BRIDGESTONE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2009 - REVIEW

Bridgestone Music Festival

City Bank Hall - São Paulo, Brasil

May 15^th, 2009

In this second edition of the Bridgestone Music Festival, I went expecting to sit through a pleasantly enjoyable warm-up act and then be blown away by a super group led by drummer Jimmy Cobb. His show featured a tribute to the 50^th anniversary of the seminal recording by Miles Davis, Kind Of Blue. Instead, I have decided to let tons of reviewers that will write about this monster jazz band rave about how sublime and intense this music can be and I will write about the night´s opening act.

I believe I have witnessed one of the best current singers in jazz on this Brasilian cool, clear night of May 15^th, 2009! Her name is Rene´ Marie and she currently makes her home in Denver, Colorado. Her set opening the second night of the festival started with a whirlwind, loose structured tune titled ^Vocalise^, which went into several moments of Betty Carter styled scats, followed by jumpy Calypso intervals and segued into staccato blasts of trumpet magic by the young Jeremy Pelt.

His solo was followed by a very versatile pianist, Kevin Bales, who hammered the keys in the best McCoy Tyner – Don Pullen fashion, adding to the escalating tension of the tune. It was at this time that I was hooked and knew that this band would give the headliners a run for their money!

The second song of the set was the Dave Brubeck penned ^Meadowlark^ , which was interpreted in a sweet but swinging style by Marie and was carried by Pelt´s muted solo. ^Oh Shenandoah,^an old civil war paen to family and love by a soldier who participated was hair- raising in the way that Marie wove her mesmerizing vocals in and out of a rolling piano solo that reminded me of Keith Jarrett and a trumpet interlude that took me back to Enrico Rava´s ECM best! After the next song´s close, I became a lifetime fan of this singer, as she took on the much travelled Motown chestnut, ^Just My Imagination^. I have always said that if any singer attempts a Motown song, he or she better add something new to it or it will sound lame next to the originals who were pioneers of a style that marked an era. Well, Marie did it! - she encarnated Gladys Knight, Diana Ross and Tammi Terrell in this rendition, done in a cool, funky Roy Ayers type groove that made the audience go wild, clapping and dancing next to their seats. The most incredible performance was yet to come, as for her fifth song of the night Ms. Marie seemed as she was possesed by all the great gospel singers past and belted as well as wispered in song something she titled, ^Voice Of My Beautiful Country^ which tied together a medley of Âmerica the Beautiful^ (with a drum solo that represented the American Indian all the way to the Vietnam era bombings), ^the Battle Hymn Of the Republic^(sung in a blues meets gospel shout) and a bowed bass accompanied ^Lift Every Voice and Sing – Black National Anthem^ , sung to the melody of the ^Star – Spangled Banner^! What an exciting singer and energetic band! Show stealers to say the very least......future poll winner guaranteed! As the encore was called for by the screaming, loud clapping audience,my wife and I were enlisted to help sell Rene´s Cds out front and missed the swinging song that closed her standing ovation perfromance. Please do not miss this artist, as one does not get to experience this gifted voice and performance often.

Ms. Marie then gave way to the awesome Jimmy Cobb quintet, which featured Javon Jackson (tenor sax), Vincent Herring (alto sax), Buster Williams (bass), Larry Willis (piano) and the great Wallace Rodney on trumpet – reprising the great Miles!

What a night of jazz in this wonderful music paradise, São Paulo, Brasil!

Carlos Suarez