44th Annual Tri-C JazzFest

44th Annual Tri-C JazzFest
Playhouse Square
Cleveland, Ohio
June 22-24, 2023

Flanked by a spectacular outdoor chandelier, Cleveland's Playhouse Square has become the largest performing arts mecca outside of New York City. It has also been home to Tri-C JazzFest ever since the event decided to make the calendar move from April to June. In many ways it continues to be a tale of two events. The outdoor stages boast local talent and student performances that are free to the public and often focus on danceable variations of the jazz vernacular. The inside shows are ticketed and involve multiple sets dispersed throughout the early afternoon and well into the evening. It is often the norm however, that the twain shall seldom meet, for many reasons going beyond the scope of this article.

Like many jazz festivals these days, Tri-C has decided in recent times to include more than a fair share of crossover acts, no doubt included to help bring in the crowds and associated dollars. Thursday night's opening gambit featured bassist Richard Bona, followed by African vocalist Angelique Kidjo. Since this show is largely based around raising funds for the college's scholarship fund, the talents involved are picked for their appeal to the type of crowds that support the arts. In addition, the festival used the event this year to present its own Jazz Legend Awards to individuals that have been integral in supporting the jazz community in Northeast Ohio.

Early evening on Friday, the festival kicked into high gear with one of the highlights of the event. Singer Samara Joy has been the darling of the jazz world the past few years and her stunning performance left little doubt as to why she is much appreciated. Joy's opening "Del Sasser" was just one of several examples of her writing her own lyrics to formerly instrumental jazz chestnuts. Later in the set she would do the same thing with Thelonious Monk's "San Francisco Holiday."

Speaking of the recent passing of Brazilian icon Astrud Gilberto, Joy tackled the familiar "Chega de Saudade." It would be a bold choice in that she decided to sing the first part of the tune in Portuguese, her heartfelt approach making it all sounding completely natural. By the piece's conclusion, Joy would ramp up the emotions with a big finish that put on display her immense vocal range.

While much has been written about Joy's love of Sarah Vaughan and other traditional jazz vocalists, she would also reveal her far-reaching tastes with an inspired take on Betty Carter's "Tight." In addition, Joy would charm the audience with her stage presence. Spinning yarns and waxing romantically at times, a tale of finding out about earning her first Grammy nomination while riding an Amtrak train would inspire her original composition, "Linger Awhile." Pianist Luther Allison was in tune with every nuance that Joy's high wire act would take over the course of the evening. In addition, drummer Evan Sherman kept the swing at a premium, with bassist Miguel Migliore holding down the fort.

Even vocalizing this fact to the audience, Christian McBride would be ever cognizant that Joy's set would be a hard act to follow. Now, if McBride had brought his New Jawn ensemble with him, things might have been a lot easier. However, such would not be the case. Be it the fact that summer is prime time for top-shelf jazz musicians working festivals overseas or that McBride was actually in the process of forming yet another band, the newness of this ensemble left the crowd with mixed results.

Working in McBride's favor was his sagacious choice of material. The opening "Theme for Malcolm" by Donald Brown boasted a spirited vibe with some jangly guitar work from Ely Perlman. Chick Corea's "La Fiesta" bristled with excitement thanks to McBride's mercurial bass work. Making a name for herself as a prominent member of the band Artemis, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover served notice as a talent on the rise, even as she continues to carve a voice from an obvious Michael Brecker/Bob Berg slant.

An Akron native and protégé of McBride, guitarist Dan Wilson would wrap up Friday's offerings with a large ensemble fronted by four vocalists paying homage to Stevie Wonder. The theme was something to be admired, as Wonder's music has inspired musicians of all genres for years. The execution was somewhat less than entirely successful, made all the more palpable by the choice of many obscure Wonder pieces.

Pittsburgh drum great David Throckmorton would be the glue holding it all together, his solo on "That Girl" being a highlight of the show. Another McBride associate, vocalist Jennifer Hartswick would also prove to be a pleasant surprise, although it would have been nice to hear a bit more of her burnished trumpet work. The lion's share of the lead vocals would be given over to Jessica Yafanaro, who seemed unsure of herself at times even as she excelled on "Until You Come Back to Me."

A solo piano rendition of "Overjoyed" by Phillip K. Jones III would overstay its welcome, but was quickly forgiven when Samara Joy walked on stage for a stunning cameo on "You and I." It was a singular moment to savor, as was the closing take on "You Haven't Done Nothin'" where the vocalists really hit their marks amidst the imaginative harmonies.

Saturday afternoon's first double bill made for an odd pairing that also included a rather offbeat political rant. Artist-in-residence Braxton Cook first took the stage with a bland and overly-produced set of electric pop music. With credentials earned at Julliard and time spent in Cleveland working with the students at Tri-C, Cook's monologue about the lack of diversity in jazz curriculum seemed at odds with the mixed results of his own presentation. Perhaps a better display of his own chops within the traditional jazz vernacular might have lent a bit more credibility to his spoken words.

A veteran of the jazz studies program at Tri-C both as a student and instructor, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci has been seen regularly at the festival. To his credit, he always manages to bring something new to the table and his group Triad was no exception. With Christian Tamburr on vibes and marimba and Michael Ward-Bergeman on accordion, the trio hit on a cinematic journey that also brought in shades of tango and the Spanish tinge.

Farinacci would reveal his sly sense of humor after performing a rather lengthy opening segment. He would chuckle, "We had to play four in a row because when an audience usually sees this instrumentation on stage, they tend to lose interest and leave quickly unless we keep them engaged." Of course, the masterful improvisations of all three, with the occasional addition of percussionist Patrick Graney, would be more than enough to keep one's attention at every moment.

Over the course of the set, both Farinacci and Tamburr would pick up the microphone to talk at length about the origins of the group and would jokingly discuss their new recording which happened to be recorded at the historic Suma Recording Studio in Painesville. Furthermore, music and dance would become one as Alice Blumenfeld of Abrepaso Flamenco took the stage to engage the group in a collective improvisation of trading phrases.

Easily the best show on Saturday, drummer Steve Smith and Vital Information lit up the Allen Theater with an eclectic and electric set that mixed old favorites with newer pieces. Those in the know are aware that Smith, who first made a name with Journey, has serious credentials as a drummer in many styles. His fusion outfit, Vital Information, debuted in 1983 and has consistently been a part of Smith's ongoing work, albeit with different personnel.

The current line-up as featured on the appropriately titled album, Time Flies Wounded Bird Records, 2023), includes keyboardist Manuel Valera and bassist Janek Gwizdala. A master of the brushes, Smith would propel a swinging new take on Bud Powell's "Un Poco Loco." Valera commanded attention both on piano and with his tantalizing keyboard work that often worked up the kind of froth akin to fusion's heydays. On "Choreography in 6," the pianist would tip his hat to Thelonious Monk with a clever quote from "Epistrophy."

As for Gwizdala, the bassist would play his electric bass seated, often tilting his head back with eyes closed. His solo work and support was notable. As the leader, Smith served the music first and his few solo spots would be marked by intelligence and musicality, utilizing the large gong behind his kit as an extra texture.

As festival director Terri Pontremoli told this writer at one point during the festival, the pre-sale ticket numbers were the highest they had seen since before the pandemic. There was no disputing this fact as the throngs that filled every space waiting to get into Connor Palace to see Herbie Hancock were so large that the start time was delayed by half an hour. Once on stage, Hancock was charming and clearly in the mood to play, even as Terrence Blanchard would be inexplicably absent. The trumpeter was listed on the original press materials and was spotted with the ensemble on shows before and after this one in Cleveland.

Possibly as a way to make up for Blanchard's absence, Hancock spent the first ten minutes or so dabbling through themes from his popular cannon in something he dubbed an "Overture." A further reminder of Blanchard would come with the band tackling his decidedly funky arrangement of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints." A favorite from the Headhunter years, "Actual Proof" offered up a glittery display from Hancock, as well as some drumming pyrotechnics from Jaylen Petinaud.

One of Hancock's most controversial albums, 1978's Sunlight (Columbia) served as a showcase for his use of the vocoder, an electronic device that synthesizes the human voice. On "Come Running to Me," Hancock would recreate the effect in tandem with guitarist Lionel Loueke and his own vocalizing style. Bassist James Genus would also get serious time in the spotlight before the show reached what seemed to be a premature conclusion, possibly as a result of the need to strike the stage, empty the previous crowd, and admit a new audience in the same hall for the evening's conclusion.

By the time Trombone Shorty hit the stage, there was nary an empty seat to be found. This was not the first time the New Orleans showman would make the scene at this festival, but this was by far the least rewarding. Set on making the presentation take on the feel of a modern rock concert without the mosh pit, the deafening sound levels increasingly became unbearable. The shame was that fresh takes on "Here Comes the Girls" and Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" suited Shorty well, even as his impressive display of circular breathing quickly wore out its welcome.

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