Thursday,
Even though Billy Taylor’s solid playing, which draws on both swing and bop, is not particularly compelling, it makes perfect sense for the pianist to open this year’s festival. Over the years he’s become much beloved for his ability to make the history of jazz both coherent and interesting as the host of various popular radio programs–and in a smart move for WBEZ, he’s part of this year’s broadcast team.
:50 PM Mingus Big Band
Milwaukee transplant Juli Wood, a former member of Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans, interprets bebop both saxophonically and vocally, but the real ear-catcher in this quintet is the superb organist Mel Rhyne, a former sideman with Wes Montgomery.
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Pianist-composer Myra Melford, born and raised on the North Shore, studied with local boogie-woogie titan Erwin Helfer, but while traces of the blues linger in her evocative music, her work draws upon a whole wealth of invigorating sources. She’s now based in New York; the superb group she brings to Chicago–trumpeter Dave Douglas, cellist Erik Friedlander, drummer Michael Sarin, and reedist Chris Speed–navigates her labyrinthine compositions with fluid, sensitive precision. On the quintet’s amazingly cogent The Same River, Twice (Gramavision), through-composed sections merge seamlessly with duos and trios, and chamberlike passages fold into furious free-jazz splashing folds into jaunty unison parts. Melford’s played in Chicago with her trio before, but this is the debut of her larger group.
7:50 PM Jackie McLean Sextet
Saturday, August 30
