A Free Annual Festival Draws International Talent Ival
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JJazz-azz- inging Up Up lake lake george georgeBY MICHAEL COFFEY BY PHOTOGRAPHSMICHAEL COFFEY BY LAURA CARBONE AA FFREEREE AANNNNUUALAL FFEESSTTIVALIVAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURA CARBONE DDRRAAWWSS IINNTTEERRNNAATTIIOONALNAL TTALEALENNTT 38 ADIRONDACK LIFE September /October 2 015 LGJazzfest.indd 38 7/14/15 4:31 PM LGJazzfest.indd 39 September /October 2 0 15 ADIRONDACK LIFE 39 7/14/15 9:58 AM With Lake George as back- drop, the jazz fest features an eclectic two-day lineup; at left, guitarist Michael Veleanu leans into a Django-inspired solo. Facing page, clockwise from left: Briggan Krauss, of Sex Mob, on alto saxophone. Flautist and bandleader Jane Bunnett. Vocalist Dayme Arocena, of the Cuban group Maqueque. Page 39: Israeli clarinetist Anat Cohen. turns the lake surface to an aluminum blaze. Over the course of the two days there are seven acts (four on Saturday, including the evening headliner, and three on Sunday—see sidebar, page 42). Talk to the musicians backstage The intimate club feel is no acci- asked by Lake George Arts Project OUR YEARS AGO during Jazz at the Lake—Lake George ished. Today, the venue is shaded by (be cause you can) and you hear dent. Poet and novelist Paul Pines, the director John Strong to help out with Arts Project’s annual music festival on the western shore majestic sugar maples and graced with noth ing but praise for not only the festival’s curator for the last 32 years, the inaugural jazz weekend. He did. of Lake George—the virtuosic young sax player Grace a serpentine wall and stone pathway. extraordinary setting but the quali- ran his own legendary jazz club, The And then he met his future wife—and Kelly was blowing soulfully through Gershwin’s “Sum- The crowd—upwards of 3,000 people ty of the audiences—“Attentive and Tin Palace, on Manhattan’s Lower East never left. mertime” when a passing steamboat sounded its horn. She paused for a sec- attend during a typical festival—sits adventurous,” said brass player Steve Side during the gritty 1970s. His novel Over the years Pines has helped ond and ad-libbed to the crowd, “That was in B fl at, am I right?” The delighted on blankets and folding chairs. There Bernstein last September. “It’s like a based on that time, The Tin Angel, sold educate a generation of locals curi- crowd shouted out a few of its own guesses at the possible key, and Kelly are children and dogs about. Food ven- conversation, as intimate as a jazz more than 100,000 copies and is still ous about jazz and in the market for a carried on with even more verve. The moment was emblematic of the unique dors offer chili, meatball subs, popcorn, club.” Drummer Billy Martin praised in print. But Pines, by his own admis- relaxing September weekend. His line- brand of camaraderie between performer and audience that can be found at candy apples, caramel and kettle corn. the sophistication of the crowd, rapt sion, burned out, moved to Belize, and ups have mixed traditional jazz with this most intimate and laid-back of jazz festivals. And the backdrop—the shimmering and appreciative during quiet passag- then, on a lark, accepted a two-month edgy experimentation and novel com- The two-day affair enjoys a relaxed, picturesque setting in the natural Queen of American Lakes—is unforget- es, applauding solos, roaring approval, writer’s residency in 1984, arranged bos. “There is a magic here between amphitheater at Shepard Park, just off Canada Street in the center of Lake table, especially at the start of Satur- coaxing encores out of every act. “You by his friend, the poet William Bronk. the audience and the players,” said George village. The amphitheater, located on a sward of sloping, terraced lawn, day’s evening performance, when the can’t help dig it,” said Martin, who’d While giving workshops at the Cran- Pines. “When you are at the event, it’s was dedicated in 1917. At the time, it was situated between two inns, now van- sun setting over Prospect Mountain never been to the area. dall Library in Glens Falls, Pines was as if no one wants to leave.” 40 ADIRONDACK LIFE September/October 2015 September/October 2015 ADIRONDACK LIFE 41 LGJazzfest.indd 40 7/14/15 1:55 PM LGJazzfest.indd 41 7/14/15 9:59 AM Photo Caption. Pines used the contacts he had developed with booking agents and musicians to get the festival going. THE BEAT His eclectic tastes and his grounding in tradition have earned the respect of GOES ON musicians around the world. This year’s Jazz at the Lake, “He does a great lineup every year— September 19–20, has a typi- always different, but always fresh,” cally diverse roster, including said Steve Bernstein, who has played a one-time guitar prodigy, a here with three different groups over brilliant autist, a revolution- the years. “People ask, ‘Where are ary accordion player, and a these acts on the regular US circuit?’ Marsalis as headliner. They aren’t. They are in Europe, where good jazz is state-supported.” Pines— Saturday 1 p.m. Julian Lage Trio Lage, a one-time guitar prodigy who merited a documentary (the Oscar-nominated Jules at Eight) leads his trio. 2:45 Jamie Baum Septet The young fl autist has toured everywhere and she is a Down- Beat favorite. 4:30 The Jazz Passengers “Hard bop as imagined by Frank Zappa” was one critic’s descrip- tion. Led by Roy Nathanson, whose music has been used in Robert Altman fi lms. 7:30 Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet The youngest member of Amer- ica’s royal family of jazz, who turned from drumming to the Shepard Park. Introducing Sun- vibraphone. Said by some to be day’s fi rst act, Pines said, “There’s “the most interesting musician in no place in the world, indoors or his illustrious jazz clan.” out, where you can hear jazz of this quality—for free.” Sunday Pines works on each program 1 p.m. Victor Prieto Trio who has booked the likes of Henry for over a year. “I think of it as a The accordion was an important Threadgill, Hilton Ruiz, Sheila Jordan, poem,” he said, “a composition. I am instrument in early jazz, and Pri- Don Byron and Gary Burton—attri- drawn to certain people and some- eto has revolutionized the tech- butes the fi ne lineups he’s had to “a thing coheres.” Pines has no formu- nique, using a chord approach on bit of leverage in booking. In mid-Sep- la—jazz is at heart an improvisational both hands. tember, acts are just returning from art form. But most years the talent 2:45 “Works” with Joe Lovano their summer gigs in Europe and the includes a sampling of Latin-infl ected Lovano is a giant among today’s fall season hasn’t begun yet.” bands, big orchestras, vocalists and saxophonists, and he steps in with Last fall, there was rain for only young, cutting-edge acts. “Every poem an innovative Brooklyn collective. the third time in 31 years. On Sat- is different,” said Pines. 4:30 Ghost Train Orchestra urday, the event moved inside to the For Pines, “Jazz is not only a great Led by Brian Carpenter, who Lake George High School auditorium, historical narrative but a litmus test of specializes in new arrangements where an irrepressible Pines marveled our ability to embrace tradition and of chamber jazz from the 1930s. at the acoustics indoors, the “great renewal at the same time.m It’s an New York City Jazz Record wrote, sight lines” and the continued inti- awareness in the arts that can’t be The natural amphithe- ater at Lake George’s “There hasn’t been big band music macy of the event. On Sunday, crisp accessed any other way.” And seldom Shepard Park offers as exciting as this since forever.” sunshine brought the event back to in a lawn chair by a lake. relaxed, intimate lis- tening as well as stun- 42 ADIRONDACK LIFE September/October 2015 ning lake views. September/October 2015 ADIRONDACK LIFE 43 LGJazzfest.indd 42 7/14/15 9:59 AM LGJazzfest.indd 43 7/14/15 1:57 PM.