{"id":2349,"date":"2017-10-01T13:34:34","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T17:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/?p=2349"},"modified":"2017-10-02T09:43:05","modified_gmt":"2017-10-02T13:43:05","slug":"hyde-park-jazz-fest-summers-last-dance-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2017\/10\/hyde-park-jazz-fest-summers-last-dance-photos.html","title":{"rendered":"Hyde Park Jazz Fest, summer’s last dance (photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chicago’s Hyde Park Jazz Festival<\/a> in the first days of fall (Sept. 23 & 24th) which were unusually hot, is an exceptional event,\u00c2\u00a0curated for creative artistry, local and otherwise,\u00c2\u00a0drawing a highly diverse crowd<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Late afternoon jazz dance. All photos by Marc PoKempner unless otherwise credited.<\/p><\/div>\n

to a fair that mixes popular and specialized performances at a range of boutique venues.<\/p>\n

Produced by\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>an independent 501c3, the 11-year-old Hyde Park Jazz Festival receives some support from the University of Chicago’s Office of Civic Engagement<\/a>, and has co-founders in principals from the Hyde Park Jazz Society<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0but relies for funding on grants it applies for on its own and solicited individual giving.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>The fest occurs mostly on the U of C campus, which strives to be more inviting to its surrounding black residential neighborhoods than it’s been for decades. The efforts seems to work — a racially integrated crowd of several thousand, skewing middle-aged but including students (the term had just started) and families with kids, attended, all free of charge ($5 donations were encouraged).\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>Some set up discreet tents, inflatable loungers or camp chairs within hearing distance of the outdoor stages at either end of a pedestrian mall on the Midway, socializing while taking in sun and street food. Others took refuge in the darker, cooler venues of the Logan Center for the Arts<\/a>, the DuSable Museum<\/a>, the Smart Museum<\/a> or the Little Black Pearl<\/a> art and design center on 47th St.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hyde Park Jazz Fest audience in the Midway.<\/p><\/div>\n

No way to be everywhere, hear everything. My idea of fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beckoned, walking to the site, by the muted trumpet of Marquis Hill in drummer Makaya McCraven’s band with rare, pleasing vibes-guitar duo (Joel Ross and Matt Gold, respectively) and in-demand bassist Junius Paul. Glanced in on Thelonious Monk’s biographer Robin D.G. Kelley<\/a>‘s talk, hustled to the premiere of the Bamako*Chicago Sound System, flutist extraordinaire Nicole Mitchell’s collaboration with Malian kora player Ballake\u00c2\u00a0Sissoko,<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bamako*Chicago Sound System, Nicole Mitchell sixth from left, Ballake Sissoko farthest right<\/p><\/div>\n

balafon virtuoso Fassery\u00c2\u00a0Diabat\u00c3\u00a9 and singer Fatim\u00c2\u00a0Kouyat\u00c3\u00a9 with Chicago vocalist Mankwe Ndos,bassist Josh Abrams, percussionist Jovina Armstrong and former Chicagoan guitarist Jeff Parker.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Amina Claudine Myers<\/p><\/div>\n

This was swaying, tuneful music, superficially light as a breeze but with transparent, undulating layers of activity. I presented Ms. Mitchell with the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2017 Jazz Award<\/a> for Flutist of the Year — it is her eighth consecutive such honor — and she accepted it mirthfully before the performance. As always, her personal improvisations are melody-rich, and she performed one solo that was genuinely edgy, pushing her instrument and the song’s formal limitations, too. See Lauren Deutsch’s photos of Nicole Mitchell <\/a>for apt visualizations of her music. The cross-cultural ease of Bamako*Chicago Sound System’s ensemble is heartening.<\/p>\n

A few blocks away, at the Hyde Park Union Church, Amina Claudine Myers<\/a> performed gospel songs from her childhood on piano. I only heard part of the performance, I think she played organ and sang, as well. Myers, a foundational member around 1965 of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians<\/a> is still active in its New York chapter, though she’s less well-known than many of her AACM cohort. Her experience with her spiritual material is undeniable, and of course it imbues jazz.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ben Goldberg, clarinet<\/p><\/div>\n

Clarinetist Ben Goldberg, from the Bay Area, cast a secular if similarly ethereal ambiance in the Logan Center performance penthouse (9th floor looking towards the Lake) when night came on. He considered compositions of Thelonious Monk<\/a>, 100th birthday boy\/immortal genius. Almost a third of the full house cleared out after the second long episode in which he thoughtfully deconstructed such compositions as “Work,” “Ask Me Now,” “Mysterioso” and the hymn “Abide with Me.” Said Goldberg, “I understand, solo clarinet is not for everyone,” and when the room had re-settled, added, without rancor, “The lightweights are gone.” His evocations of Monk’s themes, phrase by phrase, started at high point of understanding and went up from there.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bill McHenry and Andrew Cyrille, photo by Dennis McDonough<\/p><\/div>\n

I missed a lot — hometown favorites Ari Brown, Dee Alexander, Tomeka Reid, too many others — but happily heard drummer Andrew Cyrille and tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry in a large hall in International House. A broadly-informed, highly skillful and imaginative drummer, Cyrille is still most associated with his 1960’s – ’70s collaboration with pianist Cecil Taylor, documented on the two masterpieces Unit Structures<\/em><\/a> and Conquistador!<\/em>,<\/a> although prior to Taylor he’d supported Coleman Hawkins and Mary Lou Williams, among others. It’s less often recalled that he recorded what may be the first all solo drums album, What About<\/a>?<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0in 1971 (and another, The Loop<\/em>, in ’78), the historic four-drummer album Pieces of Time<\/em><\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(with Kenny Clarke, Famadou Don Moy\u00c3\u00a9 and Milford Graves in ’84), has<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Andrew Cyrille concentrates on tom-toms with his mallets; photo by Dennis McDonough<\/p><\/div>\n

led and recorded several distinctive ensembles from the ’70s through last year’s\u00c2\u00a0The Declaration of Musical Independence<\/em><\/a>\u00c2\u00a0featuring guitarist Bill Frisell, synthesist Richard Teitelbaum and bassist Ben Street, as well as Trio 3<\/a> with reedsman Oliver Lake and bassist Reggie Workman, and this duet project with McHenry (recorded as\u00c2\u00a0Proximity).<\/a><\/p>\n

I’ve known Cyrille personally since profiling him for DownBeat in the ’80s. I traveled with him briefly in the Soviet Union, invited him to address Jazz Journalists Association meetings at the New School Jazz<\/a> program (where he’s taught for decades) and do lecture-demonstrations at my NYU classes. His distinctive strengths are embedded in the extraordinary range and responsiveness of his sensibility.<\/p>\n

Cyrille can wield and drive a slashing attack or underlie a passage with sustained but muted drama. He is always structurally and compositionally aware, so purposeful, but he’s also quite willing to go with a collaborator’s flow. He tunes his drums carefully, yet will play anything — I’ve seen him stand from behind his kit, put his sticks to chairs,<\/p>\n

\"\"

Andrew Cyrille, NYC, 2012, photo by S\u00c3\u00a1nta Istv\u00c3\u00a1n Csaba<\/p><\/div>\n

stands, tables, the wall and the floor until he\u00c2\u00a0returns to his stool without having missed a beat. He is a jazz master, if not yet acknowledged as such by the National Endowment of the Arts nonetheless known to fans of improvised music worldwide. Here he’s playing a snare with his teeth or tongue, like Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy mouthing guitar strings.<\/p>\n

McHenry is a fine match, exploring horn motifs steadily, methodically, free to do anything\/go anywhere but hewing to his own clear logic. Together, they exemplified a balanced partnership intent on physically generating and shaping sound.<\/p>\n

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Chicago’s Hyde Park Jazz Festival in the first days of fall (Sept. 23 & 24th) which were unusually hot, is an exceptional event,\u00c2\u00a0curated for creative artistry, local and otherwise,\u00c2\u00a0drawing a highly diverse crowd to a fair that mixes popular and specialized performances at a range of boutique venues. Produced by\u00c2\u00a0an independent 501c3, the 11-year-old Hyde […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[57,1052,683,1604,1607,1355,986,1603,20,1497,1437,1606,123,1605],"class_list":{"0":"post-2349","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-aacm","9":"tag-amina-claudine-myers","10":"tag-andrew-cyrille","11":"tag-ben-goldberg","12":"tag-bill-mchenry","13":"tag-howard-mandel","14":"tag-hyde-park-jazz-festival","15":"tag-hyde-park-jazz-society","16":"tag-jazz","17":"tag-jazz-beyond-jazz","18":"tag-little-black-pearl","19":"tag-logan-center","20":"tag-nicole-mitchell","21":"tag-university-of-chicago","22":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/MPK3605c-e.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1i3CL-BT","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1733,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2014\/09\/another-free-chicago-jazz-festival-hyde-park-and-local-stars.html","url_meta":{"origin":2349,"position":0},"title":"Another free Chicago jazz festival: Hyde Park and local stars","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"September 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The 8th annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival Sept 27 and 28th was as mellowly festive a scene as has ever graced the Midway Plaisance,\u00c2\u00a0the grassy fields between\u00c2\u00a0University of Chicago's faux Gothic buildings, originally created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Photo-journalist Michael Jackson\u00c2\u00a0created portraits of local fans and players such\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"HPJF-Irvin-Pierce-at-Wagner-Stage","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/HPJF-Irvin-Pierce-at-Wagner-Stage.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2126,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2016\/09\/african-roots-middle-eastern-extensions-in-hyde-park-jazz-fest.html","url_meta":{"origin":2349,"position":1},"title":"African roots, Middle Eastern extensions in Hyde Park Jazz Fest","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"September 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Pianist Randy Weston, a magisterial musician at age 90 inspired by jazz traditions and its African basics, and trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, who has devoted himself to incorporating the Middle East's\u00c2\u00a0modal, microtonal\u00c2\u00a0maqam\u00c2\u00a0legacy into compositions for jazz improvisation by members of his Two Rivers Ensemble, were highlights of last weekend's 10th annual\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Amir_ElSaffar_on-Santur91-c.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2334,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2017\/09\/jazz-community-upends-englewoods-bad-rep.html","url_meta":{"origin":2349,"position":2},"title":"Jazz community upends Englewood’s bad rep","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"September 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The 18th annual free Englewood Jazz Festival in south side Hamilton Park last\u00c2\u00a0Saturday (9\/16) affirmed the best of\u00c2\u00a0Chicago's grassroots\u00c2\u00a0culture, promoting an opposite image of this challenged neighborhood as a dangerous place -- unless one fears powerful, creative music that speaks as directly as dance rhythms to its family of\u00c2\u00a0listeners. Produced\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Alexis Lombre\"","block_context":{"text":"Alexis Lombre","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/tag\/alexis-lombre"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/dancing-in-Englewood.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/dancing-in-Englewood.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/dancing-in-Englewood.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/dancing-in-Englewood.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2288,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2017\/08\/jazzimprov-chicago-wide-ranging-talents-free-fests-pokempner-pix.html","url_meta":{"origin":2349,"position":3},"title":"Jazz\/Improv Chicago: Wide-ranging talents, free fests, PoKempner pix","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"August 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Chicago's jazz\/improvised music scene contains multitudes, last week ranging from the wild yet earnest Liberation Music Collective to veteran piano sophisticate Michael Weiss in trio, as two of Marc PoKempner's photos document (and more of his vision, focused on links between local music and politics -- Obama included -- is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Andy's\"","block_context":{"text":"Andy's","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/tag\/andys"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/MPK5562m-e-300x180.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2007\/07\/miles_ornette_cecil_jazz_beyon.html","url_meta":{"origin":2349,"position":4},"title":"Jazz Beyond Jazz","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"July 15, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"about my new book I'll be speaking about the legacy of Billy Strayhorn on The Barber Shop Show hosted by Richard Steele, live from Chicago's Lawndale neighborhood at noon Friday Nov 6 2015 (rebroadcast 3 pm Sunday) on WBEZ ChicagoPublicMedia.org. 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