The DC Jazz Festival included five days (Aug.27-Aug. 31) of non-stop music, with many locations throughout the area — from U Street, Shaw, Eckington, Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, Foxhall, Takoma Park and the Southwest Waterfront.
Festival headliners included National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) JazzMasters Ron Carter, Gary Bartz and Marshall Allen, as well as D.C.-area jazz luminaries who are also educators, such as Corcoran Holt, Paul Carr, Allyn Johnson and Christie Dashiell.
DC JazzFest kept its tradition of taking music to the people.
Further, from panels and introductions, Sunny Sumter, DC JazzFest president and CEO, and Willard Jenkins, festival artistic director and a NEA Jazz Master, were present to pump up the audience and engage with attendees to emphasize the power of the District’s jazz community beyond one long weekend.
“We’re bringing together some of D.C.’s finest musicians, plus artists from around the world,” said Sumter on NBC Washington. “Jazz is a signature destination for D.C., year-round.”
Strike Up the Band!
Johnson, a pianist and composer, directed the JazzDC All-Star Orchestra, offering the big band sound.
Several special guests performed, including harpist Brandee Younger.
In addition was the Hamilton LIVE event, featuring Carr, a saxophonist, composer, music educator, and director of the Jazz Academy of Music (JAM) in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Grammy-nominated vocalist Dashiell, an alumnus of and current faculty member at Howard University.
A familiar voice in the D.C. area for many years, the opening night of DC JazzFest was the first of several appearances by the talented Dashiell during the five-day festival.
“You have no idea how great Christie Dashiell is,” social media user Mike West wrote on Facebook.
Perfect Musical Combination
The creative Cécile McLorin Salvant, an extraordinary vocalist, was accompanied on piano by her partner in love and music, Sullivan Fortner, for a beautiful concert at Arena Stage.
With her exciting performances, Fortner tears up the piano with quick finger movements that match perfectly with where Salvant wanted to go.
Their set included a fabulous range to showcase Salvant’s vocal talent with interpretations of Abbey Lincoln, Bessie Smith, El Debarge, and Stephen Sondheim.
After presenting a birthday cake to Salvant, Fortner obliged the vocalist’s request by singing Richard Smallwood’s “Your Love Divine.” The couple delivered a true love story at the festival.
“I love the way she raises me to an emotional and intellectual vision,” said Laura Chiat from Rockville, Maryland, after the concert. “She tells us stories, then she sings to us. It’s incredibly moving.”
Music Class Is in Session
Meeting the artists during free open panels or one-on-one conversations allows music lovers to gain insight into the work of an artist and the history of his or her music. Those sessions were the equivalent of a university lecture series.
Sumter’s introduction of bassist, composer, producer, bandleader and first time DC JazzFest performer Marcus Miller revealed that at age 15, the Grammy award winner began playing with Miles Davis.
In addition to working with Davis, he also worked closely for many years with Roberta Flack and Luther Vandross.
At the request of filmmaker Spike Lee, Miller composed the song “Da Butt,” by Sugar Bear and E.U., which helped introduce go-go music to a broader audience in the film “School Daze” (1988). Wrapping up his set Saturday evening on the District Pier stage, Miller surprised this audience by bringing Sugar Bear on stage to perform the beloved song.
“The first thing I check out is the audience, you know, not on the stage but when I’m walking through the hotel and through the venue to get to wherever the stage is,” said Miller on the fourth day of the festival. “I’ve had a wonderful time.”
The NEA Jazz Masters Panel, Performance
A panel of NEA Jazz Masters is always a treat during the festival, featuring bassist, composer, educator Carter, writer, saxophonist, percussionist, composer, bandleader Allen, and Jenkins, DC JazzFest artistic director, writer, broadcaster, educator, and oral historian.
Joining these gentlemen was pianist and composer George Cables, who was a member of the Jazz Messengers. Responding to questions from Sumter had the group at Arena Stage holding on to every word.
In addition, Carter, Cables, and Allen, at 101 years old, performed during the festival.
While NEA Jazz Master Eddie Palmieri was scheduled to perform this year, he died last month on Aug. 6. However, NEA remembered the pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer for his contributions to music.
“He was known as one of the finest Latin jazz pianists of the past 50 years,” said NEA. “Eddie Palmieri was also a bandleader of both salsa and Latin jazz orchestras.”
