Aug 29

Aug 29 Jazzfest, Day 2

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Jazz, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

Heading out the door, I wondered whether I should return for a hoodie, or a long-sleeve shirt. Slightly cooler today, but still sunny. After my initial hesitation, I never gave the temperature a second thought. Instead, I headed straight to the bus stop. Within 35 minutes, I was in Millennium Park.

Clearing security, I heard the familiar sounds of Santana wafting through the air. Oye Como Va, which first appeared on Santana’s 1971 album, Abraxas. Ah, but Carlos was not on the bill today. As I discovered, La Cantera was in the middle of its set, generating danceable music that had many in the crowd up on their feet.

Approaching the stage, I saw Daniel Diaz, who was front and center, playing congas. With him were Alex Lopez on guitar, and Adrian Ruiz on piano, plus an uncredited guitarist, conga player, bassist, pianist, trumpet player, clarinetist, and drummer. The music was not only lively, but varied, in large part because of the many instruments. Everyone had a chance to solo.

During La Cantera’s performance, one band member put in a plug for an upcoming rally in support of migrant rights, while also pointing out that what we were hearing was Puerto Rican jazz, an apparent effort to highlight the different styles of jazz that are under the Latin jazz umbrella. I was unfamiliar with the next song, but like Oye Como Va, it was upbeat.

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

**Daniel Diaz (aka Daniel Conga) Adding His Vocals**

**Daniel Diaz (aka Daniel Conga) About to Strike**

**Adding a Second Guitar (Electric) to the Puerto Rican Flavor**

**Bringing Her Trumpet to Add Punch to the Puerto Rican Sound**

**Alex Lopez Adding Vocals and Guitar to La Cantera**

After listening to La Cantera perform three numbers, I headed over to the WDCB Jazz Lounge, where pianist JoAnn Daugherty was performing with her group, Better Together. With her were Joshua Ramos (bass), Ryan Bennett (drums), and Henry Johnson (guitar). After a short break, singer Bruce Henry took the stage.

With Johnson present, the atmosphere was tinged with the blues, but Daugherty’s electric piano had a light, airy sound to it, which was complemented the transition from summer to fall that we were experiencing.

When Bruce Henry stepped up to the mike, he did what was described as a message song. I didn’t catch the title, but I did hear the line, “Peace and love to everyone.”

I was very impressed when the band paid homage to Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman. As a kid, I hated what I considered to be an MOR number that didn’t rock. Campbell’s Top 40 hit became a staple of late Sixties television, sung on the comedy/musical variety hours that appealed to adults. Campbell even hosted his own version—The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. With age, I came to appreciate Jimmy Webb’s lyrics, which imagine what a guy you is working all day by himself repairing telephone lines thinks about as he works.

What I heard was quite enjoyable. Daugherty plugged what apparently is a weekly gig at Winter’s Jazz Club. I will make a point of checking her band out this fall.

**Listening to Jazz on a Glorious Afternoon**

**JoAnn Daugherty Playing Electric Piano with Her Friends**

**Joshua Ramos Bringing His Bass to Better Together**

**Henry Johnson is Everywhere this Weekend**

**Vocalist Bruce Henry Joining JoAnn Daugherty**

**Stop Screwing Around; Get Some Sausages on the Grill**

I didn’t want to miss trumpeter Marques Carroll at the Von Freeman Pavilion, so I reversed my steps. When I arrived, Victor Garcia was sitting at the tent’s entrance, limbering up his fingers. On stage, there was not just Carroll, but two other trumpeters—Ryan Nyther and Quentin Coaxum. Garcia would soon be the fourth, although he brought a flugelhorn with him. Not a trumpet, at least in mind, but close enough. Behind this august frontline were Julius Tucker (bass), Christian Dillingham (bass), and Greg Artry (drums), each a known quantity and well-respected musician.

Four horns on the frontline. I immediately recalled the time I saw Count Basie at Carnegie Hall back in the mid-Seventies. Fabulous, but Basie’s band was loud and propulsive with its gigantic horn section. For that reason, I was very impressed with Carroll and his fellow trumpeters. They did work together, as well as taking solos, but overall, the volume was low and the result was subtle. I was particularly impressed by one extended ballad. Well done.

Afterwards, I ran into Carroll giving an interview in front of Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (aka, The Bean). When the interview wrapped, I said to Carroll, “Were you guys taking revenge on the sax players of the world?” He laughed.

**Marques Carroll Joining Three Other Trumpet Players Today**

**Julius Tucker Accompanying Marcus Carroll**

**Christian Dillingham Providing Bass Lines for Four Trumpet Players**

**Ryan Nyther Leaning Forward as He Plays**

**Victor Garcia Joining the Other Three, But on Flugelhorn**

By now it was time to head to the Pritzker Pavilion for today’s performances on main stage. Singer Sarah Marie Young was the opening act. Clad in a pink coat, Young immediately won me over with her well-rounded, but wistful voice. With Young were pianist Amy Fahmy, guitarist Matt Gold, and drummers Bryan Doherty and Neal Wehman. Toward the end of Young’s set, her husband, Guy King (guitar and vocals), joined her.

I always enjoy hearing Gold, who plays a Fender Stratocaster, bringing an understated, tasteful vibe. Included in Young’s set were John Lennon’s Jealous Guy, the Beatles’, With a Little Help from My Friends, Harry Connick’s Song for the Hopeful, and her husband’s, Up Up Up. My notes show that Donny Hathaway’s name was mentioned, but I don’t recall the song that Young sang.

Toward the end of her set, Young had a surprise: Joey Castillo, a dancer took the stage. She leapt from one side of the stage to the other, twisting her body, bending low, and twirling. It was a nice touch. particularly Castillo’s bright red dress.

I ran into Young in the Merch tent, where she was talking with a fan. During the course of the conversation, she mentioned that she was performing at three weddings over weekend, telling the fan that today’s performance was the fun part of her weekend. And yes, she does Bar Mitzvahs—I asked.

**Sarah Marie Young Is Playing a Mighty Small Guitar?**

**Matt Gold Accompanying Sarah Marie Young**

**Sarah Marie Younger Performing John Lennon’s Jealous Guy**

**A Dancer Adding Visuals to Sarah Marie Young's Set**

**Sarah Marie Young Taking Time Behind the Piano Keys**

**Neal Wehman on Drums (with Sarah Marie Younger)**

**Sarah Marie Younger Singing as the Band Plays**

At some point during the afternoon, I returned to the WDCD Jazz Lounge, where trumpeter Dakarai Barclay’s sextet was performing. I stayed for just two numbers. His band was mining the bop tradition, with Elio Wijaya on electric piano, Addison Jordan on tenor saxophone, Brendan Whalen on trombone, Carmani Edwards on bass, and Josh Ross on drums.

You might ask: Why not more photographs? Simply, with that many people in a small tent, the visual distractions (mics, music stands, and cluttered backgrounds) were visually overwhelming.

**Pianist Eli Wijaya Playing with the Dakarai Barclay Sextet**

When I returned to the Pritzker Pavilion, Silvia Manrique and Marcel Bonfim were taking the stage. Bonfim is a Brazilian-born bassist and Manrique is a Chicago vocalist who has worked in the salsa vain. With them were Casey Dahl on piano, Jonathan Wensel on drums, and Gerald Martinez on flute and tenor saxophone.

Their music was pleasant, but for me, a little Brazilian music goes a long way. Those in the red seats and on the lawn liked what they heard.

**Drummer Jonathan Wenzel Adding His Subtle Touch**

**Marcel Bonfim Singing While Playing Bass**

**Casey Dahl Dragging His Fingers Across the Keys**

**Gerald Martinez Switching to the Soprano Saxophone**

**Marcel Bonfim Switching to the Electric Bass**

**Bobbi Wilson Introducing Patricia Barber**

After a quick set change, pianist and vocalist Patricia Barber took the stage. With her were Emma Dayhuff (bass), Neal Agler (guitar), and Jon Deitemyer (drums). Hands down, Barber and company delivered the festival’s standout musical performance.

Many in the audience were familiar with Barber, who was a staple at the now defunct Gold Star Sardine Bar during the early Nineties. Visually, Barber is not flashy, sitting largely motionless atop a large pillow, with her face turned away from the audience. She certainly isn’t Ella or Sarah Vaughn. Nope. She is a subtle, quick-witted vocalist, who accentuates individual words with an often spoken, but lush voice.

Barber packs a lot of content into each song. Take for example, If I Were Bue, which offers up a a travel through art history. Barber sings,

If I were blue like David Hockney’s pool; dive into me and glide under a California sky; inside your mouth and nose and eyes am I

If I were blue like Edward Hopper’s afternoon; lift the sash of the breeze; left my summer flush you cheek, lie supine beneath the soft gentle season

Further into the song, Barber similarly namechecks Goya and Picasso. Throughout her songs, she engages in similar wordplay, with cultural references, clever juxtapositions, metaphors, and analogies sprinkled liberally throughout Hearing her tonight, I thought, Esperanza Spalding must have listened to Barber’s albums, because at times last night, Spalding tried to emulate Barber. I’ll take Barber, her lyrics, and voice over Spaulding any day of the week.

Although Barber performed songs written at different times, there was a consistency. She could have just as well been performing a single album in its entirety. Make no mistake, the other musicians were vital to achieving that effect. Each instrument stood out from the others. Each player said more with less.

Toward the end of her set, however, Barber opted for a popular classic, Santana’s Black Magic Woman. And somewhere toward the end of her performance, Barber, who originates from Chicago, said, “I don’t know. It doesn’t look like a Hellhole to me.” Ah, another thinly-veiled reference to Donald J. Trump.

Simply a dazzling performance. I will be listening to Barber’s albums in the days to come.

**Bassist Emma Dayhuff Using the Bow as She Accompanies Patrica Barber**

**Neal Alger Adding Subtle Notes to Patricia Barber's Complex Wordplay**

**Finally, a Smile from Patricia Barber**

**Patricia Barber Thanking the Audience for Their Applause**

For me, Monty Alexander was both disappointing and loads of fun. I was familiar with him as a solo pianist. He was one of 42 pianists who released solo piano recitals that were recorded at Berkeley’s Maybeck Hall from 1989 to 1994. Tonight, Alexander’s Jamaican heritage was on full display. With him were Robert Thomas Jr. (hand drums), Luke Sellick (bass), and Jason Brown (drums). Before starting, Alexander referenced rocksteady, ska, skittle, and reggae, all popular forms of Jamaican music.

Being Friday night, Alexander opted for the fun and familiar. He punctuated his set with hard chords, while striking the high keys. He played Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, the 007 James Bond theme song first heard in 1962’s Dr. No., and When the Saints Go Marching.

Alexander is a highly animated performer, standing up, sitting down, turning from side to side. Lots of fun, but maybe a bit gimmicky. Certainly, an excellent way to end another day of jazz.