DENVER — A very special concert in Denver Friday, celebrating the life of legendary Denver bass player Charles Burrell who died last month at age 104. Dazzle jazz club hosted the tribute show with stories and music supplied by Burrell's cousin, pianist Purnell Steen and his band the Five Points Ambassadors.
Burrell's resume is well-known in music circles. He was the first Black member of a major U.S. symphony orchestra, first with the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1949 and then with the San Franciso Symphony. Burrell was also a fixture in the Denver's Five Points jazz scene during its hayday when it was known as the "Harlem of the West." He played alongside jazz greats including Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington.
Burrell spent his last few birthday's at Dazzle jazz club, an honor co-owner Matt Ruff will never forget.
"He's obviously iconic. So his legacy is huge. He broke barriers that nobody else had broken and had the strength to do it. Unapologetically and based on his talent. He's huge," said Dazzle co-owner, Matt Ruff.
Friday's matinee tribute also featured students from the school that was named after him in 2022, Charles Burrell Visual and Performing Arts Campus, a performing arts K-through-8 school in Aurora.
"I could tell how much he loved everything he did and how he showed up to every event we had at the school. It was just an honor to meet him and see him in person," said Burrell Arts student Lailani Campell.
"It's really special to he here. I'm really humbled by all this just to be here," said Burrell Arts student Jackson Fiddy.
In 2017, Burrell was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.
He died June 17, 2025.
