Tri C Jazz Fest

[Lois Gilbert]

Tri-C JazzFest 2009 complete 30th Anniversary festival lineup

For further information please visit www.tricjazzfest.com or call 216/987-4400…

Thursday, April 23
• Parade at The Avenue in Tower City Center 5 p.m. Free.

Friday, April 24
• George Benson pays tribute to Nat "King" Cole at Allen Theatre,

Playhouse Square, Cleveland
. 8 p.m. $40-$65.

Saturday, April 25
• "Jazz for Kids" concerts featuring Joe Hunter and Friends at Children’s Museum of Cleveland, 10730 Euclid Ave. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. $7 for museum members, $10 for nonmembers. Call 216-791-7114.

• "Women in Jazz" concert featuring Marion Hayden at Mt. Zion Congregational Church,

10723 Magnolia Drive, Cleveland
. 1 p.m. Free.

• Buddy Guy with John Scofield at Allen Theatre. 7:30 p.m. $25-$45.


• "Latin Night" concert with Eddie Palmieri Y La Perfecta II with Grupo Fuego at Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus Auditorium, 2900 Community College Ave., Cleveland. 8 p.m. $25.

Sunday, April 26
• Jonathan Batiste Quintet at East Cleveland Public Library,

14101 Euclid Ave.
4 p.m. Free.

• Sachal Vasandani at Nighttown,
12387 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights
. 8 p.m. Free.

Monday, April 27
• Ernie Krivda and the Detroit Connection pay tribute to Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins at East Cleveland Public Library. 7:30 p.m. Free.





Tuesday, April 28
• B-3 master Eddie Baccus Sr. at Karamu House,

2355 East 89th St., Cleveland
. 8 p.m. Free.



• Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble at Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland,

8501 Carnegie Ave.
8 p.m. $25.




Wednesday, April 29
• Premiere of "Crossing Bridges" by Cecilia Smith at Ohio Theatre,

Playhouse Square, Cleveland
. 8 p.m. $20.




Thursday, April 30
• Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band with Randy Weston (rare solo piano performance) at Tri-C Metro Campus Auditorium. 8 p.m. $30.





Friday, May 1
• Dave Brubeck Quartet with Kurt Elling at Allen Theatre. 8 p.m. $40-$65.





Saturday, May 2
• Dave Koz with Joe Sample and Randy Crawford at Allen Theatre. 8 p.m. $25-$45.

• "Jazz Meets Hip Hop" concert featuring Bill Ransom at Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, in the ballroom. 10 p.m. $25.


Sunday, May 3
• TCJF SoundWorks featuring Sean Jones plays the music of McCoy Tyner at East Cleveland Public Library. 4 p.m. Free.

[BlueMiles]

This is a good-looking lineup this year. My two concerts will be Eddie Palmieri and Roy Haynes/Randy Weston. I've been developing a big taste in Latin jazz the last few years, and Palmieri is a huge figure there. It should be a great show. I am a tremendous Randy Weston fan, and this will be my third time seeing him at Tri-C Jazz. It should be different, since it appears to really be Haynes' band with Randy as guest. Weston loves percussion, and you can't do better than Roy Haynes. To my mind, he is right up there with Roach, Blakey, Williams, and Jones.

[BlueMiles]

We did our second show at Tric-C JazzFest two nights ago. Of course, it was more like two shows, with Weston’s solo performance, intermission, then Roy Haynes with a quartet. I was hoping that Weston would appear for at least one piece with Haynes, but it did not happen—which can be my only complaint. I have now seen Weston four times, if I count his two appearances in one year (the first time a solo performance) back in 2002. The last solo concert was more educational in focus; Weston was more talkative that time. Of course, he remains a congenial man, and one always feels the spirit flowing through him.

I wasn’t always sure what he was playing. I think he did “Zulu” and “Night in Medina” at the beginning, pieces I really don’t know. Then came the highlight: “Blue Moses.” This was an astonishing performance, even better than the trio version on his most recent CD. It was a piece characterized by tremendous shifting moods and textures, and the haunting slow section near the end sounded wholly new to me: it didn’t seem part of any previous version of “Blue Moses” that I have ever heard. My wife Anna also thought that this was the absolute highlight.

Randy next did some of his best known and catchiest tunes: “Berkshire Blues,” “Little Niles,” and “Hi-Fly.” I do believe this was the first time I’ve heard “Hi-Fly” in concert. It was an interesting and, to my ears, very free version.

He finished with other composers: Fats Waller (“Jitterbug”), Duke (“Mood Indigo”) and Monk “Well You Needn’t” and I think a snatch of “Ruby My Dear”). All great stuff. Randy Weston remains at the peak of his powers.

Roy Hanes is actually a year older than Randy Weston, and he played like a man on fire. The program was a little familiar. I think he opened with “Bud Powell,” Chick Corea’s tribute to the bebop pianist. Next came a very memorable version of Metheny’s “Question and Answer,” led by soprano sax. Then came Monk: “Trinkle Tinkle.” The tunes represent some of Haynes best-known collaborations, and their music is at the heart of the book with his own young groups. There was also a lengthy exploration of “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” one of the best tunes from his Parker tribute album. But I think best of all was “Skylark,” an absolutely gorgeous reading by the whole band. Yes, Haynes can take it down many notches to play softly and with great sensitivity. But the young saxophonist Jaleel Shaw was the highlight. A guy who can play a ballad this exquisitely is someone to watch.

The crowd certainly loved the show and demanded an encore. Haynes came out from behind the drums to joke with the audience for an extended period, and then the musicians went back to their places and finished with “Green Chimneys,” which appears to be one of Haynes’ favorite pieces.

Overall a long and very satisfying night of music.

[Justin V]

That Roy Haynes show was easily one of the best shows I have ever seen. Although I was disappointed when I didn't see Martin Bejerano walk out on stage with the band, little did I know that David Kikoski was going to be there and kill. This was the second time I saw the bassist, David Wong, in recent months. In March, I saw him with the Heath Brothers. His is a name to be on the lookout for. He is just exceptional. Jaleel Shaw delivered the goods all night, with 'My Heart Belongs to Daddy' being a highlight.

I told my wife that if that is what being 84 is like, sign me up. Haynes has lost none of his step, and remains the most sensitive and dynamic drummer in the game. It's been 5 days, and I'm still recovering from that show.