Aug 31

Aug 31 JazzFest, Day 3

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

Unfortunately, I missed several of the day’s opening acts. Of interest to me was a performance by the Windy City Ramblers, a band that combines the sounds of New Orleans and Chicago, but four days of jazz is a lot of music, and it simply isn’t possible to experience it all. Yet, a frontline with five trombones. Wow.

I did arrive in time in catch the 2:00 PM performance on the Von Freeman stage by guitarist Mike Ross. Smartly attired in all white, Ross was holding a beautiful hollow-body guitar. He opened his set with the Les McCann and Eddie Harris 1969 classic, Compared to What. Ross and company had all the inflections right, although the bass was a bit overbearing—most likely due to how the sound engineers handle the mix rather than choices made by bassist Ron Hall.

I stuck around for Ross’ next number, but left mid song, heading to the Harris Theater Rooftop, where the Young Lions of Jazz were performing. Each year, the programming committee reserves the rooftop stage for high school students from around the Chicago area. Today the focus was on big bands—I caught the Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage’s last two numbers, and then waited for the Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Band to begin its set. Both bands are obviously filled with talented young musicians. Once again, I heard solid jazz, with no botched notes or false starts, at least that my ears could detect.

Yet, I do not like the high school big band format, largely because it reflects an adult sensibility. The band directors are the ones who select the music and curate the sound. I much prefer what I heard in the Claudia Cassidy Theater on Thursday—five high school students who wrote many of songs that they played. The format is more intimate, and most importantly, far less driven by the adults.

After listening to the Kenwood High students for a while, I headed to the WDCB tent, where drummer Charles Heath was leading a quartet. Heath has been a fixture on the Chicago jazz scene for years, so it was not surprising that he had excellent musicians working him. Not surprisingly, their output was crowd-pleasing, straight-ahead jazz. On my way to the Heath set, I could hear Mike Ross still playing; this time a familiar tune by Van Morrison.

I, however, needed leave Heath and friends after a selection or to. Bassist Dennis Carroll was finally out front, leading his own group as the opening act in the Pritzker Pavilion. Like Heath, Carroll is a Chicago fixture, playing with countless musicians, including nationally-known players who are in town for a weekend at the Jazz Showcase or another club. Because he is a bass player, he doesn’t receive the credit that he deserves, which is a shame because his playing is always tasteful.

Today, Carroll had guitarist Lee Rothenberg, saxophonist Greg Ward, drummer Neil Hemphill, and an unidentified pianist (not listed in the program) with him, together with vocalist Mar Vilaseca. Simply put, Carroll should have assumed a leadership role long ago. His band was terrific, with a very interesting sound. Vilaseca at times sounded like Flora Purim when she was with Chick Corea during the acoustic days of Return to Forever. But Vilaseca could change her vocals up on a dime, which was quite evidence when she and Ward were featured in what might be described as a duet. Vilaseca stood her own with Ward, who is known for his fiery runs. She dropped the Purim ethereal vocalese, turning into the perfect foil for Ward.

Later in the evening, I ran into Carroll and Vilaseca, which provided me the opportunity to shower them with effusive praise. I decided then and there to talk to a contact who is a position to bring this aggregation of musicians back to the bandstand.

Once Carroll’s set was complete, I briefly returned to the WDCB tent for a performance by Lynne Jordan & the Shivers. Jordan was respectable, but René Marie & Experiment in Truth were beckoning me to the Pritzker Pavilion..

Marie returned to more traditional jazz vocals, at least when compared with Vilaseca’s effort. She managed to work a number about voting into her set, but kept on the right side of the line, never endorsing a particular candidate—although I suspect she and most of those in the audience will be pulling the lever for Harris and Walz.

Following Marie’s set, Kenny Garrett and Sounds From The Ancestors took the stage for the evening’s finale. With Garrett were pianist Keith Brown, bassist Jeremiah Edwards, drummer Michael Ode, percussionist Rudolph Bird, and vocalist Melvis Santa.

Right out of the gate, Garrett was smoking hot, blowing sheets of notes as he paced the stage cat-like. When I headed out into the audience to grab an overview shot of the band, I passed a friend who is a jazz aficionado. I said, “They are blowing the roof off the Pritzker Pavilion.” She responded with an agreeing nod and a big smile.

When I returned to the first row, I continued to listen intently, but as time passed, I grew disenchanted. Garrett never varied the pace—just sheets of notes. Despite all the energy that Garrett was expending, the set turned boring and unsatisfying. It brought back memories of Eighth Grade and Iron Butterfly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Boy, to my ears back then, the extended drum solo was a knockout. The last time I listened to the song a few years back, I laughed. What rubbish.

Even more infuriating was Garrett’s lack of generosity toward the other musicians. Garrett is no Billy Harper. I don’t recall hearing any solos from the other musicians, or Garrett stepping to the side. I subsequently ran into another jazz fiend. She was in agreement with me.

No doubt Garrett is technically proficient, but he has a lot to learn about sharing the stage and building an engaging set. But there is still one day left in the 2024 Chicago Jazz Festival. No doubt more than a few musicians will serve as an antidote to Garrett’s lackluster set. What a waste.

Note: I stayed for about 50 minutes of Garrett’s set, so I don’t know whether he did anything different during his remaining time on stage.

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