Summer jazz in Hartford’s Bushnell Park is a decades-old tradition.
Those who’ve attended previous incarnations of the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz will likely find reason to return, to spread blankets and arrange lawn chairs, apply bug spray and soak up smooth R&B, stretched-out improvisations and deep grooves.
A special presence hangs over this year’s festivities, which run July 15 to 17: Earlier this year, Hartford jazz legend Paul Brown, who created both the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz and the outstanding Monday Night Jazz in Bushnell Park series, died at 82. (The Monday Night Jazz series has since been renamed in his honor.)
The Bronx Conexion (7 p.m.), a stirring, progressive Latin-jazz big band led by percussionist Victor Rendon, kicks off this year’s GHFJ on Friday followed by South African singer-songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Butler, who extends his longtime musical partnership with American saxophonist Gerald Albright (9 p.m.).
Saturday is a smooth-leaning, all-day affair, starting with sets by jazz and gospel saxophonist Phil French (3 p.m.) and Philadelphia trombonist Jeff Bradshaw (5 p.m.), who frequently blurs the lines between jazz, soul, funk and contemporary R&B.
Marcus Anderson (Saturday, 7 p.m.) splits time between sax, flute and electronic wind instrument, delivering fresh takes on pop and soul classics (and dancing like a fiend), while headliner Najee (9 p.m.) is smooth-jazz royalty, a Grammy-nominated saxophonist with chart-topping albums stretching back to “Najee’s Theme,” his 1986 debut.
A short performance by dance crew Side Street (Saturday, 11 p.m.) leads into an after-hours set by Springfield-based R&B combo Jus Us (11:10 p.m.).
The 10-piece New Orleans-style Funky Dawgz Brass Band wanders the grounds on Sunday, blowing Dixieland lines and laying down second-line beats. Groove-jazz keyboardist/vocalist Marcus Young (4 p.m.) serves up swaying, slow-burn rhythms. Master drummer Carl Allen (6 p.m.) leads Art of Elvin, a hard-swinging tribute to Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, with trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, saxophonist Keith Loftis, pianist Donald Vega and bassist Yasushi Nakamura.
Sunday’s signature performance promises to be a set by the Hartford Legacy Jazz Orchestra (8 p.m.), a new ensemble co-directed by trumpeter Haneef N. Nelson and Hartt School artist and teacher Christopher Casey. The HLJO gathers together some of the area’s longtime luminaries: saxophonists Kris Allen (alto), Lummie Spann (alto) and Abraham Burton (tenor); trombonists Emmett Goods and Max Siegel; trumpeters Nelson, Tony Sisson, Josh Evans and Josh Bruneau; and a rhythm section of Taber Gable (piano), Dezron Douglas (bass) and Jonathan Barber (drums).
“The mandate for the Hartford Legacy Jazz Orchestra is to have as many of the members as well as the arrangements/compositions that we perform come from those that are from Hartford by birth, education or residency,” Nelson said in a press statement.
Somewhere up there, Brown must be smiling.
As always, the festival is free, but donations (any amount) are accepted. There’s a vibrant marketplace, a wide range of food and beverage offerings and stuff to entertain the kids. You can bring your own food and drinks, but leave the portable gas grill at home.
A Thursday performance at Infinity Hall in Hartford by the Daughters of R&B, featuring Rhonda Ross and Carla Cooke, was recently canceled due to scheduling conflicts.
Each week for the remainder of the summer, the Monday Night Jazz in Bushnell Park Series pairs national-level acts with worthy openers.
This year’s lineup includes the Yosvany Terry Quartet and the Damian Curtis Septet (July 11); the Afri-Garifuna Jazz Ensemble with the Erica Bryan Quartet (July 18); the E.J. Strickland Quartet with the Mike Casey Quartet (July 25); Tom Harrell’s Trip with the Joshua Bruneau Quintet (Aug. 1); the Noah Preminger Quartet with the Jeff Fuller Trio (Aug. 8); and the Doug Wimbish Quintet with MX=Trio Data (Aug. 15). All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
GREATER HARTFORD FESTIVAL OF JAZZ takes place in Hartford’s Bushnell Park Friday to Sunday, July 15 to 17. Admission is free. hartfordjazz.org.
