Sherry and I met up with long-time friends Donnie & Bonnie at the Saratoga Jazz Fest today. This adventure was planned well in advance, but almost did not happen. There were some challenges, but we all had a great time and I am so glad we pulled it off.
I’ve often said, this exercise of 65 challenges in 52 weeks is a bit of a four dimensional puzzle. We need to put together things we want to do, in a location capable of supporting the activity, with friends we want to experience it with, on a date that works for everyone. That’s often very tough to do. But there is a fifth dimension that I often take for granted – health. Sherry was not feeling well yesterday and we almost did not make it. Thankfully she was able to pull through and was feeling much better later in the day.
Although we have been to Saratoga Springs on a number of occasions, we had never experienced the Saratoga Spa State park or the performing Arts Center before. It is a beautiful venue surrounded with trees, with easy to access and ample parking. There were food and craft vendors and in-between acts, we enjoyed walking around.
Today was sunny and not too hot and we set up chairs on the lawn outside the amphitheater. The sound was clear thanks to a newly installed sound system. mixed incredibly well and video monitors helped to enlarge the action on the stage for those of us sitting on the lawn.
The first act we saw was Cassandra Wilson who played blues and soul. We found her pace a bit too slow for us, but were blown away by her guest harmonica player Gregoire Maret, who had played the set before with DJ Logic.
The next performance was by Cory Wong from Minneapolis – who picked up the tempo with his 9 piece band. They played an energetic mix of jazz, rock and funk that was tightly orchestrated. We loved the synchronized pauses in the music and the sharp crisp energy. Cory played his guitar alongside Petar Janjic (drums), Yohannes Tona (bass), Kevin Gastonguay (keys), Sam Greenfield (tenor sax), Dan White (baritone sax), Jay Webb (trumpet), and Michael Nelson (trombone), all of whom were superb.
I may have found a new favorite band to follow.
The headliner for the evening was Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Like Cory Wong, the band played uptempo, fusing a mix of jazz, rock funk, and hip-hop. I also heard some Latin Jazz and at least one piece featuring some greek folk influence. Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty comes from a musical family in New Orleans, and is an incredibly talented musician, who started playing at age 4 and leading a band at 6. He not only plays the trombone but also the trumpet and vocals.
Shorty was accompanied by Pete Murano on guitar (whose style reminded me of Santana), Mike Ballard on bass, and Joey Peebles on drums. Dan Oestreicher and BK Jackson are saxophonists in the band, and Dwayne “Big D” Williams plays percussion. His performance also featured Tracey Lee, who performed lead vocals on “I Need You” and added dimension to the other music. Together this group brought the house down. Dancing, marching – and even an old fashioned 20 minute long version of “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In.” Powerful!
A great day outside. Fantastic music and dancing with wonderful friends. And Sherry feeling better – I am a lucky guy!