Jazz Stories

This is the California life! Just five minutes from our house, Portola Vineyards offers Sunday jazz under a redwood grove. Bring your own picnic and they supply the wine tastings. We enjoyed top notch Brazilian jazz from Marcos Silva, who writes his own compositions in a range of authentic styles. The bass player, Scott Thompson, nailed the low end and the compelling pulse of Brazilian music–and he also played fine solos with dexterity up on the high end of the neck. Gary Meek brought a range of winds to the tunes, including flute, alto sax and soprano sax. He reminded me of another great wind player I saw at the vineyard, Paul McCandless. I didn’t catch the name of the drummer and he also didn’t stand out. ...

Our town’s summer concert series featured blues artist Dennis Johnson on a warm evening. I enjoyed Dennis’s authentic tones on his collection of guitars. Also, his bass player was very talented. The tunes alternated between blues and sounds like the Grateful Dead. Alas, the band ultimately left the crowd, including me and Roy, feeling unengaged. There was nothing wrong with the music, but we left early. Details Location: Portola Valley Date: July 9, 2026 Attending: Roy, Jeremy

Kenny Garrett and his quintet took the stage at Blues Alley and immediately blasted off into a fiery, postbop crescendo with a driving rhythm with all the sounds a saxophone can muster. After this excursion, the group settled into a series of relatable, danceable grooves that engaged the crowd. The duo of Rudy Bird and Ronald Bruner Jr on percussion and drums were a highlight. Ronald is a 100,000 ton locomotive of pulse — tight, driving, and defining the bands’ sound. Rudy overlaid complex texture. The overall effect was grooving and celebratory. ...

On a delightful Friday evening, we strolled down the Chicago Riverwalk to take in a set from a local sextet, the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective. After a funky first tune, they welcomed vocalist Dee Alexander to the stage for a set of originals. The music featured an electric bass groove a bit like motown and the two horns played tight lines together. I particularly liked the solos of the tenor sax and leader, John Fournier. The pianist, Amr Fahmy, also offered dynamic solos. Some of trumpet players best work was with a mute, giving his horn a distinctive tone. The jury was out on vocalist Dee Alexander. I enjoyed her work overall, but some were turned off by a first scat solo on a tune about a redwing bird–she warbled through it. ...

On a cool early May afternoon, I walked over to Adams Morgan for “Porchfest,” an event where local bands play on neighborhood porches. Throngs of people turned out to hear every kind of music from over 100 bands playing on more than 20 stages. I enjoyed: a Cuban rock band oldsters playing punk surf rock a top-notch blues band playing from a balcony a Latin ensemble led by a singer from Chile and a violinist from the “Republic of Minnesota” and a little bit of everything else It was great people watching, too ...