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mojosmomI didn't get to much of the Thursday or Friday programming, because most of it was during the day and I had to work! Outrageous! But I got down to Millennium Park on Friday evening in time for the tail end of the Mike LeDonne Quartet, and catching what I'd really gone down to hear, which was Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Orchestra, followed by the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Mitchell was artist-in-residence this year, so was all over the Festival. There were a few sprinkles of rain early on, but I had my umbrella. I also had brought a lightweight blanket, which I needed, because it got cold, but it was a great evening, musically-speaking!
On Saturday, I spent the morning running the usual errands, and got down to Grant Park shortly before 1:00 p.m. I pretty much went back and forth among the various venues, heard the Douglas Ewart Nyahbingi Drum Choir; the Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Ensemble (this school is just down the street from me); the West End Jazz Band, which specializes in classic jazz of the '20s and '30s. My favorite afternoon performances were Maggie Brown's "Tribute to Abbey Lincoln" and Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections. As I wandered back toward the food and the Petrillo Music Shell for the evening performances, I encountered The Stooges Brass Band, up from New Orleans, parading down Jackson with the second line behind. (See this journal entry for a definition of "second line".) Huge fun! I didn't stay for all the evening events, but enjoyed the Chuchito Valdés Quintet, and René Marie. She did her suite, "Voice of my Beautiful Country", in which she re-wrote the melodies to "America the Beautiful" and "My Country Tis of Thee" but retained the lyrics. The last movement is stunning: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (which is, of course, itself written to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven").
For the first time this year, there were performances at the Jazz and Heritage stage that overlapped with the main event at the Petrillo. This had its drawbacks, as the sound bled over, not a good thing with a quiet performer like René Marie. When her performance finished, I went over to the other stage and caught the last half-hour of Corey Wilkes' Black Slang, which was awesome.
Then I stopped by the Robinson's No. 1 Ribs booth and had a boneless rib sandwich for dinner.
Sunday, after breakfast and the newspaper, I headed back to the Fest. I heard the end of Paulinho Garcia's set, got some sweet potato fries and headed off to hear most of the Bethany Pickens Trio set. I then went back to the Jackson Stage to catch Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble, with guest harpist Edmar Castaneda. Again to the Jazz and Heritage stage for the end of NOMO, and all of Saalik ziyad's 5 after 7 Project. The Stooges Brass Band was marching again, having a real good time:
Somewhere in here I bought a pair of silver earrings from Chester Allen.
I had a ticket for a preferred seating area for the Petrillo Music Shell, and had to take it up by 5:00, so I went over there and got seated, enjoying the Brad Mehldau Trio, Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls and Henry Threadgill's Zooid, before the headliner, the Kurt Elling Quartet, with Ernie Watts:\
THE END of another great Chicago Jazz Festival:
(More Jazz Fest photos here.)
Today, I did laundry and grocery shopping!
On Saturday, I spent the morning running the usual errands, and got down to Grant Park shortly before 1:00 p.m. I pretty much went back and forth among the various venues, heard the Douglas Ewart Nyahbingi Drum Choir; the Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Ensemble (this school is just down the street from me); the West End Jazz Band, which specializes in classic jazz of the '20s and '30s. My favorite afternoon performances were Maggie Brown's "Tribute to Abbey Lincoln" and Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections. As I wandered back toward the food and the Petrillo Music Shell for the evening performances, I encountered The Stooges Brass Band, up from New Orleans, parading down Jackson with the second line behind. (See this journal entry for a definition of "second line".) Huge fun! I didn't stay for all the evening events, but enjoyed the Chuchito Valdés Quintet, and René Marie. She did her suite, "Voice of my Beautiful Country", in which she re-wrote the melodies to "America the Beautiful" and "My Country Tis of Thee" but retained the lyrics. The last movement is stunning: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (which is, of course, itself written to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven").
For the first time this year, there were performances at the Jazz and Heritage stage that overlapped with the main event at the Petrillo. This had its drawbacks, as the sound bled over, not a good thing with a quiet performer like René Marie. When her performance finished, I went over to the other stage and caught the last half-hour of Corey Wilkes' Black Slang, which was awesome.
Then I stopped by the Robinson's No. 1 Ribs booth and had a boneless rib sandwich for dinner.
Sunday, after breakfast and the newspaper, I headed back to the Fest. I heard the end of Paulinho Garcia's set, got some sweet potato fries and headed off to hear most of the Bethany Pickens Trio set. I then went back to the Jackson Stage to catch Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble, with guest harpist Edmar Castaneda. Again to the Jazz and Heritage stage for the end of NOMO, and all of Saalik ziyad's 5 after 7 Project. The Stooges Brass Band was marching again, having a real good time:
Somewhere in here I bought a pair of silver earrings from Chester Allen.
I had a ticket for a preferred seating area for the Petrillo Music Shell, and had to take it up by 5:00, so I went over there and got seated, enjoying the Brad Mehldau Trio, Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls and Henry Threadgill's Zooid, before the headliner, the Kurt Elling Quartet, with Ernie Watts:\
THE END of another great Chicago Jazz Festival:
(More Jazz Fest photos here.)
Today, I did laundry and grocery shopping!
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Date: 2010-09-07 08:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-08 10:29 am (UTC)