Baker's Dozen led by Freddie Mendoza

Baker's Dozen plays The Elephant Room on Wednesday, September 9, with Freddie Mendoza leading the way. It's a thirteen-piece big band, so the name fits—thirteen musicians on stage, all working from the same charts. The whole night is built around the musical arrangements of Paul Baker, and that's exactly what they're bringing back to the stage.

Freddie Mendoza fronts the ensemble, and the band is made up of a gathering of top jazz musicians from around the city. When you're dealing with a big band, the arrangements are the real star of the show, and that's the focus here: Paul Baker's writing brought to life by thirteen players. It's a full-section sound—brass and reeds filling out the room—rather than a small combo working through standards.

If you're used to the smaller groups that usually play the city's jazz spots, this is a different animal. A thirteen-piece band brings a weight and a scale that a quartet or a quintet just can't touch, and with Mendoza at the helm, the focus stays on the arrangements themselves. It's a big-band night in the middle of the week, which is a nice change of pace if you're usually out on the weekends.

The show starts at 9 PM at The Elephant Room, so it's a late-night one. If you're planning to be there, keep in mind it's a Wednesday, not a weekend date. The music kicks off at 9 PM.