Cool summer night
Second annual Summer Night Jazz Fest is a treat for your ears
Jeanne Fronda, Staff
Photo by Scott Stephens
One night is never enough to take in the smooth sounds of a jazz concert, especially one that features some A-list jazz artists.
Musicians Luis Perdomo, Steve Turre and Miguel Zenón, who taught at this year’s U of M jazz camp, headlined the Smartpark Summer Night Jazz Fest, held on Aug. 18 at the Max Bell Centre.
Although it was a BYOC (bring-your-own-chair) venue, that didn’t damper the superb show. Great performances were delivered by drummer Alvin Atkinson Jr., singer Anna-Lisa Kirby, bassist Steve Kirby, pianist Will Bonness, saxophonist Ken Gold and trumpeter Richard Gillis, who joined the headliners on stage.
Anna-Lisa Kirby, the jazz vocal instructor for the faculty of music, delivered a sultry performance; her voice was smooth except for an ever so slight sensual scratchiness that only added to her brilliant delivery. Steve Kirby, the director of jazz studies for U of M’s faculty of music, commanded the bass as he plucked the strings with ease and control. Atkinson, who is the current artist-in-residence at the U of M, dazzled the crowd as he moved from swift, powerful drumming to soft, gentle tapping throughout the night.
Alto saxophonist Zenón seduced the audience with a slow ballad. His every note just stroked the soul and it was obvious that Zenón was feeling every note, too. The San Juan, Puerto Rico native swayed from side to side and would often lightly bend his knees and arch his back when playing.
The audience was enchanted by the Venezuelan born Perdomo, whose piano playing throughout the night was impressive and flexible. His exceptional dexterity was obvious as his digits freely glided over the keys.
But no doubt, the highlight was trombonist and seashellist Turre, who gave a stellar performance. For his introduction, Steve Kirby called Turre a “master of all styles.” Well, he is also a master of the shells, as he manipulated seashells of differing size to create rich and vibrant tones that seemed to mimic those made from manufactured instruments. It seemed as though Turre knew he owned the stage; he played the seashells with confidence and passion.
Although all the musicians filled the night with magnificent performances, some people in the crowd decided to head home before the almost three-hour show was done. Maybe it was a school night for some of the concertgoers, or maybe some of them had had enough of sitting in uncomfortable lawn chairs to watch internationally acclaimed jazz musicians, but a handful of people left right before or during Turre’s powerful seashell solo, a breathtaking performance that was certainly worth the wait.
The final song, an up-beat and at times bluesy original composition by Turre, was a great cap to a radiant evening full of remarkable performances by all the musicians.
