CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE

2010 PROVINCETOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL

Festival Review

By Joni Rapp

I drove to Provincetown not knowing what to actually expect at the Sixth Annual PROVINCETOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL on Friday & Saturday, August 13th & 14th. Now, I'm pretty much a Cabaret person, however the array of talented musicians and singers that I heard were appearing that weekend and who "straddle the line" of interpretation of the Great American Songbook really whet my appetite. So off I went to see what all the hoopla was about.

Many of the readers of Cabaret Hotline (both from NY, Boston and Philly etc.) are no doubt familiar with singer Dane Vannatter, winner of a 2000 Bistro Award for best CD and a 2006 BISTRO Award for "Outstanding Male Vocalist."

But then there was "Home Grown" New Yorker, pianist, vocalist, composer, arranger and lyricist Janice Friedman (a regular in the NY jazz clubs for over twenty years...as well as a world traveler from Europe to Asia).

Also on the bill was internationally acclaimed saxophonist, composer and arranger, Greg Abate (soprano, alto and flute) who was lead sax for the Ray Charles Orchestra. He currently lives in Rhode Island (easy to get to NY or Boston).

Saturday night took a different turn with a real New Orleans feel.

Vocalist, guitarist, composer, arranger and New Orleans native Paul Sanchez, who, although having lost most of his written music in Hurricane Katrina, won the 2009 winner of the "Songwriter of the Year" from Downbeat Magazine for his original CD "Farewell to Storyville"...and was flown here courtesy of Threadhead Records, a company trying to help New Orleans musicians regain their lives and careers.

Sanchez teamed up with trumpet player Steve Ahern from Florida, whose debut CD has received national acclaim, and features him performing on trumpet, flute and flugelhorn. Steve has performed with such greats as Aretha Franklin, Manhattan Transfer, Liberace, Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Maureen McGovern, Joni Mitchell, Moody Blues, Doc Severinsen, and has the distinction of being the opening trumpet soloist for Tony Bennett.

The back up band for Friday night was the Bart Weisman Group. Weisman, a drummer/musician from Cape Cod was also producer of this event and has performed with his jazz group for Presidents, Heads of State, and many celebrities. He holds the only year round Jazz Jam on Cape Cod (thank goodness for us singers in February). He works often with bassist Chris Rathbun, who has accompanied the incredible talents of stars like Rosemary Clooney, Linda Hopkins, Al Martino, The Mills Brothers, Patti Page, and John Raitt.

Jazz pianist and vocalist Janice Friedman arrived on stage with Weisman and Rathbun. I could go on about the famous luminaries she has worked with (and there are many she has also recorded with), but for the sake of brevity let me just say New York Times Jazz Critic, John Wilson, wrote that her, "Explosive piano playing carries the aura and variety of a big band." You bet!

Her vocals were on the mark all the way…with diversity and tonality separating her from the pack. Her version of "I Wish You Love," with Weisman's brushes and Rathbun's sweet bass only enhanced the sexiness of the song (and herself, a curly headed brunette with a great smile).

After a few jazzy upbeat tunes, the whole room had their feet tapping. The nimble rolls of Friedman's fingers over numerous octaves, combined with a deep, resounding, well-banged bass (not often used…but awesome on a well-tuned Grand) was like a "wild" ride on a roller coaster that only makes you want to get right back on as soon as you get off. I began to think she must be the lovechild of Errol Garner and Oscar Peterson. Her fingers, at times, moved so fast and furiously, I wondered how many she had!

Friedman has that rare jazz "gift" of also being able to play off the other musicians, as in repeating each others' phrases...adding to them and jamming them together with daring improvisation.

The trio was then joined by the ever popular songster Dane Vannatter. Vannatter hopped into the already "happening" action like a duck to water. He's no stranger to jazz and is as easily at home in New Orleans as he is in New York.

This is a man who is serious about his music, yet playful enough to always love a good laugh. I reviewed this handsome and charming singer at the Provincetown Cabaret Fest where he tore the audience in half with an interesting rendition of an old song from the Ziegfeld Follies called, "This House is Haunted," which he repeated for the lucky crowd last Friday. His bluesy, jazzy "Here's to Life," complete with the story of how and why the song was written (for George Burn’s 100th Birthday) fit in beautifully with the mood, and showed the full heights of his very mighty vocal range.

He then joined Friedman for some fun duets. "Summertime" was a treat, as they scatted back and forth with great glee.

MC Ron Robin, owner and DJ for DUNES 102.3FM radio (from Ptown to Plymouth), and the ever popular MEWS restaurant in Ptown for the last 26 years, said he was there because he was thrilled that Weisman was, "Bringing back a lot of attention to GOOD music again."

After a brief intermission, the lights dimmed and acclaimed horn player Greg Abate took the stage. He opened the show with a solo on the soprano sax. You could have heard a pin drop! Most of us are not used to a horn player opening a show on his own, especially in an a cappella fashion. Halfway through the song he was joined by the others, but almost got a wild ovation for just his opening song.

This guy is amazing! He's also a funny guy and great story teller. Dressed in a loose-fitting white linen shirt, he wanted us all to know how "Happy I am to be appearing at Land’s End. The end of the world as we know it."

Most brass players are usually better on one of the instruments they play. Not the case here. Each one had its own place and was used to perfection.

Weisman now put away the brushes (although at times during the act he could be seen switching from brushes to sticks and even mallets; one time I even saw one stick and one brush). But he was relying a lot more on his sticks now as things began to heat up. Rathbun on bass was now also letting it all go...and Friedman, totally in her element now, kicked completely loose as she supported and followed Abate through all sorts of wild journeys.

These guys were ‘jamming’ in the full sense of the expression. Back on the soprano sax for his fourth number, Abate floated his horn through a haunting rendition of Duke Ellington's "Chelsea Bridge"... just sliding from one note to the next as if it was as easy as pie and effortless…ending with an incredible, long and sweet solo that brought down the house. Truly brilliant! Abate knows his instrument so well, that he could "feel" the room and knew he didn't even need a microphone.

Next was a moody rendition of "As Time Goes By"...that flowed like a beautiful river. Abate then found a solo ending that featured the highest note (I think) anyone has ever found on an alto sax. Not a screech, but a series of high, perfectly pitched "squeaks" that stayed right on the mark. He even managed to hold a few of them. When he finished, I jumped to my feet along with everyone else (even dropping my note pad and pen). What a sound! It was like hearing a great painting!

Vannatter rejoined the group for an encore and the finale and all the musicians just let go as they went into a full out jam.

Saturday night was a very interesting and very musical night.

Bart Weisman as MC opened the show with the "Berklee Rising Stars," a band made up of two semi-professional students at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. The back-up band were faculty musicians. Many have played with some of the top musicians in the business, both on tour and in the studio.

Clay Lyons (sax) and Matt Joseph (trumpet), competed and won the chance to perform for this festival. These kids were the best of the best!

Lyons, from Wisconsin, discovered the saxophone at age eleven. He now attends Berklee on a full scholarship. He's studied with some of the biggest names in the jazz world, including George Garzone, Dino Govoni and Frank Tiberi. After only his second year, he was awarded the Berklee Woodwind Department Award.

Joseph, from Cape Cod, will be a senior this year and is already playing trumpet in gigs around Massachusetts with various bands including Chandler Travis, Beantown Swing Orchestra, Rockin' Soul Horns, Joey Scott, and the Cape Cod Conservatory Jazz Ensemble.

The accompanying faculty jazz band included: Suzanne Davis (piano) who, with her jazz trio, appeared every weekend at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston from 1985 to 2004. She performs frequently in Boston, Cape Cod, New York and Paris. She's an Associate Professor of Piano at Berklee and has been called "An outstanding talent" by the Boston Globe.

John Lockwood (bass) is an Associate Professor at Berklee and has performed with Gary Burton, Eddie Harris, Joe Henderson, Joe Pass, Carol Sloane, Clark Terry, and others. John says, "A lot of my students come to my gigs. We hang out. The great thing is that they're pretty flexible, so I can make up lessons at any time. Even twelve o'clock at night sometimes. It's crazy, but it works."

Bob Kaufman (drums) is a Professor of Percussion at Berklee and author of "The Art of Drumming" and "Deeper into the Art of Drumming," published by Advance Music. He's has performed with dozens of well known musicians over the years.

The band set the tone for the evening by knocking out some outstanding tunes. "Oleo" as performed by Lyons and Joseph electrified the audience as they traded four bar solos. I don't think people were expecting this caliber from these talented kids.

The festival was dedicated to New Orleans. After a short intermission Tina Lynde came out and represented the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and explained what they have done so far and still need to do to help musicians still hurting five years after Katrina. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to them.

Then Paul Sanchez and Steve Ahern hit the stage, immediately jumping into a mix of standards and originals. Sanchez, known for his funky jazz guitar and wonderful vocals of both original, local and American Songbook tunes, was perfectly accompanied by Ahern on a truly well played trumpet.

Sanchez dedicated one of his tunes to the late Senator Ted Kennedy, which brought a great reaction from this Cape Cod crowd (I guess some people outside MA loved the guy, too).

Bart Weisman then picked up his sticks once more and joined Berklee instructor John Lockwood on a wonderful arrangement of, "Ain't Misbehavin."

For the Finale, Weisman brought the Berklee Rising Stars and Faculty Musicians back on stage to join Paul Sanchez and Steve Ahern for, "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?"

The audience was heating up big time by the time special guest, Trombonist Sara Julian from the West Coast, joined the group for a big, foot-stomping, Jazz/Dixieland encore of, "When the Saints Go Marching In."

The audience was on their feet...dancing in and out of line, all around the theater. They went wild! As the show ended...smiles and laughter and a sense of well-being filled the room. A GREAT time was had by all!

2010 Provincetown Jazz Festival was a huge success and is growing bigger each year as more and more people hear about it. Some make their annual summer vacation plans around the event.

Ptown loves music and the Provincetown Jazz Festival has been building its reputation for getting some of the best talent in the country.