The two-day long celebration of the life and work of one of the greatest jazz musicians, Charlie Parker, is an event not to be missed. The annual festival takes place at the Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem on the first day and Tompkins Square Park in East Village on the second. Parker used to live around both places and they remain a fitting location to celebrate his legacy. The Charlie Parker Festival is free and open to the public and it attracts a diverse cross generational crowd.
The highlight of the first day for me was seeing Melissa Aldana “Crash Trio” featuring Pablo Menares on bass and Francisco Mela on drums perform a mix of standards and original material. The young tenor saxophonist from Chile has firmly established herself on the NYC jazz scene. Melissa is also the first female saxophonist to win the prestigious Thelonious Monk Competition Award.
The trio sounded very tight together, perhaps because they perform together all time and have a wonderful dynamic. The closing song, “Back Home,” dedicated to the great Sonny Rollins, inspired the guests to dance in the front of the stage while the deep sound of the saxophone spilled powerfully into the open space.
The other set showcased a virtuoso guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke whose music draws inspiration on the West Indian motifs incorporating them creatively into jazz. The night concluded with the Wallace Roney Orchestra playing his arrangements of Wayne Shorter’s music written for Miles Davis. Regrettably I missed the opening act by pianist Kris Bowers.
The second day of the festival was my definitely my favorite. The first time I went to the festival several years ago, I spent the day with my friends lounging on the lawn not far from the stage, having a picnic and enjoying the music all day. Unlike Marcus Garvey Park, Tompkins Park seems to encourage more people to just come with a blanket, food, perhaps even some wine, and relax in the sun soaking up hours of jazz. And of course there is an occasional dancing happening, which I always find utterly precious.
The day kicked off with another young, talented and in demand singer Brianna Thomas who was joined by a special guest, guitarist Russel Malone. The band also featured another Thelonious Monk semi- finalist, Tivon Pennicott on tenor saxophone, who played with tremedous tenderness and lots of soul.
The slightly nostalgic and romantic atmosphere was flipped upside down when Craig Handy came up on stage after taking his band on a little walk circling around the audience. Handy played funk infused high-powered jazz and his energy was contagious, making people stand up and dance.
The night continued with Cindy Blackman Santana, a powerful and charismatic drummer who was joined by Zaccai Curtis on the keys and the rising star Nir Felder on guitar. The closing act of the day was the amazing multiple-Grammy nominee Kenny Barron, a delightful ending to the two days filled with good music and amazing energy. The whole festival is a wonderful event and if you haven’t had a chance to attend, you should next year.
Anna Yatskevich is Flowers In A Gun’s glamorous jazz & beyond critic! Catch more reviews from her here and follow her on Twitter @jazzaddikt.
