Matthew Palumbo, Friend of the Festival, had this to say about Litchfield. “What distinguishes the Litchfield Jazz Festival from some of the world's other great jazz events is that it is inseparable from the Litchfield Jazz Camp. Any profit the Festival may make gets invested into the Camp, to subsidize scholarships, etc. For those who recognize the mission of the Festival, supporting it takes on something approaching a religious mission. Beyond the teaching, the camp produces free public concerts on a weekly basis, featuring students and faculty. These events are a wonderful way to absorb the multi-generational DNA of music, give both students and faculty the ability to expand their skills beyond the classroom, and engage audiences — an essential asset for working musicians, and many other career paths. Every year, there is a separate student tent at the festival. Here, people can witness what the Litchfield Jazz Camp can do with the kids in its care. The crowning achievement occurs when a young musician moves from playing in the student tent, to the main tent with the headliners. Even for those students who don't find a career in music, these lessons of studious practice, and working in groups to create a greater whole, remain long after camp is over. Much of this is due to the dedicated and masterful faculty, full of professional recording artists. These in-demand musicians are themselves reinvigorated by their interactions with the students. It's these special bonds — combining the past, present, and future of jazz — that are the hallmark of the Litchfield Jazz Festival.”

 

Friday, August 10

The Friends of the Festival Opening Night Gala was held at the new VIP tent, The Sunset Lounge, and the proceeds from the night, including a live auction, went to fund Litchfield Jazz Camp scholarships. The gala starred The Four Freshmen and Grammy Award-winning swing band, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. Star students from the Jazz Camp also performed. Finally, despite being delayed for hours by torrential rains, singer/actor Dominic Chianese, who played “Uncle Junior”  on HBO’s The Sopranos, showed up like a trouper and regaled the gala audience with beautiful Italian songs. Delicious food, wine, and spirits were plentiful, and a good time was had by all, in spite of the bad weather. The festivities continued at the Open Jam and After Party at the West St. Grill in Litchfield, where amateur musicians came to play with the pros. The event was hosted by the Andrew Hadro Quartet, a group of talented and dedicated teachers from the Litchfield Jazz Camp.

 

Saturday, August 11

The Helen Sung Trio. WBGO Radio’s Michael Bourne was the festival host, and he gave a glowing introduction to the first act of the day, the Helen Sung Trio. Helen Sung entered the stage wearing a stunning multicolored, beaded dress, and introduced her band members, drummer Obed Calvaire and bassist Reuben Rogers. Sung also gave a shout-out to the Jazz Camp students she had taught earlier in the week. Catching sight of the red t-shirt-clad students, Sung said, “Uh-oh. Now I’ll have to do what I taught them!” She told the audience that she wanted to take them on a musical journey all over the world. The band tore it up on “(re)conception,” an adaptation of the classic song, “Conception,” by Great Britain’s legendary pianist, Sir George Shearing. Another musical stop was Spain, with a number by celebrated composer Isaac Albéniz. The trio played “Armando’s Rhumba,” by Chick Corea, who has performed all over the globe. Sung’s set ranged from slow and reflective to hot and exciting. Her song “Hope Springs Eternally” is about New York, and she said, “As an artist, I feel so blessed to live in and be inspired by New York.” Helen Sung was born in Houston, TX to Chinese immigrants who expected her to excel in math. She got as far as calculus in high school, but said she was never an all-star, which caused some consternation in her family. When she told her parents that she wanted to be a pianist, classical piano was acceptable. However, after hearing a Tommy Flanagan solo, she changed her focus. When Sung broke the news to her parents she wanted to be a jazz pianist, they looked at her like she was from outer space. Despite everything, Sung persevered with jazz. Although math wasn’t her calling, it did inspire the song, “Chaos Theory.” Sung closed her set with “H-Town,” a number dedicated to her hometown, Houston.

 

Sojourner Truth Project with Avery Sharpe. In his introduction, Michael Bourne said, “This show is about one of the unsung heroes of the history of American liberation,” and added, “She’ll be very much sung today!” Bassist Avery Sharpe spoke at length about Sojourner Truth, who was born a slave around 1787 in Ulster County, NY, and became a dedicated suffragette and abolitionist. Sharpe dispelled some myths about Sojourner’s life and that period in US history, saying that people often forget that slavery existed in parts of the North. Sojourner Truth has often been depicted with a southern accent, when, in fact, she spoke Dutch, like her owners, until she was nine years old. “Isabella’s Awakening,” the first song of the set, was inspired by Sojourner Truth’s birth name, Isabella Baumfree. The name Baumfree means “strong like a tree” in Dutch, and the song “Baumfree” was dedicated to Sojourner’s father, who was a large, muscular, and imposing man. Avery Sharpe’s arrangement of the old spiritual “Motherless Child” featured beautiful vocals by Geri Brown. They were joined by Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano, Yoron Israel on drums, Craig Handy on saxophone, and Duane Eubanks on trumpet.  Sojourner Truth had a strong love of Scripture, and often made up lyrics. “I’m Pleading for My People” is based on her words. The inspiring and educational set ended with a song prompted by Truth’s famous speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”

 

Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet. Red-hot trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has received many well-deserved awards. His star has been on the ascent since he won the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition, and he was chosen as the No. 1 New Artist in the JazzTimes 2011 Reader’s Poll. At Litchfield, he appeared with Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone, Sam Harris on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass, and drummer Kendrick Scott sitting in for Justin Brown. Akinmusire got right down to business with songs from his latest CD, When the Heart Emerges Glistening, including “Regret (No More).” Akinmusire thanked the audience for coming, and said that he wasn’t going to spend much time talking, because he wanted to use most of his allotted set time playing, and added, “If I don’t talk anymore, please continue to support live music!” The set continued with “The Fire Next Time,” based on James Baldwin’s book. At the end of the set, there was one more accolade in store for Akinmusire. He was given a plaque naming him Trumpeter of the Year by Downbeat magazine, and responded, “It really means a lot to me, but I don’t feel like I truly deserve this, with legends like Clark Terry and Wynton Marsalis playing.” The modest Ambrose Akinmusire might as well get used to receiving honors, because there are sure to be more in store for this brilliant musician.

 

Litchfield Jazz Camp Tent. The Jazz Camp really paid off for the students who studied there this year. Some are remarkably accomplished for their ages, and there might even be some future jazz stars in their number. It was definitely worth the time to go to the Jazz Camp tent between the sets at the main stage. Off the Cuff, the group taught by Helen Sung, played a lovely version of “A Beautiful Friendship,” and Gary Smulyan’s group, in an obvious play on words, was called Testocterone. Despite their humorous name, and their baby-faced appearance, Testocterone played with astounding maturity. If you closed your eyes, you could easily believe you were at the main stage. Bare Necessities performed “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” with an impressive level of professionalism. Another cleverly named group was Avery Sharpe’s student band, the B-Flats, who played original tunes with promising musicianship. Clearly, the students made the most of their time at the Litchfield Jazz Camp.

 

Salute to George Coleman with Gary Smulyan and Eric Alexander. In his second appearance at Litchfield, baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan wore a lot of hats, serving as the festival’s 2012 Artist-in-Residence, playing sets, participating in jazz talks, and teaching at the Jazz Camp.  In his “Salute to George Coleman,” Smulyan was joined by a stellar group: Don Braden and Jeff Lederer, both on tenor saxophone; Kris Allen on alto saxophone; Dave Ballou on trumpet; Onaje Allan Gumbs on piano; Avery Sharpe sitting in for Marcus McLaurine on bass; and Matt Wilson on drums. Don Braden introduced the group’s first song, a composition by Bill Lee called “Fulton Street Symphony.” Braden added that Bill Lee was a great talent in his own right, and deserved to be known for more than just being the father of filmmaker Spike Lee. Special guest Eric Alexander, a protégé of George Coleman, joined the group on Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny.” They continued with “Body and Soul,” Frank Foster’s “Simone,” and finished the set with Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” Gary Smulyan’s group had a wonderfully tight big-band sound, and gave a great tribute to the legendary tenor saxophonist, jazz educator, and composer, George Coleman.

 

Benny Green Quartet. Pianist Benny Green has worked with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Betty Carter, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Diana Krall, and Christian McBride. His set included songs from his forthcoming CD, Magic Beans, which will be released in 2013. Green played “Jackie McLean” and “Harold Land,” two songs dedicated to musicians he really admires. The set continued with “Golden Flamingo,” and “Further Away.” Green was joined by drummer Kenny Washington, bassist Peter Washington, and baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan. In closing, Benny Green thanked the audience and the festival organizers, saying, “Thank you so much for making us feel so welcome. And thanks to Lindsey, Michelle, and Vita, for all they do in allowing us to be heard…and paid!” That got a big laugh from the crowd, as well as a standing ovation for a great set.

 

Dirty Dozen Brass Band. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, which started as the house band for the Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club in New Orleans. Since then, the band has become world famous, leading to a revitalization of brass bands in New Orleans and around the globe. On their website, trumpet player Gregory Davis describes the band as follows: “It ends up being like a pot of gumbo — you drop in a little okra, drop in a little shrimp, you drop in some crabs. Before you know it, you’ve mixed in all these different ingredients and you’ve got a beautiful soup. That was our approach to music early on and it still is today.” They really got the crowd going with their high-octane concert, playing numbers from their latest CD, Twenty Dozen. Gregory Davis did double duty on vocals and trumpet, and was joined by Roger Lewis on baritone saxophone, Kevin Harris on tenor saxophone, Efrem Towns on trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals, Kirk Joseph on sousaphone, Kyle Roussel on keyboards, and Jamal Watson sitting in for Terence Higgins on drums. The band kicked it into an even higher gear with a rousing version of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” One of the band members shouted, “Close your eyes and click your heels, and you’re not in Litchfield, you’re in New Orleans!” The Dirty Dozen Brass Band almost blew the roof off the tent!

 

On Saturday, the Open Jam and After Party moved to The Litchfield Inn’s Bantam Bistro, hosted by the Albert Rivera Quintet.

 

Sunday, August 12

Grégoire Maret Quartet. Switzerland-born harmonica wizard, Grégoire Maret, has drawn comparisons to Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder, and has played with such artists as Youssou N’Dour, Herbie Hancock, Meshell Ndegeocello, Pete Seeger, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, George Benson, Pat Metheny, and Cassandra Wilson. Maret was joined by pianist Federico Peña, bassist James Genus, and drummer Clarence Penn, and treated the audience to an exquisite bossa nova version of “The Man I Love.” Maret said, “It’s quite a treat to present this music to you, in our first time here at Litchfield. We hope you enjoy it.” Maret continued with songs from his eponymous CD, including “Crepuscule Suite.” With his superb harmonica skills, it’s easy to see why so many musicians are eager to work with Grégoire Maret.

 

Donny McCaslin Group. Saxophonist Donny McCaslin was inspired by his vibraphonist father, who exposed him to all kinds of music — The Great American Songbook, Latin Jazz, and many other genres. McCaslin was accompanied by drummer Mark Guilana, electric bassist Tim Lefebvre, and pianist Jason Lindner, who at one point manipulated the piano to sound like a harpsichord. McCaslin spoke about his three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son, and said that many parents can relate to what he calls the Sleepus Interruptus you get during the first year of parenthood. As inspiration for the song, “Tension,” McCaslin cited the times his son is crying, and he doesn’t want to turn on the light to find the pacifier, because then his son will really wake up. McCaslin finished with “Memphis Redux” a scorching song he wrote in homage to both Donny Hathaway, a singer he really loved, and Cannonball Adderley’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!”

 

Artist Talk with Gary Smulyan and Donny McCaslin

Festival Artist-in-Residence Gary Smulyan hosted a talk in the Jazz Camp tent featuring Donny McCaslin. McCaslin spoke about the challenges of odd meters, how he was constantly lost when he first started. He also talked about thematic improvisation, and not being so concerned about specific chords as much as the rhythmic vocabulary, and being in the moment. McCaslin’s influences include Sonny Rollins and the Bach Cello Suites. Both Donny McCaslin and Gary Smulyan stressed the importance of dedication, hard work, and practice in becoming an accomplished musician. Smulyan noted that even in this time of instant gratification for many things, there’s no shortcut, and quoted Dizzy Gillespie, who said, “Every day, I wake up and practice. Some days, the trumpet wins, some days I win. I’ll do that every day for the rest of my life.” McCaslin said jazz is a constant evolution, and he still tries to practice every day, always searching for new things to try. He also related an anecdote about Lee Konitz, saying, “Lee Konitz is like, seven million years old, and I heard him practicing before a gig in Paris.” The group was traveling to Paris from Poland. At the Polish train station, it was freezing cold, and they were carrying all their own equipment. McCaslin looked behind him and saw Konitz lugging his equipment, and thought, “Wow. This is the jazz life.” At the conclusion of the talk, Gary Smulyan said, “If nothing goes in, nothing’s going to come out. Eat good food and take care of yourself, because whatever you do — the kind of books you read, the movies you see, the kind of people you hang out with — will all have an effect on your playing.” Donny McCaslin’s closing remarks were, “I never want to lose that desire to put it all out there every time I go on stage.” McCaslin also spoke about the gratitude he feels at being able to share his music, and said he never wants to lose that.

 

Hubert Laws Quartet. Litchfield was the first time this quartet worked together, and Hubert Laws said, “I couldn’t be happier with the result.” Laws was accompanied by David Budway on piano, Chris Berger on bass, Carlos Cuevas on keyboards, and Thomas Wendt on drums. Laws said that he often writes when he’s stressed. He talked about writing “Memories of Minnie” in honor of his colleague, Minnie Riperton, after being told of her untimely death. Laws also talked about the healing powers of music, saying, “Music can help make you forget the worst feelings. Did you ever have a headache, listen intently to a piece of music, and the headache went away?” With recordings in jazz, pop, and R & B, Hubert Laws has defied boundaries and strict categorizations throughout his career, and ended his set with a classical number he recorded on his first CD.

 

“The Saxy Guys” Artist Talk. “The Saxy Guys” was hosted by WBGO’s Michael Bourne, featuring saxmen Gary Smulyan, Miguel Zenón, Donny McCaslin, and Don Braden. They all told how they came to pick their different saxophones. In some cases, it was just luck or random choice; for others, it was a specific preference. They also mentioned musicians they admired, including Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Billy Strayhorn, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie  Hancock, and John Coltrane. When Bourne asked what inspired them outside of music, their various answers included mathematics, literature, science, parenthood, sports, spirituality, travel, and teaching. Bourne also solicited advice for aspiring musicians, and Gary Smulyan said, “Show up to work on time, look nice, and keep your mouth shut!” Donny McCaslin advised, “Don’t have an attitude,” a lesson he never forgot after a teacher ragged him for 45 minutes for sighing over a song he didn’t want to rehearse. Don Braden said, “When you show up prepared, they love you!” At the end of the talk, Gary Smulyan received the award of Baritone Saxophonist of the Year from Downbeat magazine.

 

Miguel Zenón Quartet. Saxophonist Miguel Zenón, winner of several honors, including the MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant,” returned to Litchfield, having first appeared in 2007 with Charlie Haden. Zenón was born and raised in San Juan, and he recently founded Caravana Cultural, which presents free jazz concerts in remote parts of Puerto Rico. On the Litchfield stage, he played numbers from his 2011 CD, Alma Adentro, The Puerto Rican Songbook, including “Perdón – Pedro Flores,” and “Juguete – Bobby Capó.” Zenón put his whole body into his playing, rocking back and forth and bouncing from side to side, while he got totally absorbed in the music. Zenón was backed by Luis Perdomo on drums, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Henry Cole on drums, and this group is a prime example of the mixture of tradition and innovation in jazz.

 

Kansas City Swing with Kevin Mahogany and Dave Stryker. Kansas City Swing was a worthy closing act for the Litchfield Jazz Festival, and true to their name, they hit the stage swinging! Kevin Mahogany’s powerful, versatile voice went from a blues shout to a mellow whisper on “Going Back to Kansas City,” “I Want to Talk About You,” and “Nature Boy.” Mahogany added some humor to the night when he solemnly announced, “I will not be able to Riverdance tonight. I twisted my ankle stretching backstage. I’m sorry. I know that’s what you came for. Some of you have been waiting all day, but we don’t give refunds.” Since Mahogany is built more like a linebacker than a Riverdancer, the audience got a big kick out of his joke. Dave Stryker brought his distinctive guitar style to this special project, enlisting drummer McClenty Hunter, organist Jared Gold, and alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbio to join him on the Litchfield stage. Stryker also taught at the Jazz Camp, coaching students with the skills he honed working with people like Stanley Turrentine and Jack McDuff.  Stryker’s Jazz Camp compatriot, Don Braden, was invited to sit in on “Watch What Happens.” After playing “Baby, You’re My Centerpiece,” the band received a resounding standing ovation, and rocked the crowd with an encore, “Route 66.”

 

For more information about the Litchfield Jazz Camp or the Litchfield Jazz Festival, go to www.litchfieldjazzfest.com.