Love really was in the
air at this year’s Detroit Jazz Fest. The festival’s
theme, A Love Supreme, came from the heart, and the reunion of
so many of our legends was fun AND touching. The highlights were
too numerous to give just due. But first and foremost, from the
bottom of MY heart, I tip my hat to the hip Detroit fans who give so much
back to the performers and make our city a must-stop experience for jazz
musicians. We felt your LOVE every day!
Christian McBride raised
the bar for any artist in residence in the festival’s future. Always
accessible, always fun, he taught, performed with students, played with
his own band, did a multitude of interviews, curated a Philly-Detroit
summit, and put together an awesome tribute to one of Motown’s heroes,
Marvin Gaye. I knew the audience would lose its collective mind
with Marvin’s material, but the Detroit-based big band and back-up
singers swung like a hurricane and rode McBride’s non-stop bass
groove all night. Rahsaan Patterson and Lalah Hathaway did their
own great takes on Gaye’s songs, but it was newcomer José James
who made the strongest artistic statement. Look out for that guy!
Who could forget . .
.
The
Count Basie and Gerald Wilson orchestras – joined together on “One
O’Clock Jump”
The
Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star
Big Band with each trumpet player scatting with Roberta Gambarini;
and of course, the joy that Moody brings EVERY time he does “Moody’s
Mood for Love”
Funky
Bonerama
Leebop – a
swinging, youthful tribute to Lee Morgan with Dominick Farinacci,
Jeremy Pelt and Brandon Lee
Benny
Golson and Jimmy Heath in the Jazz Talk Tent – baby, it was
ON once they started telling stories
Lem
Barney and Christian (wearing a Lions football jersey with “#20
Barney”) in the Jazz Talk Tent and all over the festival on
Labor Day
Calvin
Cooke, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and 2nd Ebenezer Majestic Voices raising
the rafters on Gospel Monday
The
cameo by Barack Obama
Derek
Trucks’ nod to Trane through “My Favorite Things”
Jeff
Lorber, Doc Gibbs, Maysa and Alexander Zonjic celebrating the smooth
side of Philly and Detroit
Newcomers
Esperanza Spalding, Gerald Clayton, and Trombone Shorty
Marion
Hayden’s tribute to Donald Walden, with special guests Charles
McPherson, Barry Harris, Geri Allen
Most touching of all,
we did our own tribute to the iconic photo “A Great Day in Harlem,” 50
years later, with a photo session in Detroit at the Guardian Building. Sixty
players, including Jimmy and Tootie Heath, Slide Hampton, Moody, Gerald
Wilson, Kenny Burrell, Randy Brecker, Matt Wilson, Steve Turre, Geri Allen
and a host of others, made an 8 AM lobby call to participate. The
photo will be turned into a commemorative poster for the 30th anniversary
in 2009 . . . A Great Day in Detroit. Stay tuned!
