Review: Tri-C JazzFest Takes Over Playhouse Square, Shows That Jazz Still Has More to Offer

Dominick Farinacci & Friends Credit: Photo by Eric Heisig

Cuyahoga Community College’s JazzFest returned this weekend to Playhouse Square for its 46th year and, at least judging from many of the headliners’ performances, it remains as vital as ever.

While none of the shows I attended this year were even close to sold out, that’s the loss of those who didn’t attend. There was plenty for casual and hardcore jazz fans alike to enjoy, from the New Orleans stylings of Trombone Shorty to the spacey musings of the Sun Ra Arkestra.

Here’s what I saw on the main stages.

(And yes, I know there were so many other good acts to see. I also have a day job. I aim to make time next year to sample more than the main acts and to see what the festival truly has to offer.)

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Thursday night, Connor Palace
Over nearly 90 minutes, returning JazzFest champions Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue blended New Orleans jazz, funk, rock, gospel and, well, any other genre you could think of. This wasn’t music for a dimly lit, smoky club, but rather for dancing down the street or, in the case of the Connor Palace, the aisle.
In other words, it was for a party.

The trombonist/trumpeter/singer Shorty — real name Troy Andrews — and his seven-piece band (which grew to eight with the addition of djembe drum player/Oberlin College & Conservatory faculty member Weedie Braimah) are a well-known touring act. Their tightness was evident as songs zig-zagged through tempos and styles. They also showed deference to their roots with spirited takes on Solomon Burke’s “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and the standards “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”

Stanley Clarke N•4EVER, Friday night, Connor Palace
Stanley Clarke thankfully stayed on the right side of smooth jazz for his 90 minute set. The musician, best known to some as part of the 1970s fusion band Return to Forever, was in fine form and largely stuck to his upright bass as he let his quintet of younger backing musicians run free. Still, he showed he can still play loud and dirty in his encore performance of “School Days.”

His backing band proved they can more than keep up with Clarke. That goes double for drummer Jeremiah Collier, whose wild solos brought to mind a jazz version of Animal from Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem from The Muppets. The others also got a chance to shine, though I wanted to hear more from violinist Evan Garr.

Photos From the 46th Tri-C Jazzfest at Playhouse Square

Sun Ra Arkestra, Friday night, Mimi Ohio Theatre
While original bandleader Sun Ra died more than three decades ago, the Arkestra lives on as the preeminent purveyors of jazz. Actually, that’s too simplistic a take, as the group has always been about more. Sun Ra, as an Afrofuturist pioneer, let his imagination run free during the Civil Rights Era and beyond as he dreamed of a better life for Black people.

That spirit seeped into his music and lived on during Friday’s show, which saw the Arkestra take on big-band standards, free-jazz freakouts and everything in between. Saxophonist/conga player Knoel Scott energetically and idiosyncratically led the colorfully-dressed 13-piece band through winding arrangements and occasional sound problems, and in the process delivered a sensational performance that focused heavily on space and all it has to offer.

Yes, it occasionally felt a little ragtag (a special shout-out goes to drummer George Gray for holding it all together), but that was part of the vibe. I wouldn’t have changed a thing and, decades after the Arkestra was formed, it seems like it wouldn’t either.

Dominick Farinacci & Friends/Taylor Eigsti & Christian Tamburr, Saturday afternoon, Mimi Ohio Theatre
The emphasis on Cleveland jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci & Friends’ hour-plus performance—the first of a two-act show—was on the friends. Farinacci invited local saxophonists Ernie Krivda, Ken LeeGrand and Howie Smith to sit in, intent on paying as much tribute to the history of the region’s jazz scene as he was to moving it forward.

The results were a pleasant set of acoustic jazz filled with standards. That included a run-through for the finale of “Every Day I Have the Blues,” complete with vocals from Shenel Johns.

The second act featured Taylor Eigsti and Christian Tamburr paying tribute to the musical partnership of legendary pianist Chick Corea and vibraphonist Gary Burton. Eigsti nailed Corea’s classical-influenced jazz stylings while Tamburr animatedly provided color on the vibes. The interplay was stellar, and the sound more than filled the theatre with just their two instruments.

Taylor Eigsti and Christian Tamburr Credit: Photo by Eric Heisig

Pedrito Martinez Group, Saturday night, Mimi Ohio Theatre
Cuban musician Pedrito Martinez and his backing quartet brought the main stages to a close with 80-plus minutes of a blend of jazz, rumba and other Latin and African-infused rhythms. The percussionist/bandleader/singer was a force, frequently emerging from behind his batá drum to sing and dance. He also successfully implored the somewhat sparse crowd to get off their feet, with many joining in on the dancing with their partners or on their own.

The songs were all about extended rhythmic interplay, and the musicians took it to the next level when Braimah sat in on the djembe drum. And, when called upon, each band member was quick with an inventive solo.