Vail Jazz Party

[Peter Friedman]

Returned late last night from the Vail (Colorado) Jazz Party. My wife and I have attended this event many times. It is a chance to

hear a tremendous amount of fine music over 5 days. And being in the beautiful Rocky Mountains is a huge bonus.

Some of the many players we heard up close during this years jazz party included George Cables, George Mraz, Lewis Nash,

Terell Stafford, Sean Jones, Shelly Berg, Herlin Riley, John Clayton, Joel Frahm, Byron Stripling, Larry Fuller, Sherry Maricle,

Marion Haydon, Russell Malone, Howard Levy (harmonica), Jeff Hamilton, Dick Oatts, Bill Cunliffe, Gerard Gibbs, Nicki Harris,

Roberta Gambarini, Eric Gunnerson, Wycliffe Gordon, and many others.

Each year a 5 day student workshop is held just prior to the jazz party. 12 of the very best high school students from North America

work with a group of faculty made up of 6 professional jazz musicians who perform at the jazz party. The students receive a scholarship

to defray the costs of attending. The students get to play a couple of sets during the jazz party.

This years highlights for me were 2 sets by the George Cables Trio with George Mraz and Lewis Nash; a set led by Russell Malone with Larry Fuller, John Clayton and Herlin Riley; and the truly fine tenor saxophone playing of Joel Frahm over a number of different sets.

Though it would be difficult to identify any of the countless sets over the 5 days that were less than good. We are already planning to return

to this event next Labor Day weekend.