For the final afternoon of the 16th annual Vail Labor Day Jazz Party, festival director Howard Stone offered a last chance to hear many of the party's most popular performers. All but three musicians from the party played during one of the afternoon's five sets (and those who were gone had other engagements that prevented them from playing).
The first set featured three-quarters of the Martin Wind Quartet. Regular members Bill Cunliffe (piano), Martin Wind (bass) and Scott Robinson (saxophones) were joined by drummer Lewis Nash and, on one number, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Wind's group might be called a straight-ahead jazz group, but the group showed that such a category can encompass a broad range of jazz styles. For example, a romping blues called "Remember October 13" (the birthday of bassist Ray Brown) started off with an extended free section. Robinson was astounding on the introduction, playing saxophones from bass to soprano as well as a little cornet! Gordon was featured on Wind's graceful waltz "Cruise Blues" and the set closed with memorials to two recently deceased jazz musicians, "We'll Be Together Again" for Hank Jones and "Turn Out The Stars" for bassist Bob Bowen.
The Jeff Hamilton Trio was up next, playing a completely different program than they had on Saturday afternoon. The atmosphere was quite relaxed, and it was clear from the faces of the musicians that they were having a great time. Christoph Luty was in particularly fine form with a gorgeous arco bass solo on "Blues In The Night", Tamir Hendleman played a delightful solo on "Fascinating Rhythm" and Hamilton produced a supremely musical drum solo on "Caravan". Hamilton's trio will appear at Dazzle in Denver this Wednesday and Thursday night.
"Struttin' With Some Barbecue" was the official name of the next group, featuring trumpeter Byron Stripling, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Aaron Diehl, bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Ali Jackson. This was New Orleans-based music played by musicians who truly love the style. Gordon, a longtime member of the Vail jazz family, was in particularly good form. A delightful version of the swing standard "Broadway" featured Gordon on sousaphone with Wolfe and Jackson offering up spry counterpoint. (Unfortunately, that was the end of my time at the Vail Jazz Party. Due to scheduling and transportation conflicts, I was unable to stay for the rest of the afternoon's music, which included Ann Hampton Callaway's tribute to Cole Porter and a final jam featuring organist Tony Monaco).
There's a special vibe about the Vail party. While the budget isn't huge, the musicians who come back every year have a close connection to this party. It comes down to respect and appreciation, and it comes from the top down. Every musician I spoke with praised Howard and Cathy Stone to the skies, and with good reason: the Stones produce this festival because they love the music and the musicians and believe in treating them fairly. The musicians who appear here are world-class artists, and the audiences truly appreciate their artistry. I lost count of how many standing ovations there were during the party, and these ovations were genuine displays of admiration. They were not limited to the end of sets, and indeed, many happened at the end of individual solos. That kind of love is what makes the Vail Jazz Party a world-class event.
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