By Donald True Van Deusen
America's Jazz giants were be in charge at Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall,
Broad
& Spruce Streets, Philadelphia (215.893.1999) this weekend. Classic
jazz will took over tonight with the two-beat glories of New Orleans jazz as
presented by the appropriately named Preservation Hall Jazz Band plus the big
band swing recreated by none other than the Count Basie Band still going
strong under the direction of Grover Mitchell. July 27 had Regina
Carter, the jazz violinist now making a name for herself in jazz circles along
with Philip Bailey, lead singer for Earth, Wind and Fire with his new jazz
group. Both shows started at 7:30 p.m. with tickets at $15, 30 and $40.
New Orleans jazz went through a worldwide rebirth of sorts in the 1940s,
but
in the city some people call the Big Easy it never died. The name Preservation
Hall Jazz Band comes from the 16th century structure in New Orleans French
Quarter where the owner started off jazz session in 1952 that have been going
strong ever since. A Pennsylvania couple took it over in 1961 and today the
band tours worldwide bringing back the brass glories of marching parades and
blues along with gospel tinged vocals like "Just A Closer Walk With Thee"
that were played by giants such as Louis Armstrong and Papa Celestin. The
Kimmel crowd clearly came to see them and responded with unrestrained
enthusiasm much as if they were back down on Bourbon Street.
The Count Basie Band is still going strong with such great swing standards
as
One O' Clock Jump that had them jumping at the Kimmel. Regina Carter is an exciting violinist who has worked with such stars as
Cassandra Wilson and Aretha Franklin.
Something of a local jazz tradition was carried on at Chris' Jazz Cafe at 1421
Sansom Street Philadelphia (215.568.3131) July 26 with the steaming
jam sessions created by tenor sax titans Bootsie Barnes and Larry McKenna for
just a $5 admission fee. Sets start at 8:30 p.m. and go to 12:30 a.m..The
exchanges between these two Philly legends are like a recreation of the
classic Jazz at the Philharmonic jam sessions. They are the most exciting
jazz guys working anywhere today and are long-term Philly treasures.
Editor's Note--Evelyn Simms, Bootsie Barnes sister-in-law, and to many fans,
the finest jazz vocalist in Philadelphia, died last Saturday. Her singing on
songs such as Angel Eyes was enough to make the hardest hearts melt.
