Multi-reed instrumentalist Jeff Chan was between numbers during his trio’s set in the Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater when he started riffing on the weather. It was a gorgeous day outside, and yet lots of people were seated in front of Chan listening to music in a dimly-lit seating area. According to Chan, he decided to move from California to Chicago in 2002 because in California the theater would have been empty, but in Chicago people are crazy enough to opt for music indoors over beautiful weather outdoors.

With the winter months fast approaching, I understand the Californians’ lifestyle choices. Nevertheless, each year, at the end of summer, I look forward to the first day of Chicago Jazzfest, which always begins as an indoor event. I am a huge fan of the Claudia Cassidy Theater’s large stage, ample, but intimate seating area, well-lit stage, and excellent acoustics. This year the festival programmers adhered to tradition, bringing saxophonist Ernest Dawkins and his young proteges back to the Cassidy Theater.

Dawkins continues to assure that jazz has a lively future by mentoring extremely gifted, aspiring teenage musicians, collectively known as Live the Spirit. Drummer Oscar Everly did not return this year, having aged out of the program. I am told that he is a first-year student attending the New England Conservatory of Music. Replacing him was the equally talented and charismatic Macari Ramsey. The lineup also included two trumpeters—Nathaniel Hartigan and Jamal Damien—bassist Galen Morris, pianist Miles Richey, and Dawkins on saxophone and hand-held percussion. Many of the selections were written by the student.

Unlike many performances by high school students, this one did not suffer from false starts, out of tune instruments, or wrong notes. These kids are true professionals, who should be given a closing slot at the Pritzker Pavilion.

Dawkins draws a distinction between ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ music—outside being ‘out there,’ otherwise known as free-form or whacked jazz, and ‘inside’ being less abstract—ballads, bop, blues, or sometimes referred to as straight-ahead jazz. Today, Dawkins and company concentrated on inside jazz, with plenty of solos, duets, and group efforts. The tempo and style change from one number to the next. I was particularly impressed by the trumpet solos, as well as Galen Morris’ electric bass work, where each note was distinct, forceful, and accentuated. Ramsey knows how to keep the beat, while offering some tasteful swing. He is not bombastic.

Prior to Dawkins and Live the Spirit, I caught two numbers in Preston Bradley Hall by IRIS, a group of musicians led by tenor saxophonist Arman Sangalang, who decided to take on Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ 1963 album, Three Blind Mice. I did not envy anyone in the group—who in their right mind would attempt to recreate the magic produced by the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, or Jymie Merritt? From what I heard, the group, comprised of trombonist Kirby Fellis, pianist Austyn Monk, bassist Morgan Turner, and drummer Paul Barliles acquitted themselves well. Also with them was Chicago favorite, trumpeter Russ Johnson. Blakey’s humor was certainly evident when in the middle of one selection, the children’s rhyme Three Blind Mice emerged from the mix.

Next up, clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid brought her group, the DJAZ Quartet, to the Cassidy stage for what Dawkins might characterize as ‘outside’ jazz despite having what might be characterized as clear through lines. In addition to playing the clarinet, Dawid added some vocals, with what be described as poetry. With her were flutist Molly Jones, Ben Zucker, who doubled on the cornet and vibraphone, and cellist Ishmael. Zucker was particularly impressive—one moment with mallets in hand hitting the vibraphone’s keys, and the next playing muted cornet.

Like a ping pong ball, I found myself back in Bradley Hall for an outstanding performance by The New Deal, a foursome that specializes in Parisian Hot Jazz from the 1930s. Think Django Reinhardt, who is one of my favorites. Kevin Rush and Steve Kelly handled the acoustic guitars, while Teri Foster played the clarinet and bassist Ed Sullivan added the necessary bottom to tunes like Bye Bye Blackbird.

The two guitarists alternated, with one playing lead while the other provided the rhythm, eliminating the need for a drummer. I am always disturbed that this sort of music is relegated to daytime time slots on the smaller stages. The New Deal could certainly capture and hold the attention of everyone sitting on the lawn at the Pritzker Pavilion.

At 2:30 PM, it was back to the Cassidy Theater for the Jeff Chan Trio, which included bassist Ausberto Acevedo and drummer Vijay Anderson. in the Dawkins’ vernacular, Chan’s trio plays ‘outside’ music, although the flow was linear, with a clear starts and endings. As I get older, I grow less tolerant of this sort of jazz, but Chan and company certainly know what they are doing.

When I returned to the Bradley Hall, I returned to more traditional jazz, with pianist and arranger Miguel de la Cerna bringing bassist Micah Collier and drummer Frank Morrison into the fold. The great tenor saxophonist Ari Brown took the lead. This was pure ‘inside’, straight ahead jazz that could have easily found its way onto a Blue Note release from the Sixties or early Seventies. Timeless.

At this point, I headed out to grab a sandwich, and then returned to catch vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz take on the music of Roscoe Mitchell. Adasiewicz engaged in the equivalent of high-wire act—just him taking on some complex compositions. I only caught the last three numbers. It was an excellent effort, that brought loud applause from the audience, which was overflowing from the hall into the Cultural Center’s marble staircase.

The evening ended with a solo piano performance by AACM member Amina Claudine Meyers, who is a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master. She also played organ and added vocals. Listening to her, I was reminded of a solo performance by Keith Jarrett at New York’s Avery Fischer Hall back in 1975. Meyers is far more rooted in gospel and the Blues, spending far more time on the piano’s lower register, as opposed to Jarrett who was more focused on the upper registers and single notes. Yet, both performances exhibited gravitas. I knew I was hearing something special, which was a good way to bring Day 1 of the 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival to a close.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]

Copyright 2024, Jack B. Siegel. All Rights Reserved. Do Not Alter, Copy, Display, Distribute, Download, Duplicate, or Reproduce Without the Prior Written Consent of the Copyright Holder.