Detroit Jazz Festival 2023

[Michael Weiss]

[Justin V]

I usually attend the Detroit Jazz Fest 2 or 3 days.  Last year was an unmitigated disaster with our daughter, so I likely will be attending by myself on Labor Day only.  The Louis Hayes group and Michael Weiss tribute to Barry Harris are my only definites because the schedule's overlaps are brutal.  I've never seen David Hazeltine or Michael Weiss and seeing back-to-back sets with Hayes and Lewis Nash sounds great to me. 

[Ken Dryden]

Is any of this festival webcast live?

[Justin V]

10 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

Is any of this festival webcast live?

In years past, they've had a streaming pass for a nominal fee ($10?).

[GA Russell]

Michael Weiss closes the show!

At the New Orleans Jazzfest, that spot was always reserved for the Neville Brothers.

[Michael Weiss]

On 7/10/2023 at 3:40 PM, Justin V said:

I usually attend the Detroit Jazz Fest 2 or 3 days.  Last year was an unmitigated disaster with our daughter, so I likely will be attending by myself on Labor Day only.  The Louis Hayes group and Michael Weiss tribute to Barry Harris are my only definites because the schedule's overlaps are brutal.  I've never seen David Hazeltine or Michael Weiss and seeing back-to-back sets with Hayes and Lewis Nash sounds great to me. 

Be sure to stop by and say hello Justin.

[JSngry]

We're visiting our daughter up here, and we're able to see a delightfully varied set of shows over all four days. This is a totally splendid festival, highly enjoyable, and one to which I will gladly return whenever logistics allow! 

[JSngry]

I selected the shows to see based on time (a lot of family time/sightseeing during the day) and things that I figured my wife and our daughter/boyfriend would enjoy. Scores on all points, thankfully!

• Karim Riggins (Friday) - a really smoking djs/horns/guitar set with MadLib(!!!!) on board. This was some intense stuff at times reminiscent of Pangea-era Miles, at other time of a slinky 70s Soul Jazz, always propelled by Riggins strong drumming. Outstanding!
• Balance (Saturday) - A local tenor/p[iano duo that plays original, introspective material that also had some bite. Very enjoyable.
• Kenny Garrett (Saturday) - I've heard reports that Garrett's current show was weak and rambling, but none of that here. Again, strong playing that had references to both Vernard Johnson in the alto playing and Eddie Harris in the presentation. Also, maybe it was playing in front of a hometown audience that was heavily African-American, but this set more than a few times felt like church music, and the recurring raised hands throughout the show certainly reinforced that impression! A very strong set of PeopleJazz.
• DeeDee Bridgewater (Sunday) - DeeDee is 72, looks like she's 22, and prowls the stage like a lioness. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but she put on an incredibly varied show backed by her all-female trio. She's got megachops to spare, and is a master dramatist, telling a different story with every song. Ws it a "show"? Well of course it was! But it was a masterful show.
• Jason Moran James Reese Europe/Harlem Hellfighters Tribute (Sunday) - I was curious more than anything else about this one. Ended up with some of it working better than others, but it was good enough, and the multimedia finale proved to be pretty moving. Europe is still an important figure in American Musical history, and Moran's project is calling that out.
• Louis Hayes (Sunday) 86 years old and still kicking ass! The band was Abraham Burton, Steve Nelson, David Hazeltine, and Dezron Douglas. All played well, but Hayes held my attention through out, just watching a master at the old-school cymbal techniques (getting infinite textures out of a ride cymbal by varying the stick angle and attack point) and keeping up that chsttering snare drum that is never too busy but never docile. It was a true blessing to see and hear this master at work.

The weather had been GREAT all week, but it turned hot on Sunday, and my wife found it too much, so we had to cut the day short. But when we got back the young folks wanted to stream (all three stages were available for every show, free!) the last show of the night, a Karim Riggins revue of contemporary R&B/Hip-Hop singers/rappers (again with MadLib on board in a supporting role). They were all very good, but nothing new happened. On the other hand, the argument has always been that "Young Black Musicians" are unaware of their past. Watching this show, the thought occurred that the argument works both was, that "Older Jazz People" are unaware of this OTHER reality. this young Black reality. It seems a shrewd move on Riggins' part to get both sides to see what the other is/has been up to. It's a good idea, imo. It keeps the street vitality as an option for the music going forth.

If I had been alone, I would have seen a lot more shows. Lord knows, this festival offered a pleathora of top-shelf talent. But as it turned out, everybody who came along enjoyed everything they heard to one degree or another, especially my daughter who loves being in the Detroit metor area. This is such a musical city, both in heritage and in current performances. I look forward to returning, hopefully multiple times!

Also a special shoutout to Mark Stryker. We had a chance to chat a few times, and a nicer guy I've never met. And not only is he ultra-knowledgeable about the music and the city, but he also has an impeccable taste in hats. Long may he wave!

 

[kh1958]

15 hours ago, JSngry said:

I selected the shows to see based on time (a lot of family time/sightseeing during the day) and things that I figured my wife and our daughter/boyfriend would enjoy. Scores on all points, thankfully!

• Karim Riggins (Friday) - a really smoking djs/horns/guitar set with MadLib(!!!!) on board. This was some intense stuff at times reminiscent of Pangea-era Miles, at other time of a slinky 70s Soul Jazz, always propelled by Riggins strong drumming. Outstanding!
• Balance (Saturday) - A local tenor/p[iano duo that plays original, introspective material that also had some bite. Very enjoyable.
• Kenny Garrett (Saturday) - I've heard reports that Garrett's current show was weak and rambling, but none of that here. Again, strong playing that had references to both Vernard Johnson in the alto playing and Eddie Harris in the presentation. Also, maybe it was playing in front of a hometown audience that was heavily African-American, but this set more than a few times felt like church music, and the recurring raised hands throughout the show certainly reinforced that impression! A very strong set of PeopleJazz.
• DeeDee Bridgewater (Sunday) - DeeDee is 72, looks like she's 22, and prowls the stage like a lioness. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but she put on an incredibly varied show backed by her all-female trio. She's got megachops to spare, and is a master dramatist, telling a different story with every song. Ws it a "show"? Well of course it was! But it was a masterful show.
• Jason Moran James Reese Europe/Harlem Hellfighters Tribute (Sunday) - I was curious more than anything else about this one. Ended up with some of it working better than others, but it was good enough, and the multimedia finale proved to be pretty moving. Europe is still an important figure in American Musical history, and Moran's project is calling that out.
• Louis Hayes (Sunday) 86 years old and still kicking ass! The band was Abraham Burton, Steve Nelson, David Hazeltine, and Dezron Douglas. All played well, but Hayes held my attention through out, just watching a master at the old-school cymbal techniques (getting infinite textures out of a ride cymbal by varying the stick angle and attack point) and keeping up that chsttering snare drum that is never too busy but never docile. It was a true blessing to see and hear this master at work.

The weather had been GREAT all week, but it turned hot on Sunday, and my wife found it too much, so we had to cut the day short. But when we got back the young folks wanted to stream (all three stages were available for every show, free!) the last show of the night, a Karim Riggins revue of contemporary R&B/Hip-Hop singers/rappers (again with MadLib on board in a supporting role). They were all very good, but nothing new happened. On the other hand, the argument has always been that "Young Black Musicians" are unaware of their past. Watching this show, the thought occurred that the argument works both was, that "Older Jazz People" are unaware of this OTHER reality. this young Black reality. It seems a shrewd move on Riggins' part to get both sides to see what the other is/has been up to. It's a good idea, imo. It keeps the street vitality as an option for the music going forth.

If I had been alone, I would have seen a lot more shows. Lord knows, this festival offered a pleathora of top-shelf talent. But as it turned out, everybody who came along enjoyed everything they heard to one degree or another, especially my daughter who loves being in the Detroit metor area. This is such a musical city, both in heritage and in current performances. I look forward to returning, hopefully multiple times!

Also a special shoutout to Mark Stryker. We had a chance to chat a few times, and a nicer guy I've never met. And not only is he ultra-knowledgeable about the music and the city, but he also has an impeccable taste in hats. Long may he wave!

 

Sounds good.

[JSngry]

And all free.

Shows were tightly ran, more or less on time. And you could easily walk between venues. 5-10 minutes or so at most.

Looking forward to a return trip! 

 

[JSngry]

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/detroit-jazz-festival-2023-a-tribute-to-a-great-jazz-city

A far more literary account than I could give, but on point AFAIC about the city, the experience as a whole, and the sets that I saw.

Glad to see that my impression of Kenny Garrett holding church with his set is at least somewhat shared. That stuff was INTENSE!!!!!