4 OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES FROM THE 44TH ANNUAL DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL

 

Vibist Stefon Harris

My goal for the first full day of concerts at the 44th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival was to catch about 30 minutes of Stefon Harris & Blackout set at the Carhartt Amphitheater Stage, then rush to the Chase Main Stage to hear some of Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade "Children of the Light" set. However, I never made it to the Chase Main Stage. After witnessing Harris's band bassist Dezron Douglas, drummer Terron Gully,  pianist Christian Sands, and saxophonist Casey Benjamin drain all the blood from Harris's original "Legacy Dances," I couldn't in good conscience not experience the entire performance. For years now, Harris has been a jazz vibist worthy of comparison to legends Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson. Hutcherson had the biggest influence on Harris's playing. When Harris soloed on "Shake It for Me," "Gentle Wind,"  and "Now," Hutcherson's spirit hung on Harris like a backpack. Blackout, according to Harris, has been together for twenty-plus seasons. Saturday afternoon, they swung the entire set below sea level, performing music from Harris's deep discography and several cuts from his forthcoming album "Legacy Dances." Harris & Blackout gave an incredible concert where each number they performed was highlight reel worthy. Christian Sands, a leading jazz pianist of his generation, tapped into the audience's spiritual side when the band left him alone to play a gospel song that had the audience swaying and sweating like they were at church service instead of a jazz festival. The knock-out punch arrived near the set's conclusion when Benjamin sang a hip and modernized version of "What a Wonderful World" that would've made Louis Armstrong jealous.

 

Pianist Sullivan Fortner

Johnny O'Neal and Sullivan Fortner are terrific jazz pianists from different generations. O'Neal made his bones in the 80s with a run with the Jazz Messengers. Fortner has recently become a household commodity with a growing discography and a choice gig as the pianist for the multi-Grammy-winning vocalist Cecile McLorin Savant. Despite their age gap, O'Neal and Fortner share deep-seated reverence for the piano and a similar playful style that delighted the attendees during their hour set Sunday afternoon at the Chase Main Stage. The set was billed as a tribute to Detroit's jazz piano legacy, but no mention—save for Fortner saying he studied with pianist Barry Harris—of any Detroit piano greats. That aside, O'Neal and Fortner offered the most eclectic set I witnessed. The duo opened with a Count Basie staple, moved seamlessly to the Tad Dameron favorite "Our Delight," and hitchhiked from "With You, I'm Born Again" to Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You," which O'Neal arranged as a jazz waltz. Midway through the performance, O'Neal put Fortner on the hot seat when he left him to play "Love for Sale" solo, and Fortner handled the Cole Porter jewel like a prom date.

 

Vocalist Lizz Wright

Saturday evening was the fourth time I've attended a Lizz Wright performance. My first time was at the Detroit Jazz Fest back when she was a newbie who'd knocked the jazz world off its center with her debut album "Salt." Wright's stage demeanor and overall performance haven't changed much. She floats to the mic and opens with "Amaze Grace," sung so beautifully it would've made the devil want to get baptized. Wright defies typecasting, navigating jazz, folk, and the blues with equal aplomb. During her hour set on Sunday evening, her performance embodied a spiritual quality, blessing the audience with each song she sang and a voice that deserves a national holiday. At times, her voice was so blanket-soft and inviting I wanted to curl up in her lap.

 

Pianist Jason Moran

Jason Moran is his generation's most inventive and daring jazz pianist, always swinging outside the box. Expect something grand at any of his performances; that has been my experience when Moran has come to Detroit over the years. Moran and the Harlem Hell Fighters set Sunday night at the Carhartt Amphitheater Stage was one of the best I experienced in the many years I covered the Detroit Jazz Festival. Moran and the Harlem Hell Fighters honored James Reese, an iconic ragtime-era composer and bandleader credited with introducing jazz to Europe. Moran gave the audience a virtual tour of Reese's intricate musical evolution. Listening to Moran and the Harlem Hell Fighters raised hell musically for over an hour and watching Moran's fingers running across the piano keys like his fingertips were on fire was something to behold. At the end of the set, I couldn't stop feeling that if James Reese and the original members of his Clef Club Orchestra were around to witness the reverence Moran and the Harlem Hell Fighters have for Reese's legacy, Reese would've been brimming with pride.