jazz and/or Hacksaw's Blues, social networking coordinator: Mollie mailto:mollie1119@aol.com