100 artists, 10 days, one festival
Originally published in the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper.
Wes Montgomery has been the face of the Indianapolis jazz scene for decades. This year’s 2016 Indy Jazz Festival will celebrate his contributions to the genre by showcasing classic and new talents.
The celebration will represent the best of international, local and student jazz entertainment between ten days in September. The festival begins Thursday, Sept. 15 and ends Saturday, Sept. 24 with more than 50 bands and 100 artists performing between those dates.
It all starts with the “Let’s Get Excited Party” on the opening night at 5 p.m. with the 2016 Indy Jazz Festival Hall-of-Fame inductees ceremony.
The next night is a star-studded affair featuring GRAMMY award-winner Norman Brown leading the bill at the Madame Walker Theatre Center on Friday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. The guitarist is known to jam tidbits of classic R&B and contemporary jazz, which was featured on one of his albums titled Sending My Love.
Brown said, “I’m a loving guy — I hear that a lot. I started reading my emails and the fans were sending me so much love that I wanted to send them love back.” Continuing, Brown said, “the [album] is about pure love, love in all its many aspects: a personal relationship and a general love for the planet and for people.”
Also on Friday, Sept. 16, at the Jazz Kitchen, a brand of jazz fusion known as Afro-Dominican will be showcased by Yasser Tejada & Palotré. Tejeda is a composer, guitarist and bandleader which includes drummer/percussionist Otoniel Nicolás, percussionist Juamy Fernández and bassist Luis Feliz. The band’s debut Mezclansa from 2009 was dubbed “100 of the essential recordings of Dominican music” by the country’s Association of Art Writers (Acroarte).
Their brand of jazz is expected to welcome memories of Carlos Santana and Stanley Clarke, performers of latin jazz, jazz rock and funk sounds. Jazz writer Bill Milkowski also said the band uses the, “post-Hendrix, post-Jaco, post-Bob Marley aesthetic that is positively brimming with hip ideas and an edgy electric quality.”
Next up is the Wes Montgomery tribute day on Saturday, Sept. 17 which lists a massive compilation of more than 100 artists on four stages between 1–8 p.m. at the IUPUI Campus Center. Guitarists Pat Martino, Russell Malone and Chuck Loeb are on the shortlist.
The festivities continue the following week with a special production of music with roots in Africa and the Caribbean performed by Indy-based pianist Pavel Polanco-Safadit & Direct Contact, Kwesi Brown and Sweet Poison Victim. This concert is Sunday, Sept. 18 at the Indianapolis Central Library Clowes Auditorium at 3 p.m. Admission for this event is free.
Back at the Jazz Kitchen, three more events are listed which include the Phil Ranelin Sextet, the Ravi Coltrane Quartet and Sullivan Fortner.
Ranelin was born in Indianapolis and has studied and played with highly respected jazz and classical players including David Baker, another Indianapolis native, and Donald Byrd.
Ravi Coltrane, son of legends John and Alice Coltrane, will perform Wednesday Sept. 21 in the Jazz kitchen at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively for prices between $30-$40. He will be accompanied by pianist Orrin Evans, drummer Jonathan Blake and bassist Dezron Douglas.
Rounding out the end of the festival is vocalist Allan Harris who has been labeled, “one of the three best male jazz vocalists in the country,” by CNN. His style was described in the Miami Herald as a mix between “the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite of Sinatra and the elegance of Nat ‘King’ Cole.” Bennett reciprocated by calling Harris “my favorite singer.”
Harris will perform on Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. and Saturday Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Cabaret at the Columbia Club on Monument Circle. Tickets range from $35-$65 with a food and beverage minimum of $12.
Last, but not least, is the Indy Jazz Fest Block Party on the final night at the Jazz Kitchen and at Yats. The closing night for celebration will include 11 bands on seven stages between 3 p.m. and 2 a.m. The event is for adults 21 and over at $10 per person.
Information on all of the Indy Jazz Fest 2016 artists, times, locations and costs can be found at http://www.indyjazzfest.net/.
Did you know?
Jazz historians and fans note that Wes Montgomery could not read music. Aside from him, there are other musicians in history who have been successful in their respective fields who did not possess this skill. The list includes Erroll Garner, Chet Baker, Ray Charles, Jimmy Smith, Dave Brubeck, Buddy Rich, George Benson and Django Reinhardt among others.
In some cases, musicians hid this from their peers and teachers by “playing it by ear” and memorizing the patterns and chords. While it is helpful to read music as a concert performer or for academic purposes, the successful musicians aforementioned prove that reading music is not the deciding factor for garnering critical acclaim.
Top five albums by Wes Montgomery
Music publication Allmusic boasts of Wes Montgomery as, “the most influential jazz guitarist of the 1960s who expanded the resources of the guitar in all its main functions: chordal, melodic, and rhythmic.” Below are five of his best albums during his tenure as a virtuoso in the 1960s.
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is widely considered his best output. Recorded in January 1960, Montgomery left for New York to form a new collective including Tommy Flanagan, Percy Heath and Albert Heath on piano, bass and drums respectively. This album showcased two Montgomery trademarks, “thumb-picking” and octaves.
So Much Guitar! featured a shift in personnel, most notably with renowned bassist Ron Carter, Hank Jones, Lex Humphries and Ray Barretto. The most memorable performance may be the dreamy “While we’re young.”
Bags Meets Wes! was the pairing of vibraphonist Milt Jackson and Montgomery in 1961. Jackson was known to be a critical jazzman so his high opinion of Montgomery is noted as important for the decision to join forces.
Smokin’ at the Half Note is considered “essential listening” for fans of dynamic live jazz music. In 1965, Montgomery was at the pinnacle of his brilliance and fellow jazz artist Pat Metheny called it, “the absolute greatest jazz guitar album ever made.”
Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo was another pairing for Montgomery, this time with organist Jimmy Smith. The record is a yin and yang set with Smith’s attack-minded notes and Montgomery’s blues.
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