We know, it’s August 2010. But this month, Calgary’s jazz community is channelling the spirit of the 1950s. If a late-month tribute to Cannonball Adderley isn’t enough proof, this week Calgary hosts a drummer whose name alone conjures images of bebop: Max Roach.

But hold your horses. This isn’t the Max Roach who gigged with Miles and Monk, but it might be a close second. Roach version 2.0 — named after the legend himself — is a young, Toronto-based drummer, and a solid sideman, to boot. He’ll be at Beat Niq on August 18 and 19, performing with the McElroy-Davis group.

Led by New York pianist Kris Davis — whose reputation is built on her talents as an improviser, composer and bandleader — expect nights of solid, perhaps spectacular, performances. Davis, who originally hails from Canada, trained in classical piano at the esteemed Royal Conservatory of Music. She’ll be joined by bassist Brendan McElroy, a Mount Royal College university product who’s built a career on performance, teaching and composing — his projects have found him working in film and video game projects.

And then, of course, there’s Roach. Having opened for the likes of Kurt Elling, he’s equally at home with jazz as he is with hip hop, funk and soul. What this means, of course, is that there’s a heavy mix of influences and talents here, and the group should deliver compositions as original as they are exciting.

But aside from the ’50s, there’s also a New York thread running through town this month. The Ralph Bowen Trio rolls into town for one night only, and its lineup is all Big Apple. Saxman Bowen’s been a staple for the city’s jazz scene for more than 20 years, and his resume shows it: He’s played with Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Michael Brecker and Chu Chu Valzez, amongst others.

The trio’s other members aren’t slouches, either. Drummer John Riley’s freelanced with the heavies, including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. Meanwhile, bassist Kenny Davis has played alongside Herbie Hancock and performed for three years with Jay Leno’s Tonight Show ensemble. The gig’s part of the Mount Royal University Summer Jazz Workshop, happening at the Beat Niq on Friday, August 20.

Finally, to close the month, Beat Niq is hosting an Adderley Brothers tribute, meant to commemorate the music of the famed Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and his brother, Nat. Cannonball was a hard bop alto-saxophonist, active during the ’50s and ’60s; Nat, for his part, was a cornet player with his brother before moving on to play with Johnny Griffin, Sonny Fortune and others.

One of the most exciting jazz groups of its era, Calgary musicians — led by alto sax player Gerry Hébert, trumpeter Johnny Summers, drummer Jon McCaslin, bassist Kodi Hutchison and pianist Stephen Fletcher — will try to recapture the Adderleys’ thunder. Bring on ’50s, indeed.