Sep 5

Sep 5 Polkadots and Jazz

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

August is Charlie Parker month at Chicago’s Jazz Showcase. No surprise there. The Showcase’s founder, Joe Segal, held Parker in high esteem, as evidenced by the six-foot high photograph of Parker behind on the wall behind the musicians.

Joe died at age 94 in 2020, but his son Wayne carries on. Apparently Wayne decided to extend Parker’s month by a few days. Saxophone legend Gary Bartz completed his four-day gig at the Showcase today. In case you are unfamiliar with Bartz, he has played with just about everybody during his 80 years on this planet, including Miles Davis, Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, and Charles Tolliver, to name just a few.

Bartz opened his set with Parker’s Yardbird Suite. Along the way, he also slipped Parker’s Koko into the mix, as well as a tune by Sidney Bechet. He prefers not to identify songs. Instead, the set flows from one number to another with little chatter from the stage. For my money, that’s fine. I heard lots of familiar phrases during the 90-minute set, but I am terrible when it comes to putting song titles to the notes as they resonate from the bandstand.

When I sat down before the set began, I couldn’t help but notice the alto and soprano saxophones perched on the stage. Both were in impeccable condition, with mesmerizing shines. That pretty much sums up Bartz’s style. There is no honking and very few pauses. His effort is best described as fluid, with a pure and warm tone. Not too fast; not too many notes. In short, splendid.

With Bartz were Marlene Rosenberg on bass, Richard Johnson on piano, and Bob Rummage on drums. All are Chicago-based musicians. What was particularly notable about this configuration was how well they jelled as a unit behind Bartz. One might have thought that he had been playing with them nightly for years. Bartz was the draw, but he is a generous soul. No perfunctory short solos from the bass, piano, or drums. Bartz often stood to the side, letting the trio work its magic, which more than complemented what Bartz has just played and what he would follow the solos with.

Photographer Dawoud Bey was in the audience. Normally, I don’t bother celebrities, but I had a question for Bey about how his series entitled Underground Railroad was framed, and whether the reflections in the glass were intentional when I saw it displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. I told him that I was headed to New York with his exhibit at the Whitney at the top of my to-do list. I then let him be.

The weather was so splendid today that I walked the 5.5 miles from my house to the Showcase, so the images below include a couple of images from my journey to and from the Showcase.

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