Aug 30

Aug 30 Chicago Jazzfest--Day 2

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Festivals, Musicians, Jazz, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

In terms of star power, Day 2 of Chicago’s 2019 Jazzfest probably has the strongest evening lineup, with George Freeman and Bill Branch, Joel Ross, Ambrose Akinsmusire, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago on the bill. For me, the Art Ensemble is festival’s pinnacle.

Back in 1971, I passed my driver’s license test on a snowy day, meaning I could freely roam the city. On Friday and Saturday nights, that sometimes meant heading down to Dirty Jack’s Record Rack on Farwell Avenue, where I could peruse the cutout bins, and then heading to the Kenwood Inn, where there was excellent live music and no one carding underage teens. For those who never bought record albums back in the day, cutouts were albums that the stores returned to record companies, who then stacked them together, took out a chainsaw to mark them with a cut in the corner, and then sent them to back to stores, where they were sold at steeply discounted prices. Dirty Jack specialized in cut outs from around the world, so it is no surprise that his store is where I discovered the likes of Archie Shepp, Paul Bley, Don Cherry, Dewy Redman, Alan Silva and the Celestial Communication Orchestra, Sun Ra, and the Art of Ensemble of Chicago. For something like $4 or $5, I could buy three of these French import albums. It was a total crapshoot, I didn't know who many of these folks were, but what was inside was always interesting. Some of it I didn’t like, some of it I did. Most of it was pretty whacked.

Free or avant garde jazz has not always been an easy listen. But over the years, I’ve been exposed to a lot of it. As time passes, it becomes more enjoyable and its merits more obvious. The Chicago Jazz Festival has done a nice job over its lifespan of regularly introducing audiences to it, helping break down the obvious barriers.

With the foregoing in mind, I was thrilled to be able to enjoy the 50th anniversary celebration of the Art of Chicago capping today’s performances. The original lineup included Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Lester Bowie, Malachi Favors Maghostut, and Famoudou Don Moye. Sadly, Mitchell and Moye are the only surviving members, but they brought 16 or so other musicians with them, including Tomeka Reid, Junius Paul, Silvia Bolognesi, Dee Alexander, and a number of drummers and percussionists.

Of course, the presence of so many newcomers inevitably raises what is a nonsensical question: Is this still Art Ensemble of Chicago? In one sense, it isn’t the same band that first performed under the AEC moniker in Paris. Could the Beatles ever perform again as the Beatles following the assassination of John Lennon? Both groups had a spirit and process, but the Art Ensemble was less wrapped up in the individual celebrity that captured the public’s mind when the Beatles hit it big. So tonight we experienced a process known as the Art Ensemble of Chicago, which continues to evolve.

As for the music, it was classic free jazz—parts of it I loved; parts of it I disliked. I was struck by the elements of the blues in much of the music, as well as the heavy reliance on percussion. On the other hand, I was not in love with the operatic vocals. But when the performance came to an end, I spoke with someone who had the opposite reaction. They loved the vocals, but disliked much of the instrumental music.

While the Art Ensemble took top billing, the other musicians who performed throughout the day were uniformly terrific. I’ve now seen vibist Joel Ross three or four times. He never disappoints. I also anticipated the Freeman-Branch collaboration. At 92, Freeman still has his chops, which any musician needs if they are going to perform with harpist Branch. The two played a number of selections from Freeman’s new album, George the Bomb, including the good natured, Where’s the Cornbread?

Of the daytime performances, I particularly enjoyed the collaboration between vocalist Dee Alexander and Jim Gailloreto’s Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. They focused on some of what might best be described as Billie Holiday’s back catalogue.

Overall, it was a great day of jazz.