Indy Jazz Fest Recap
While I didn’t get to see the last day of the festival due to Father’s Day commitments and a general lack of caring about Fourplay, the two days I did see were unqualified successes. The weather broke Friday night just in time for an inspired set by Bettye Lavette - it was a gripping performance, spanning from her first recording in 1962 to her most recent album. And, despite a small-ish crowd, she kept nothing back. Even gave the bassist a solo - high praise for that.
Saturday saw great performances from Freddie Hubbard (after a slow start) with a band that included trombone luminary Curtis Fuller. After all that great music, though, he forgot the bassist’s name. Twice.
Local fusion group Hananeel was up at the other tent afterwards, and they put on a stellar show. The crowd filled up the venue after Dave Koz’s performance, and they got their fill of fire and showmanship (that had been apparently lacking on the other stage). High marks all around for these guys.
Finally, my wife brought up a great point - other festivals differentiate their stages with names like “Heritage” or “Groove” or something. This year’s “Whitelies.tv” and “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” stage felt like a wagging finger every time we looked at the performers. Maybe just a warning in the program next time? It’s easier to enjoy the music without being lectured (for stuff we weren’t even doing!) from the sponsors.