There’s an old saying in jazz communities: Play a wrong note once,
it’s a mistake. Play a wrong note twice, it’s jazz.

Contemporary jazz is no exception to this adage.

High-energy, contemporary-jazz group Turning Point—along with
Grammy-nominated artist and ex-Jefferson Starship lead guitarist Craig
Chaquico—are teaming up for a special “one night only” show
Saturday evening in Tucson.

Mixing jazz with elements of rock, funk, blues, Latin jazz and Greek
folk, the musicians plan to take listeners on a improvised journey
through their past musical exploits—and possible future
beginnings.

“Since we’re not (Chaquico’s) usual touring band, we get a different
vibe when we play together,” said Turning Point bandleader Thano
Sahnas. “It’s a free-flowing experience.”

During the early- and mid-1990s, Turning Point, based in Phoenix,
paid their dues by playing numerous shows each year at clubs around the
West Coast. In a short amount of time, the group forged a reputation as
one of the most progressive and exciting contemporary-jazz bands coming
out of the Valley of the Sun.

Turning Point has a two-part philosophy to playing shows.

“First, we play music that we like personally; nothing is
contrived.” said Sahnas. “Second, we have as much fun performing with
less regard for accuracy. The more accurate we try to be, the less
interesting we are to watch.”

While playing a jazz festival in Phoenix in the 1990s, the group met
Chaquico. A chemistry between the musicians developed into a
decade-long jam session, and they now meet up about twice a year to
share their love of music.

“Chaquico was one of the few artists in the contemporary-jazz world
who opened up the door for us,” said Sahnas.

As a teenager, Chaquico made a name for himself as a session
guitarist for Jefferson Starship. In 1974, Jefferson Starship members
Grace Slick and Paul Kantner asked Chaquico to join the group full-time
as the lead guitarist. Chaquico eagerly accepted and stayed on with the
group through the ’80s, when they changed the name to Starship.

It’s Chaquico’s guitar work that is featured on Starship’s “We Built
This City,” which climbed to the top spot on the Billboard charts in 1985.

By the 1990s, Starship had disbanded, and Chaquico found himself
spending more time at home with his wife.

“I played the acoustic guitar much more than the electric during
that time, because it was quieter,” said Chaquico. “Soon, I began
crafting acoustic songs with a jazz feel due to that.”

The artist released his first solo contemporary-jazz CD, Acoustic
Highway, in 1993, receiving great reviews from the jazz and
mainstream communities alike. But it was Chaquico’s 1994 sophomore solo
release, Acoustic Planet, that caught the public’s attention. It
garnered Chaquico a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album.

Since then, Chaquico has released eight additional CDs, and he is
gearing up to release another, Follow the Sun, on May 19. He
said the title of the new CD is inspired by his many trips to
Arizona.

“I’ve always loved playing in Southern Arizona since my Jefferson
Starship days,” said Chaquico. “The title of the new CD is influenced
by the region, where the people literally follow the sun.”

Their audience can expect perfected improvisation from veteran
musicians who know how to get into the pocket, work the crowd into a
frenzy and then put a song to bed, only to start the whole process over
again.

“We rehearse the beginnings and the endings to many songs we plan on
playing, which leaves a lot of space to jam,” said Sahnas. “Every time
we play together, it’s always a successful show.”

Adds Chaquico: “We’re all great friends and have been for many
years. When we get on stage together, we’re like brothers from
different mothers.”

This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.