2019 CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL

2019 CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL REVIEW

Text and photos by Greg Turner

There is always a lot to choose from musically in Chicago and its never more evident during the now 10 day long Chicago Jazz Festival. Performances are held in various city locales during the first 6 days, but Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park is where the Festival headliners perform during the last 4 days, and there is always a large variety of music performed comes under the “jazz” word. I missed Thursday’s performances, but arrived at the park late Friday afternoon.

Joel Ross - Photo by Greg Turner

After 2 well received sets of all original music from Blue Note labelmates, Vibraphonist and Chicago native Joel Ross and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, Friday’s performances concluded with the 50th anniversary celebration of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. A quintet in its heyday, the ensemble has expanded to 15 people, including the last 2 surviving members, a string quartet, a couple of percussionists, a conductor, and electronics. As a result the music sometimes sounded symphonic, sometimes African, sometimes electronic noise, certainly not what one would expect.

Ambrose Akinmusire - Photo by Greg Turner

Saturday’s highlights included Chicago pianist Ryan Cohen, as he presented his Originations group, which included several of his frequent jazz collaborators and another string quartet, They played a diverse program of Cohen compositions that reflected his Arabic and Jewish heritage. Having missed their show in Cincinnati last October, I was looking forward to seeing and hearing bassist Christian McBride’s New Jawn and they did not disappoint. It’s always a joy hearing a band perform at the highest level, playing their original compositions with emotion, precision and NO MUSIC STANDS. Nasheet Waits drove them hard with his dynamic drumming while trumpeter Josh Evans and saxophonist Marcus Strickland responded with strength.

Christian McBride - Photo by Greg Turner

Nasheet Waits - Photo by Greg Turner

Camilia Meza - Photo by Donna Turner

Antonio Sanchez - Photo by Donna Turner

Melissa Aldana - Photo by Donna Turner

Sunday’s mainstage performances seemed to have a Latin American theme after the free improvising first group. Chilean vocalist/guitarist Camila Meza sang some in Spanish and Portuguese, and her Nectar Orchestra, a jazz group augmented by yet another string quartet, accompanied her with sounds she heard while growing up in Chile. Latino America Unida, an all-star group featuring another Chilean, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, Puerto Rican alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon and Mexican drummer Antonio Sanchez, debuted with their original compositions of modern acoustic jazz. Having read much about her, I was looking forward to seeing and hearing Aldana live, and she is the real deal. 

Eddie Palmieri - Photo by Donna Turner

The festival closed with a set from Puerto Rican music legend, New York born and raised, Eddie Palmieri’s sextet that was more jazz oriented than expected because of extended trumpet and saxophone solos. But the grooves were still danceable, and the audience danced.

And that’s another year of the Chicago Jazz Festival. Thanks to my wife Donna for letting me use some of her photos because I lost all my Sunday photos because of a bad SD card, but hopefully I’ll be able to attend the Pritzker Pavillon performances next year and I will get it right.

Greg Turner  9/28/19