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JazzFest, Day 3

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.

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

Mike Ross Taking the Lead Vocals on Compared To What

Drummer Malcolm Banks With Mike Ross

Bassist Ron Hall Adding Bottom To Compared To What

Pianist Roger Harris With the Mike Ross Quartet

Two Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Band Musicians Waiting To Hit The Stage

A Young Saxophone Player With the Youth Ensemble of DuPage

Getting Ready To Perform

Balancing His Sax and His Phone

Pianist With the Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Band

Playing the Flugelhorn With the Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Band

For Those Who Are Hungry or Trying to Rehydrate

James Brandon Lewis Leading His Quartet

Ron Hall Working With James Brandon Lewis

Drummer Malcom Banks Keeping the Beat With James Brandon Lewis

Getting Festival Goers Ready For the Rapture

Belting Out the National Anthem

Lee Rothenberg Playing With Dennis Carroll

Mar Vilaseca Performing With With Dennis Carroll

Up Close With Dennis Carroll

A Moment of Reflection

Up Close

Dennis Carroll Finally Fronting His Own Band

Mar Vilaseca Adding Vocals To Dennis Carroll's Efforts

An Intense Glare From The Drummer At the WDCB Tent

Quite the Spread

Checking Out The Program

Jeff Parker Creating Wonderful Sounds Using His Guitar and Foot Pedals

Up Close

Josh Johnson Playing Saxophone With Jeff Parker and The New Breed

Jeff Parker With Bassist Paul Bryan

Now Playing Keyboards and Synthesizers

Adding Some Sound Effects

Jeff Parker and the New Breed Playing Even With the Flotsam Behind Them

Relaxing While Listening To Jazz On A Saturdafternoon

Paul MautzabaughWith the Charles Heath Quartet At the WDCB Tent

Unidentified Saxophonist With the Charles Heath Quartet

Protected From the Beating Sun

Smoothly

Accompanying René Marie

René Marie Opening Up

Unidentified Bassist With René Marie

Singing Some Dinah Washington

Quentin E. Baxter Keeping the Beat

Playing Drums With the Soul Message Band

Kenny Garrett's Band Is So Hot It Needs A Fan

Moving Like a Cat

Going Down Low

Percussionist Rudolph Brown Playing With Kenny Garrett

With Keith Brown On Electric Keys

Melvis Santa Adding Some Percussion and Vocals To Kenny Garrett's Brew

Michael Ode (with Kenny Garrett) Let's Out a Rebel Yell

Time For Some Hand Claps

The Music Is Smoking Hot

Bassist Jeremiah Edwards Playing With Kenny Garrett

Four Of the Six Members Of the Ancestors

Time For Some Bongos

Michael Ode Close Up

Kenny Garrett's Hands At Work

Kenny Garrett Sending Sheets of Notes Into the Ether

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