Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival: Saratoga Springs, NY, June 30-July 1, 2012

Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Springs, NY

June 30-July 1, 2012

Fantastic music was plentiful at the 35th Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival. It usually is. But 2012 seemed to have the right vibe throughout. Part of it was the great weather on both days. Primarily an outdoor festival (though there is some covered seating), the people are always upbeat and cool at what is perhaps jazz's best picnic/party every year.

But something more was afoot. The consistency of the music was terrific, and each group—maybe cashing in on the atmosphere—played with heart. The people were happy. Producer Danny Melnick was happy. The fine people at the host venue Saratoga Performing Arts Center were happy. Attendance was strong.

It had great jazz of all sorts. Newer artists like Hailey Niswanger, Edmar Castaneda and Mario Abney. Piano virtuosos Michel Camilo and Hiromi, who both tore the house down. Exquisite big bands—the Mingus Big Band and Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Tried-and-true veterans like Christian McBride and Jeremy Pelt. Vocalists Diana Krall and Sachal Vasandani. Crossover music from the Yellowjackets and Trombone Shorty.

The Mingus organization came in and took no prisoners, an attitude that summed up much of the weekend. Soloists like Lauren Sevian on baritone sax and Alex Sipiagin on trumpet raged over the roaring arrangements of the great Mingus songbook. "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive-Ass Slippers" was delightfully tumultuous and the ballad "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," with the Joni Mitchell lyric, was quirky and delicate at the same time. The poignant "Don't Let It Happen Here," was riveting, with Ku-Umba Frank Lacy intoning the lyrics to the Mingus poem over the shifting, driving music. He soulfully rendered the lines from "One day they came and they took the communists, And I said nothing because I was not a communist ..." to the climactic resolve, "Then one day they came and they took me. And I could say nothing because I was guilty as they were, for not speaking out and saying that all men have a right to freedom," with immense passion.

The other big band naturally had the Latino grooves and fire. This band can move you. O'Farrill played a mean piano over his great band, playing strong, percussive licks, skating over the huge sound behind him. There are some fine big band veterans in this group and they speak. Loudly. "Forty Horses and a Burrow" was particularly hip.

Pianists Hiromi and Camilo are similar in that they both have prodigious technique, making the instrument sound like they have extra hands. They also exude great passion for their life's work. Hiromi is more in the jazz mainstream area, out of Oscar Peterson, and the joy she emits with Anthony Jackson on bass guitar and Simon Phillips on drums is wonderful. Camilo calls his current group the "Mano a Mano" with Giovanni Hidalgo on percussion and Charles Flores on bass, who bring the Latino flavor and were sparkling. Hildalgo's great work on various percussion instruments in place of the standard drum set added a savory flavor. Good-time and intensely creative music.

With two stages, sometimes it's hard to choose. Or one can run back and forth and get a taste of both scenes. McBride's outstanding Inside Straight band that features the fiery saxophone of Steve Wilson, and vibraharp wizard Warren Wolf, tore it up on the main stage. Steered by the thick, rich bass of the leader, this group covered a lot of ground in a short time, material by the likes of Freddie Hubbard, as well as original stuff. Captivating.

At the same time, Jeremy Pelt was strutting his mainstream stuff on another stage. His band had the fine sax man J.D. Allen, who is always stretching and investigating the elements of a composition. Intriguing to listen to every time. Pelt, clad in fedora and bowtie, looked almost professorial, but was pure down home when he blew the trumpet. Technique and style that have placed him in the forefront of jazz trumpeters were on display. His group is one of the finer jazz bands consistently out there.

As for the vocalists, Vasandani won the day. He's maturing more and his vocal instrument is getting better as well. His voice glided in and around captivating new originals he has written, and he was a joy to hear. Confident and expressive, his storytelling on standard themes like romantic awakening or getting over lost love was fresh and exhilarating. He had the wonderful Gerald Clayton on keyboards, who can elevate the proceedings of any setting.

But Vasandani also added guitarist / vocalist Camila Meza. Her wordless vocals added nice background on some songs, and her guitar work was tasty and fit in extremely well. Outstanding music, particular the originals. Krall was very good, but there was almost a "same ol'" feeling. She sang soft sambas that she recorded on her last album, like "Quiet Nights and Quiet Stars" and did them well, as well as other hits from previous recordings. Her rendition of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" is still a great pleasure and she even performed Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon."

The piano trio, Trio of Oz, featuring Rachel Z on keyboards, Solomon Dorsey on bass and Omar Hakim on drums, is both slick and explosive. Hakim is an incredible drummer whose hands and feet propel the music that can include originals, or things from the rock world, like "King of Pain" or Coldplay's "Lost." It's hard not to keep your eyes on Hakim, who seems effortless even when the multiple rhythms are spewing out like sounds from the center of the earth. The music captivates. Rachel Z has great feel and the communication is what one expects of a high-level jazz trio.

A player who continues to amaze is Edmar Castaneda, whose Columbian harp sometimes sounded like an orchestra. His hands fly across the instrument and you seem to be hearing a lot more than his hands can be doing. Drummer Dave Sillman was with him every step of the way, coloring and accentuating, sometimes driving the music. The addition of Shlomi Cohen on soprano sax was a fine choice. He would spar with Castaneda at times, provide the right background sounds, then burst into his own energetic and creative solo.

Alto saxophonist Hailey Niswanger is now out of Berklee and pursuing a career full time. She's off to a good start. On both alto and soprano, she was crisp and creative and the band sound—all young cats who can be heard on her new album The Keeper (Camlit Productions, 2012)—is cool. She wailed on a strong set that included her compositions like "Norman," "Balance," "The Keeper" and the standard "Milestones," with which the band closed. Good energy. Good creativity.



Speaking of energy, trumpeter Abney had it all day. A hit at the festival a couple years back, he returned and played two sets. He can turn it on, his band swinging like mad and knocking out any bad vibes. He's also capable of subtlety on his horn, which exudes a sweet burnished tone. He's from Chicago, but there's almost a "let's go get 'em" New Orleans spirit about him.

Esperanza Spalding is the new favorite in the jazz world, especially after her Grammy win in 2011. She's a fine bassist and an impassioned singer, and writes cool stuff. But her latest project, the Radio Society, logged a set that seemed to waver too much. It was a disappointment to many. Parts of it were very cool, but other parts meandered. Spalding is a creative musician who will explore different paths as the spirit moves her. She should be lauded for that. Parts of this project fall flat, but that doesn't mean she should stop. It happens. There will be a lot more from this inquisitive, exploring, creative person.

Playing crossover music that hit the spot was the Yellowjackets, led by the sax of Bob Mintzer and the keyboards of Russell Ferrante, and driven by the rhythms of Will Kennedy. Added to the mix recently is Felix Pastorious on bass, son of the legendary Jaco Pastorious. They played mainstream stuff that swung like mad, ballads that had catchy pop elements as well as sweet solos, and gutsy fusion sounds that didn't wander off into oblivion. It's no wonder this group has grown its fan base for decades. They are solid.

Pastorious looks like his iconic father and plays a sweet bass that has a similar tone. Said Mintzer a few days before the show, "He's a brilliant bassist. We're all darn near 60 years old and we've all played in a million bands. He doesn't have that experience level, but he's a stunning musician. He's got something well beyond what his father did. He's got his own voice that is going to emerge in a big way." Stay tuned.

The person who has the most momentum in the jazz realm is Trombone Shorty, whose Orleans Avenue band is all about high energy. Shorty, nee Troy Andrews, plays real good trombone and trumpet. His band is tight and the lads—all youngsters—wail. He probably can take on the title "hardest-working man in show business." While it's fun and certainly does get the people moving and dancing, it's show business. There's nothing wrong with making music fun for people.

The band was hot, covering tunes like "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now," Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" and "When the Saints Go Marching In," among many others. It's funk, jazz, pop, New Orleans. Music. It will be fun to see the avenues this band takes as time goes on.

But it can be a bit much. Like Shorty playing one note on trumpet, using circular breathing, that went on ad nauseam, (of course, the crowd cheered, like they do when some hack rock guitarist holds a note for more than 15 seconds), then finished the schlock by falling to the stage acting as if it had taken his last breath. Let's not forget: even Kenny G can do that.

Photo Credit

All Photos: R.J. DeLuke

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