Dominick Farinacci & Friends / Taylor Eigisti & Christian Tamburr Celebrate Chick Corea and Gary Burton at Tri-C JazzFest 2025

Dominick Farinacci and Friends
Taylor Eigsti and Christian Tamburr Celebrate Chick Corea and Gary Burton
Mimi Ohio Theatre
Tri-C JazzFest
Cleveland, OH
June 28, 2025

Afternoon presentations at multi-day jazz festivals tend to be low key—and often low-pressure—events. So it was on the final afternoon of the two-day Tri-C JazzFest. Let us throw more generous in there, too, because Saturday's kickoff concert was a two-shows-for-one-ticket affair.

The opening act, was billed as Dominick Farinacci and Friends, but it could easily have been called Two Generations of Cleveland Jazz. Representing the senior cohort was a trio of the city's most illustrious saxophonists, Ernie Krivda, Ken LeeGrand and Howie Smith who were set up for a round-robin in the spotlight.

LeeGrand, the youngest at 73, front-loaded his feature so that he could rush to another gig within the hour. Talk about the Midwestern work ethic. Maybe that is why Farinacci, the nominal bandleader, kicked off "Song For My Father" at a pushy tempo that the young rhythm team of bassist Jordan McBride, drummer Gabe Jones and percussionist Patrick Graney locked in to. The smoke-and-vinegar tone of LeeGrand's alto recalled Hank Crawford and commanded attention. Kenny Kirkland's "Dienda" was as lyrical on soprano as Farinacci's arrangement of "I Put A Spell On You," by Cleveland native Screamin' Jay Hawkins was raucous.

The contrast with Krivda's ballad set was stark. Cleveland's Grand Old Man (he is 80) of the saxophone lingers affectionately behind the beat, and his tone, deep and thick as a cashmere overcoat left overnight in a cigar lounge, recalled the heyday of the now-vanished club scene on the city's Euclid Avenue. So did the repertoire: "On Green Dolphin Street" at an adult tempo and a regret-soaked "What's New?" Nobody plays like this anymore, but the perfectly calibrated elegance of pianist Richard Johnson almost stole the show.

At 82, altoist Smith was the senior member of the three, but bouncing his bantam-rooster frame on his toes and manning an impressive bank of electronics for his Yamaha WX-7, he seemed decades younger. Still, the bebop authority he displayed on alto for a gorgeous, idea-packed "Laura" was obviously learned firsthand. About that WX-7: what could have been a pointless exercise in gee-whiz technology was instead a haunting interpretation of "When I Fall In Love" creating clouds of echoing melody that gathered like daydreams. Some things you can only learn with age.

A predictable shuffle blues closed the backyard cookout with vocalist Shenel Johns and vibraphonist Christian Tamburr joining the fun for "Every Day I Have the Blues."

The stage was cleared of backline and Tamburr's vibes and the piano were rolled front and center for the second half of the double bill—a tribute to the music of Gary Burton and Chick Corea. But there would be no crystal silence. The sound mix was calibrated for stadium-level impact and the subtlety of the music was often swallowed. To be fair, Taylor Eigsti is a very different pianist than Corea was, substituting big, two-handed gestures for elfin lightness.

That was apparent on "Bud Powell," Corea's tribute to his greatest inspiration, which rang out with orchestral force. Call it "Bud Powell, Taylor's Version." Still, one had to admire the pianist's professionalism and energy considering that after delays and rerouting, his plane landed scarcely an hour before showtime.

Tamburr, too, chose to create, not recreate. He played almost exclusively with two mallets, switching to Burton's signature four only when comping for Eigsti's solos (it did not help; the mix reduced the vibes' volume when Tamburr did not solo). Yet a limpid reading of Corea's "Love Castle" charmed. Tamburr called it his favorite Chick tune and the affection was apparent.

"Spain" was the perhaps inevitable closer, but as overfamiliar is it may be, it is a crowd-pleaser and a virtuoso showpiece. Tambur and Eigsti gave it their full measure.