Jazz Fest Time
by Richard Skelly
From former Rutgers University jazz professor Kenny Barron at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Allen Room to Ohio-raised jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson at Carnegie Hall, the Big Apple was alive and well with jazz all over the map in late June at the annual JVC Jazz Festival.
Barron's concert paired him up with the exceptional Brazilian pianist and singer Eliane Elias for a concert of standards and some Brazilian jazz in the intimate atmosphere of the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The 400-seat venue offers an inspiring view of Columbus Circle, and both pianists were doubly inspired last Sunday night, knowing they were being recorded for the National Public Radio program JazzSet, produced at WBGO-FM Newark by Becca Pulliam.
After being introduced, Barron told a rapt audience, "It's very nice you introduced me as a living master, but I'm not that old yet!" Barron was joined by the nimble-fingered Elias at a second grand piano for "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," and guitarist Freddy Bryant, bassist Mark Johnson and drummer Satoshi Takeishi contributed on the show's closing tunes, "Tangerine," and the free-spirited rollicking take on "Just One of Those Things."
Barron and Elias proved why they're considered among the best jazz pianists on the traditional jazz scene today, trading chords and changing leads back and forth like they were playing cards together. Sunday night's show was produced by Mark Morganelli and recorded for future broadcast on NPR's JazzSet.
Birthdays in June were celebrated later in the week at Carnegie Hall, with bassist Ron Carter being feted Wednesday night at the grand old hall and influential vocalist Nancy Wilson celebrated Friday night there.
"This is a bass player's dream come true," the Brooklyn-based Carter told the sold-out crowd Wednesday night at Carnegie, "and it's so nice to have all these people in your living room." Carter was accompanied much of the night by guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Billy Cobham. High points of the concert included his duet with guitarist Jim Hall, without the backing band, on Sonny Rollins' composition "St. Thomas," and a stirring take on "Willow Weep for Me" in the second half of the concert. Carter gave the audience what they came for: a long, varied bass solo on this tune, giving them a chance to see just how much he has mastered the bass in his long, five decade-plus career.
Friday night was another capacity crowd at Carnegie Hall for "Nancy Wilson's Swingin' 70th Birthday Party." Wilson was backed most of the night by drummer Roy McCurdy, pianist Llew Matthews and former William Paterson jazz professor Rufus Reid on bass.
"You have no idea how special this is to me," a clearly enthused Wilson told the crowd at the outset, "and you just feel inspired to let everyone know what 70 can mean." Guest vocalists included people Wilson has influenced, including Kurt Elling, Nnenna Freelon and Dianne Reeves, but not people who have influenced her, like Jimmy Scott. Scott, now 81 and living in Las Vegas, was notably absent from an otherwise star-studded lineup at Wilson's 70th birthday tribute. Other performers included pianists Herbie Hancock, Ramsey Lewis and violinist Regina Carter. Highlights included Kurt Elling with Wilson's trio on "Sunny" and "Save Your Love For Me," and Wilson's take on "Teach Me Tonight." After an intermission, Wilson and her trio offered up fresh arrangements and inspired takes on more contemporary fare, like Van Morrison's "Moondance" and Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me." The crowd was visibly moved by her set closing tunes, "Guess Who I Saw Today" and "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
