The Denver Initiative
Bringing the East Coast to Denver!
The Denver Initiative is a project started by Rocco Lc Williams in partnership with Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge in September 2023. This project features artists from the east coast that Williams has built strong relationships with. The first artist that Williams brought to Denver was Trumpeter and Composer, Jonathan Saraga. Saraga is a Grammy-Winning trumpet player who Williams cultivated a relationship with while Jonathan lived in Boulder, Colorado during his years completing his Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Williams hosted Saraga as part of his Quintet which performed at Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge on September 21, 2023. Their set featured originals from both Williams, Saraga, and other members of the band. The personnel for this concert was: Alex Heffron; guitar, Jonathan Saraga; trumpet, Rocco Lc Williams; vibraphone, Seth Lewis; bass, and Bobby Weins; drums.
The second artist that was featured as part of The Denver Initiative was NYC Trombonist and Composer, Altin Sencalar. Williams first met Sencalar at the Jazz Education Network conference in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 2024. After only spending a short time with Sencalar, Williams already began to speculate about potentially bringing Altin’s talents to the Mile High City. In May 2024, Williams decided that he would be moving to Los Angeles, California in August to pursue his graduate studies at California Institute of the Arts. It was now or never. In partnership with Dazzle, Williams booked a night that worked with Altin’s busy tour schedule in July 2024. The music performed primarily comprised of Altin’s originals and arrangements from his critically acclaimed record, Discover The Present. The personnel for this performance was as follows: Altin Sencalar; trombone, Rocco Lc Williams; vibraphone, Nathan Borton; guitar, Hunter Roberts; bass, and Alejandro Castano; drums.
