SATURDAY JP Morgan Chase Main Stage Noon Michigan State University Big Band 1: Bassist Rodney Whitaker leads the top band at MSU, the Bebop Spartans. 1:30 p.m. Teddy Harris Jr. Tribute: The New Breed Bebop Society: Harris, who died in 2005 at age 70, was an important multi-instrumentalist (piano, saxophone), composer, arranger, bandleader and educator in Detroit. His gifts made him both a Motown regular and a jazz sage. Led by Al McKenzie, this tribute promises a fresh hearing for Harris’ big band music with guests including saxophonist James Carter. 3:15 Tribute to Stan Kenton featuring the Four Freshman and the Toledo Jazz Orchestra: Trombonist Ron Kischuk leads this tribute featuring the original arrangements pairing the vocal quartet with Kenton’s big band. 5 Robert Hurst Group: The Detroit-bred bassist leads a diverse ensemble including New York drummer Damion Reid, Cuban-born percussionist Pepe Espinosa, local pianist Rick Roe and the young Detroit saxophone terror Rafael Statin. 6:45 Charles Lloyd & Friends featuring Bill Frisell: Lloyd, a veteran tenor saxophonist, seems to have entered a state of grace, communing with the spirits on recent recordings for ECM. His quartet includes the sui generis guitarist Frisell, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland. 8:30 Saxophone Summit: Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Ravi Coltrane: Batten down the hatches for an explosive ensemble allowing three dynamic tenor saxophonists the widest berth possible to stretch out with an aggressive rhythm section of pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist and one-time Detroiter Cecil McBee and majestic drummer Billy Hart. The spirit of John Coltrane hovers. Carhartt Amphitheater Stage Noon Meridian High School & Anchor Bay High School 1:15 DJF National Trumpet Competition Winner: The 2013 winner performs with the Gary Schunk Trio. 2:45 Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes Piano Duo: Performances by husband-and-wife team of Charlap and Rosnes give the illusion of eavesdropping on musings of two top musicians playing for their own enjoyment and surprise. 4:15 Mack Avenue Superband: The Detroit-based label gathers up a gaggle of its stars with Detroit-born bassist Rodney Whitaker as musical director. The players: vibraphonists Gary Burton and Warren Wolf, tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum, trumpeter Sean Jones, pianists Aaron Diehl and Danilo Perez, guitarist Evan Perri and drummer Carl Allen. 6 Dave Brubeck Tribute Series: Brubeck Brothers Quartet: The first of four sets honoring the late Dave Brubeck features the eclectic band headed by sons Danny on drums and Chris on trombone and electric bass. 7:45 McCoy Tyner Trio with Savion Glover: An influential and defining voice of the post-bop mainstream, pianist Tyner doesn’t command the sheer power and dexterity that he once did, but he remains a deeply expressive artist. His trio teams with the great tap dancer Glover. 9:30 The David Berger Jazz Orchestra featuring Cecile McLorin Salvant: The fast-rising Cecile McLorin Salvant brings a richly plummy voice to the stage, a command of swing and a range of inflection, color and emotional depth way beyond her years. The festival and Mack Avenue Records have commissioned A-list New York arranger David Berger to write new big band charts for her and have gone the extra mile in bringing Berger’s underrated band to play them. Mack Avenue Waterfront Stage Noon DSO Civic Jazz Orchestra: Students from the Detroit Symphony’s education program. 1:15 Kimmie Horne: An R&B crossover singer with a wide following in Detroit. 2:45 Aguanko: A strong local Latin-jazz ensemble with a heavy Cuban influence. 4:15 Thornetta Davis Band: The Detroit blues shouter returns to the festival. 6 Delfeayo Marsalis Octet Presents “Sweet Thunder”: Marsalis, a trombonist, translates Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s Shakespeare-inspired “Such Sweet Thunder” for a small group. 8 George Bohanon and Azar Lawrence Group: Bohanon, a veteran Detroit-born trombonist and one of the city’s few jazz experts who ended up on the West Coast rather than New York, makes an overdue homecoming. Lawrence is a post-Coltrane tenor. With a rare local appearance by drummer Alphonse Mouzon. Absopure Pyramid Stage 1 p.m. Gene Dunlap Band: A Detroit drummer who blends R&B, soul and jazz. 3:15 Michael Weiss Quintet: The New York pianist returns to the festival with a band concentrating on his own rewarding compositions that are rich in melody and formal inventiveness. The quintet is loaded: tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, drummer George Fludas and percussionist Daniel Sadownick. 5 JD Allen Trio: At 40, the muscular Detroit-born tenor saxophonist has developed a strong identity by fronting a pianoless trio, taking advantage of the open spaces left by just bass and drums and roaring in a post-Coltrane idiom. With bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Jonathan Barber. 7 Eddie Daniels and Roger Kellaway: “Duke at the Roadhouse”: Veterans Daniels (clarinet) and Kellaway (piano) have forged a deeply simpatico relationship over the years. Their new recording of Ellington (on IPO Recordings) provides the theme. With cellist James Holland and painter Doug Coffin, who will work on stage. 8:45 Tony Monaco Trio with Fareed Haque: A stalwart organist leads a trio with Haque, a creative guitarist who can go in a lot of directions. SUNDAY JP Morgan Chase Main Stage Noon Johnny Trudell and the Michigan Jazz Fest All Stars: The Detroit trumpeter leads a band in honor of the important all-local festival held annually in July at Schoolcraft College. With George Benson, Carl Cafagna, Gene Parker, Chuck Shermatero, Ray Tini and Jeff Trudell. 1:30 Francisco Mora Catlett and Afro Horn: A one-time Detroiter, Catlett, a drummer, is a master of not only Latin jazz but the whole range of rhythms of the African Diaspora. He makes a long-awaited homecoming. With JD Allen, Vincent Bowens, Alex Harding, Aruan Ortiz and percussionist Roman Diaz. 3:15: Jazz at Massey Hall 60th Anniversary: An all-star quintet fronted by trumpeter Jon Faddis and alto saxophonist Jesse Davis and anchored by the Bill Charlap Trio honors a legendary 1953 concert and recording in Toronto that featured the gods of bebop — Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach. 5 Gregory Porter: A barrel-chested baritone, Porter traverses jazz and soul terrain with a deeply felt expressiveness, sophisticated phrasing across idioms and an easy confidence that makes it all look easier than it is. 6:45 Yellowjackets: This band’s blend of R&B, funk, jazz and pop has won a large following since the ’80s, retaining a sharper edge than many competitors. A highlight is the potent saxophonist Bob Mintzer. 8:30 John Scofield Uberjam Band featuring Andy Hess, Avi Bortnick & Tony Mason: The stimulating veteran guitarist’s funk and fusion efforts place a high value on grooves that engage the body and solos pitched at the mind. Carhartt Amphitheater Stage 11:20 a.m. Detroit School of the Arts, Northville High School & Northview High School 1 p.m. The Three Baris: Tribute to Pepper Adams: A multigenerational tribute to the influential Detroit-bred baritone saxophonist with Howard Johnson, Gary Smulyan and Frank Basile and an ideal hard bop trio of Mike LeDonne, Ray Drummond and Joe Farnsworth. 2:45 “All We Are Saying”: Bill Frisell Explores the Music of John Lennon.: Frisell, a guitarist with an ear for the full range of American vernacular music, leads an exploration of Lennon, whose work with and without the Beatles left a big mark on popular culture. With Greg Leisz, Jenny Scheinman, Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen. 4:30 Dave Brubeck Tribute Series: Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra Commission Project: The festival has commissioned top arrangers, including Bob Mintzer and Chuck Israels, to write new big band charts of Brubeck’s compositions. Look for guest soloists too. 6:15 Danilo Perez and Geri Allen Piano Duo: A promising duo matching festival artist-in-residence Perez with the Detroit-born Allen. Both are spontaneous players who are used to throwing caution to the wind and working without a net. 7:45 The Alan Broadbent Trio featuring Sheila Jordan plus Strings: Broadbent, a stalwart West Coast pianist and arranger, leads a large string orchestra in support of Jordan, the ageless hall-of-fame Detroit-born bebop singer. 9:30 Ahmad Jamal: After nearly 60 years, the influential pianist’s innovations — dramatic use of space, orchestral detail and a controlled reconfiguring of form — still keep his music fresh and theatrical. He leads a quartet. Mack Avenue Waterfront Stage 11:30 a.m. Oakland University Jazz Band 12:45 p.m. Detroit Music Factory Showcase: Sean Dobbins Organ Quartet: Launched in the spring, Detroit Music Factory, a subsidiary of the Mack Avenue label, spotlights homegrown musicians like drummer Sean Dobbins. 2:15 John Belgrave Sings Dinah Washington: Belgrave, an animated singer with a lot of heart and soul and church roots, tackles the Washington songbook. 3:45 Dave Brubeck Tribute Series: “The Real Ambassadors”: With its themes of civil rights and cultural exchange, Brubeck’s jazz musical (with lyrics by his wife, Iola) was performed live in its entirety only once (back in 1962), though a recording of the appealing work endures. Detroit pianist Bill Meyer is producing and directing this concert performance with Augustus Williamson in the original Louis Armstrong role and other roles played by Michelle McKinney, Carl Cafagna, Armond Jackson and Meri Slaven. 5:15 Tumbao Bravo: The long-standing local Afro-Cuban jazz septet has a lively book, good soloists and an authentic profile. 7:30 Karriem Riggins: The versatile and thrilling Detroit-born drummer with high-profile credentials in straight-ahead jazz and hip-hop likes to connect the dots between all of his experiences in his own bands. With pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Kevin Arthur, DJ Dummy and percussionist Mic Holden. 9:15 Ravi Coltrane Quartet: The tenor and soprano saxophonist’s excellent 2012 album “Spirit Fiction” (Blue Note) revealed a deepening maturity, emotional directness and increasing adventure in his improvisations and compositions. Here he’s joined by David Virelles, Dezron Douglas and Greg Hutchinson. Absopure Pyramid Stage 12:30 p.m. Berklee College of Music: Unlimited Perception 2 Johnny O’Neal Trio: The Detroit-born pianist has strong roots in the blues and gospel, and he leans heavily on big-beat swing and irrepressible joy. His sets are like a party. Plus, he sings a bit too. 3:30 Warren Wolf Quartet: At 33, vibraphonist Wolf is a compelling standard bearer whose greatest gift is not his impressive technique but his ability to tell stories in his improvisations. The quartet includes Benny Green, Bob Hurst and Carl Allen. 5:15 Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach Duo: Two friends whose musical partnership dates back some 45 years, Liebman (tenor and soprano saxophone) and Beirach (piano) use their duo performances to draw on night-music introspection, harmonic adventure and journeys into the unknown. 6:45 A Tribute to Don Byas featuring James Carter: Byas, a swing-to-bop tenor saxophonist who transcended stylistic divides, has always been an avatar for Carter, a Detroit-born saxophone star whose gruff attack, virile sound, scampering phrasing and back-to-the-future conception all pay homage to his idol. 8:30 The Cookers: An incendiary septet organized by trumpeter David Weiss to showcase elder statesmen who are still breathing fire — tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist George Cables, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Bill Hart: The Right Stuff, plus a great book of tunes, too. MONDAY JP Morgan Chase Main Stage 12:15 p.m. University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble with Lee Konitz: Directed by Ellen Rowe, the U-M band welcomes the great alto saxophonist Lee Konitz. 1:45 Dave Brubeck Tribute Series: “Mass: To Hope”: The fourth and final piece of the 2013 festival’s Brubeck series ends the celebration with his rarely heard large-scale Mass, “To Hope” (1980). Norah Duncan leads a choir, string orchestra, Brubeck Brothers and tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza. 3:30 Robert Glasper Experiment: The Houston-born pianist marries sophisticated contemporary improvisation with the pulsating grooves of hip-hop and R&B. He’s building bridges between jazz and today’s popular culture. 5:15 Geri Allen Homecoming Band featuring Bob Hurst, JD Allen, Sheila Jordan, Dave McMurray, George Bohanon and Karriem Riggins: One of the more intriguing Detroit homecoming lineups in recent years, this one is not only multigenerational — ranging from the 84-year-old Jordan (vocals) to the the 38-year-old Riggins (drums) — but covers unusually broad stylistic territory. 7 Miles Smiles: An intriguing Miles Davis legacy band that straddles the electro-acoustic fault line of 1969-71, when post-bop began to morph into fusion. With trumpeter Wallace Roney, guitarist Larry Coryell, drummer Alphonse Mouzon and two Detroiters, tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza (who long ago left town) and bassist Ralphe Armstrong (who remains based here). Carhartt Amphitheater Stage 12:15 p.m. JC Heard All-Star Young Ensemble with Guests 1:30 Quest Reunion: Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, Ron McLure, Billy Hart: One of the great bands of the 1980s, Quest, a charismatic, take-no-prisoners acoustic quartet, can swing with maniacal intensity or fracture time into a four-way conversation of controlled freedom. All the essentials are all in place — Liebman’s incantatory saxophone, Beirach’s harmonic mystery, McLure’s strong foundation and Hart’s aggressive and interactive spontaneity. 3:15 Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra: The Music of Duke Ellington: Under the direction of Ellington expert David Berger, the DJF Orchestra presents a thoughtful program with rarities in the mix. Saxophonist James Carter and vocalists Alice Tillman and Shahida Nurullah are featured soloists. 5 Danilo Perez & Panama Suite with Wayne State University Big Band, U-M students and other surprise guests: Perez, the fesitval’s artist-in-residence, makes his final appearance for 2013. 6:45 Joshua Redman Quartet and Orchestra: Redman’s latest CD, “Walking Shadows” (Nonesuch), places the earnest saxophonist in the company of strings for a set of introspective and romantic ballads. His quartet here, anchored by drummer Greg Hutchinson, will surely cut loose a bit too. Mack Avenue Waterfront Stage 11:45 a.m. Duke Ellington Middle School and DPS All-City Combo 1:30 p.m. Central Michigan University Jazz Lab 1 3 Freddy Cole Quartet: With his suave voice, conversational phrasing and lifelong allegiance to the Great American Songbook, Cole remains a link to the golden age of jazz and pop singing and the legacy of his brother, Nat King Cole. 4:45 Tribute to Brad Felt: The Detroit tuba and euphonium master died of cancer at 55 in 2011. Some of his closest associates from the local scene, including saxophonist Steve Wood, honor his legacy. 6:15 Trio Da Paz & Friends Play Jobim & Getz: A Brazilian with tenor saxophonist Harry Allen and the burning vibraphonist Joe Locke along for the ride. They will highlight the bossa nova legacy of Stan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Absopure Pyramid Stage Noon Detroit Music Factory Showcase: Scott Gwinnell Ensemble: Pianist, composer and arranger Gwinnell’s “Cass Corridor Story” launched the Mack Avenue subsidiary label Detroit Music Factory earlier this year. 1:30 Aaron Diehl Trio: Diehl, a young pianist who wears his allegiance to the tradition on his sleeve, plays with a melodic elegance and the kind of finely etched details that suggest careful refinement of an inherited legacy. 3 Terell Stafford Quintet: Stafford, a well-schooled trumpeter who has personalized his influences with an exuberant spirit and go-for-broke attitude, leads an exciting band that reminds you how much room there is for fresh expression within the swinging mainstream. With saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Bruce Barth, Detroit-born bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Dana Hall. 4:45 Lee Konitz Quartet: At 85, Konitz, an influential alto saxophonist with a genius for true melodic invention, remains a wonder. He hasn’t played Detroit in who knows how long, so this appearance qualifies as something special. With pianist Dan Tepfer, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Matt Wilson. 6:30 Marcus Belgrave: Trumpet Call: Belgrave, a national treasure and patriarch of the Detroit jazz scene, leads a six-trumpet salute to some of the legends of his instrument. The guests include pianist Kevin Toney and saxophonist Allan Barnes, both former associates of the late Motor City-born trumpeter Donald Byrd.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 12:33:49 +0000
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