G-Funk Era

Spinning in place as if he were the
ballerina inside a little girl’s music box, the G-man wove the magical
melodies of “Home” and “Silhouette” into the twilight, then ripped the
note while walking toward the stage to rejoin his band. Those in the
audience with perfect pitch were surprised to find that the note
Gorelick played was, in fact, a “G” (Editor’s note: This reviewer does not have perfect pitch, and as such may be lying.).

You killed, Kenny!: The saxophonist known as Kenny G entertained a huge crowd at this year’s Syracuse Jazz Fest. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO      

 

Such a feat is not surprising from Gorelick, who held a note in 1997 for more than 45 minutes, landing him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records
for the longest note played on a recording with a saxophone. In
addition to his lung capacity, Gorelick has recorded almost two dozen
solo albums during a nearly 40-year career. Those albums, of which
holiday-themed spinners have been especially successful, hold special
appeal to the soccer mom demographic.

While G-williker’s set formed the
climax to the two-day festival, a sizable menagerie of jazz musicians
performed throughout, starting with scholastic groups at 4 p.m. both
days. Unfortunately, the festival did feel a bit deflated in overall
scope compared to previous years, the result of festival organizer
Frank Malfitano’s admitted difficulty with securing sponsorships this
year. 

Regardless, area jazz fans came out in
force, numbering an estimated 50,000 on Saturday night. That number,
which was reported from the stage, may be a bit inflated: Aretha
Franklin’s 2007 performance supposedly drew a crowd of 40,000, and that
throng appeared to be greater than Kenny G’s. Given that the festival
is free, there is no way to accurately gauge exact attendance numbers.

Getting the festival off to a proper
start, the John Tropea Band riffed on a variety of funky tunes.
Tropea’s presence was in step with the theme of Jazz Fest: a dedication
to the late guitarist Hiram Bullock, with whom many of the festival’s
players had collaborated, including Tropea’s bassist, Will Lee. The
dedication was solidified via a 50-foot photograph of the guitarist
hanging stage left from one of the front-end speakers.

Shout-outs to Bullock continued during
a jam session with the Bill Evans Soulbop Band, featuring trumpet
player Randy Brecker. A contrast to the bluegrass material Evans
presented during the 2008 festival, this year’s crop of tunes was
heavier on fusion elements, a likely nod to Bullock’s colorful style.

Solos from the band, which included
Katreese Barnes on keyboards and vocals, Mitch Stein on guitar, Frank
Gravis on bass and Rodney Holmes on drums, were wired and
scintillating, kicking the energy level of the festival up to a proper
level. Barnes as vocalist blew away a reggae-influenced rendition of
the Beatles’ “Yesterday” that was spliced together with an intro that
sounded nearly identical to Bob Marley’s “Jamming.” 

Brecker took a turn in the spotlight
during “Above and Below.” The mildly onomatopoeic tune dipped and dived
through manic chord changes, giving the band a run for its money while
demonstrating its higher-browed musical tricks.  

 Jazz hands: A fan testifies at the
Jazz Fest. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

Al Chez cha-chas during his set. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

Percussionist Lenny Castro
rocks with David Garfield’s groups.  MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

 

Lee, who has clocked a lot of time as the bassist in the band that performs on Late Night with David Letterman
(Bullock also spent time with this band during his career), then made
what would be his second of three appearances on Friday during a set
from the West Coast/East Coast Dream Band, under the direction of
keyboardist David Garfield. 

The group featured soulful pipe cleaner
Alex Ligertwood on vocals, consummate rock drummer Steve Ferrone, fiery
guitarist James Harrah, saxophonist Larry Klimas, Latin percussionist
Lenny Castro and Brecker on trumpet. Each musician legitimately tore
the stage in half during moments of soloing glory as well as during
high levels of emotion when the band came together as one.

“Pick Up the Pieces,” one of the
Average White Band’s most notable hits (Ferrone was also the drummer
for the AWB during tours past), kicked it up a notch from the start and
placed the band into a solid groove that continued throughout its set.
The kick came on so strong, in fact, that bassist Lee’s amp toppled
over on the stage, leaving him plucking along in silence. Kidding about
the mishap, Garfield called out to the audience, “Hello, Syracuse! It’s
good to be here. We’re already off to a wild start!”

Ligertwood then simply annihilated a
version of Steely Dan’s “Josie,” crooning the soulful vocal swells of
the song with an intensity that would be nearly impossible to match.
During one of the song’s breaks, Ligertwood, using his
Jamiroquai-meets-Dr. John stage presence, spun around and pointed to
Garfield, effectively passing on the beat with the gesture.

Garfield’s group progressed into the
anxious, sultry “Georgie Porgie,” one of the more well-written songs on
Lee’s first solo album, 1993’s Oh! (Go Jazz). Lee served as
vocalist on that tune, although he also proceeded to funkify the bass
line of the number and the group’s others with his signature, quirky
personality.

The Dream Band also payed homage to
Bullock during a run through one of his tunes, “Bean Burrito.” Lee
remarked prior to the song that he remembered Bullock’s stage banter
during his 2007 performance at the Syracuse Jazz Fest, during which
Bullock introduced the song by explaining, “I love to eat. If you don’t
eat, you’ll die!”

That amazing set brought the
temperature of the show up to a broil, which, unfortunately, the
night’s headliner, Sypro Gyra, somewhat quelled. The group is clearly
fond of its 1980s roots, during which they found popularity in the
Buffalo scene with light fusion grooves. Only saxophonist Jay
Beckenstein and keyboardist Tom Shuman remain as original members of
the band. 

Face the music: (from left)
Vocalist Alex Ligertwood and bassist Will Lee read the lyrics to
Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” during a late-night jam. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

David
Garfield approves of his group’s vibes. MATT MUMAU PHOTO

 

Spyro Gyra’s blase set suffered from
the inherent problem that always plagues instrumental groups that rely
on a particular style: the musicians are so talented on a technical
level that their music comes off as soulless. At the same time, the
aesthetic veneer of Spyro Gyra’s tunes has lost its luster over the
years. 

Still, the group’s drummer, Bonny
Bonaparte, made sure the set had some high moments, scatting and
soloing on his kit during a one-man rendition of Michael Jackson’s
“Remember the Time,” a reverent decision that honored the musician who
died the previous day from cardiac arrest. Jackson fans in the audience
squealed with delight, while Bonaparte showed himself to be an
admirable frontman. 

After Spyro Gyra’s set, a remarkable
late-night jam session was held in honor of Bullock and Jackson. A huge
collection of those who had performed earlier massed on stage once
again. The collective, which Lee directed with a variety of hand
signals, started with Miles Davis’ “All Blues,” then progressed into
Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.” The latter of those two songs was chosen
because, as Lee explained, Bullock performed that tune during Lee’s
wedding. Guitar soloists, which included Tropea and Horrah, channeled
the multi-colored, electric timbre of Bullock’s guitar style.

Ligertwood and Lee, both holding copies
of lyrics they appeared to have printed out just prior to the jam
session, then led the group through Jackson’s “Human Nature” in
impromptu fashion. The pair played on the crowd’s desire to grieve
Jackson by inducing a call-and-response sing-along, sending the crowd
off from the Jazz Fest’s first day with somber but reverberating sounds
in their heads and hearts.

Saturday’s Jazz Fest defied a chance of
rain, and started off with a rocking set from Al Chez and the Brothers
of Funk Big Band. Chez, who’s proper moniker is Cheznovitz, is also a
contemporary of Bullock’s, serving as the Late Show with David Letterman
band’s trumpet player. Different from his usual stint in the marching
band known as the Garfield Cadets (no relation to David Garfield),
Chez’s group brought on the full soul power of his intense horn section.

The Brothers of Funk also dug into a
cover of “Send in the Clowns,” while later drawing their set to an
orgasmic groove that featured lyrics that punched out their own name as
a hook. Chez ascended the heavens of the trumpet’s upper registers,
fortunately avoiding a brain aneurism while sufficiently warming up the
crowd.

Spyro Gyra: (from left) Guitarist Julio Fernandez and saxophonist Jay Beckenstein headlined friday’s run of the Syracuse Jazz Fest. MICHAEL DAVIS

 

The Steelheads followed, blending a
wide variety of musical styles with the tinny sound of a half-dozen
steel drums. Director Jim Koviak praised his student musicians, who
came from Mott Community College in Flint, Mich. The group played “Song
for Mia,” which originally featured deceased saxophonist Michael
Brecker (Randy’s brother) on the group’s self-released album, Points of Departure.
Castro served as that tune’s percussionist, contrasting his superb,
energetic flavor with the song’s delicate melody. Garfield also got in
on the fun of the Steelheads’ set, playing sensitive comps on the
acoustic piano during “Afro.”      

Garfield’s band, in its more core form
(the band’s primary members are Ligertwood and Ferrone, who plays with
the group when he’s not touring with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers),
then performed its second set of the festival. Ligertwood again sang
his heart out, especially during the breathy Boz Scaggs’ tune,
“Lowdown.”

Steely Dan’s jazz-rock was again
acknowledged during a powerful take on “Babylon Sisters,” while
Garfield nodded to Jeff Porcaro, the late Toto drummer to whom Garfield
has now dedicated two full studio albums, with a run through one of
Porcaro’s favorite tunes, Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” 

Gorelick’s headlining antics were in
full effect by the time the masses had assembled for his closing
ceremonies. While no music critic in his right mind would pay much
credence to G-funk’s ultra-saccharine soprano sax stylings, at least he
showed during the festival that he does possess the admirable skill of
circular breathing, a horn player’s technique with which the player
inhales through his nose while blowing on his sax. 

In fact, while demonstrating his method
to the crowd, G showed his sense of humor by claiming that he was doing
“the inhaling like Bill Clinton never did.”

Gorelick had earlier emerged during one
of the breaks between sets to announce that he would be giving away a
saxophone during his set: the catch was that you’d have had to have
purchased two tchotchkes from his impressive merchandise booth.
However, the artist, who hasn’t quite gotten over his 1980s, Carrot
Top-inspired hair cut, made good on his promise, giving the piece of
brass to a duo he dubbed “Chris and Gibbs.” Gorelick also riffed on a
song he wrote on the spot, just for the winners of the raffle, on the
instrument in question.

Another highlight from G’s romp came when percussionist Ron Powell let it fly during a Stomp-influenced
tambourine solo, replete with athletic tricks like tossing then dancing
around the instrument. Afterwards, the ladies in the front row were so
endeared to Powell’s sex appeal that Gorelick felt the need to defend
his own capabilities: “I’m a sax player,” Gorelick explained. “And that
means I’ve developed a whole separate set of muscles. Oh, gosh!”

Musically, Gorelick’s entourage didn’t
sound half bad during takes on a variety of Latin tunes, all of which
are featured on his latest album, the oh-so-Kenny-G titled disc Rhythm and Romance
(Concord). The group sauntered through “Besame Mucho,” with Gorelick
providing the lusty, heavily reverberated melodies for which he is
known, as well as “Sax-O-Loco,” a samba groove with a title you can’t
help but chuckle at.

Gorelick rounded out the enchanting set
with “What a Wonderful World,” a “duet” he played with a projected
image of the song’s principle performer, the late trumpeter and
vocalist Louis Armstrong. Surprisingly, Gorelick closed with a reprise
of “Pick Up the Pieces” that defied his otherwise syrupy-sweet visage,
as well as a funky rendition of The Beatles’ “Come Together,” featuring
a Victor Wooten-like bass solo from Vail Johnson.

While G’s set may have been everything
but an appeal to jazz hard-liners, at least it gave the 40-something
mothers in the audience a chance to send cell phone pics to their
buddies (surely, their Twitter messages read, “OMG! I just saw Kenny
G!”).