The Cuyahoga Cool
The Cleveland-born contributions to this year's fest are impressive, with a sampling of local talent that gives credibility to the city as it hosts such a high-cultured, international affair. On Wednesday, April 27, Cleveland’s legendary Hammond B-3 virtuoso Eddie Baccus, Sr. (pictured left) returns to Karamu House with special guest and Columbus-native Bobby Floyd for an organ duel between two of the best in the business, in a special JazzFest preview.
The internationally renowned Cleveland Orchestra joins two-time Grammy Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater at Severance Hall to present "A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald" on Friday, April 29, promising a night filled with scintillating renditions culled for the First Lady of Song's catalog.
On Monday, May 2, Cleveland saxophonist Dave Sterner brings his quintet and the Tri-C Jazz Studies Performance Combo to Brothers Lounge. Sterner is a busy session musician, working with the likes of Buddy DeFranco and David "Fathhead" Newman, yet managed to record and release Sidetracked this April, an album of new compositions that explore a variety of styles.
In a career that spans nearly 50 years, tenor saxophonist and Cleveland legend Ernie Krivda (pictured left) has played with the best in the business, including Cannonball Adderley, Ella Fitzgerald and Jackie Wilson. A recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize in 2009, Krivda has garnered praise for his distinctive improvisational style and his unique compositions, which have been featured on more than 30 recordings. Krivda will lead an all-star band of jazz artists from the Midwest, focusing on the great jazz history of one of its cities, in "Thunder from the Heartland" at The Hermit Club on May 3.
Fittingly, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra leader Sean Jones (pictured below) will sit in with the group Present Day, under the director of Chris Anderson and Theron Brown, on Saturday, May 7 at the Antioch Baptist Church. The performance will feature Jones' trumpet stylings and a 50-voice youth gospel choir to highlight the richness of American culture through the language of gospel and jazz.
"Our overarching goal is always to present a cornucopia of intriguing and refreshing programming from a variety of jazz perspectives," says Jenkins. "Jazz is not a style of music, it is more an aesthetic umbrella under which are a variety of different approaches and ways to convey the music.
"Another of our goals is to present a raft of free-of-charge concerts at spaces across our community – from our campus venues to the East Cleveland Public Library and Nighttown. We do that especially with our Debut Series artists and some others who have not played our community previously – and likely would not have were it not for Tri-C JazzFest."
Tickets for the 32nd Annual Tri-C JazzFest are on sale now. Visit www.tricpresents.com/jazzfest for more information.
