Reason # 2: See New Stars
The Healdsburg Jazz Festival is just around the corner, and we’re planning to work steadily from now until Friday night at the Raven, when Mark Cantor brings Jazz Night at the Movies to the screen. There are a million things to do to make sure this year’s Festival is the best ever — and we think it can be, if you help us by joining us at these concerts! After all, how often to you get to see not only old friends and local talent, but jazz masters and new stars in both intimate venues and historic venues?
Sunday, June 13 marks the finale of this year’s festival, and in keeping with our interest in new talent and rising stars, we’ve made it all about the Keepers of the Flame. This is a show that’s sure to point the way to paths less traveled for jazz with a youthful line-up full of energy and inspiration in equal measure.
Featured will be pianist and composer Jason Moran, the newest star in the prestigious Blue Note pantheon. This actually marks Moran’s second appearance at the Festival — he played with the Charles Lloyd Quartet at Jackson Theater (Sonoma County Day School) in 2008. This time he fronts the cutting-edge trio The Bandwagon, whose explorations encompass the full jazz spectrum. For this Rodney Strong appearance, their talents are enhanced by the sonic explorations of guitarist Bill Frisell, whose sound references everything from country blues and bluegrass to West African griots and old-time Appalachian songs.
Also on the bill is the dynamic young Cuban percussionist who “landed like an asteroid” on the New York jazz scene ten years ago, Dafnis Prieto. His impact has been felt in both jazz and Latin music, he’s been Grammy-nominated and played Lincoln Center, and now he comes to Healdsburg. The Si o Si Quartet includes fellow Cubans Manuel Valera on piano and Charles Flores on bass; their Latin influences are balanced by Berkeley-bred multi-instrumentalist Peter Apfelbaum,, who toured with Carla Bley and opened for the Greatful Dead with his Hieroglyphics Ensemble.
In combination, the dynamic, challenging yet ecstatic music of the Si o Si Quartet is sure to energize the Rodney Strong throngs, so don’t be late, they’ll be first on stage during the 2 – 6 pm open air concert.
Sandwiched between the Si o Si Quartet and the Bandwagon is Gretchen Parlato, a talented vocalist and arranger whose 2009 album “In a Dream” marks a striking debut for this Theonious Monk Institute award winner. Parlato is among the very best of a rising generation of jazz singers, an artist who has forged a highly personal sound unlike any of her peers.
Her repertoire ranges from Stevie Wonder to Bjork to Wayne Shorter, and her Healdsburg band features some of jazz’s most inventive young improvisers, including pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist Alan Hampton and drummer Kendrick Scott.
This line-up confirms that our Festival Finale will not so much end our jazz explorations, but mark the beginning of multiple new directions for the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
If you have your tickets to the Friday, June 11 concert at the Raven — congratulations, you’ll be seeing one of jazz’s newest headliners, Esperanza Spalding. But if you don’t have your ticket, sorry, this show is sold out. Still, we must say a few words about the newest star in the jazz panoply.
Esperanza got her start in her native Portland, Ore., where she played in an indie-rock band at 15. She quit high school, but soon landed a scholarship at Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music. Soon she won over such jazz pros as Joe Lovano, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny and others, who recognized her unique talent.
Her star was on the rise when she appeared on David Letterman‘s program, where he famously said, “She’s the coolest person we’ve ever had on!” A big hit at last year’s HJF at Barndiva, her fame and credibility have since skyrocketed. In 2009 she played at the White House, and made such an impression on Barack Obama that he invited her to play in Oslo where he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Even though this show is sold out, don’t forget there’s plenty of terrific music both Friday and Saturday nights, June 11-12, at the Hotel Healdsburg Lobby. Lorca Hart — another rising star in jazz — leads the combo on Friday night, and Bay Area saxophone stalwart Craig Handy fronts an all-star band on Saturday.
More information about this year’s Festival:
See our past Reasons to Attend the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
Useful information including Getting Around, Directions and more at Frequently Asked Questions.