Syracuse smooth jazz saxophonist Al Cutri (second from right) comes from a family of talented musicians. He took time to chill with his relatives after playing a white hot set with his band, Blowin’ in the Wind, on the opening day of the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival (Clinton Square) yesterday.
Fringe Technical Director Gabriel Pinto occupies Saturday night with a sax solo.
Finally a cross-town collaboration between Lemoyne and SU (well,sort of). Le Moyne alums Jacob Ellison and Justin Sullivan used creativity and crowd funding to pull together the inaugural Syracuse Fringe Festival last weekend, and it was held at the Community Folk Art Center along the Connective Corridor. The event featured three days of multi-disciplinary artistic endeavors. We checked out the final day of the program, which featured David Doyle, Ruth Arena and Anna Phillips. Fringe was very reminiscent of the THINC Sideshow parties from a decade or so ago (except the demographic for the Fringe was slightly older).
Live Art: Body Painting
What was most surprising on Saturday was to watch Phillips, who is the artistic equivalent of a love child between Missy Elliot (always ahead of the curve) and Steven Wright (wry humor), do a comedy show in the Black Box Theater and smoothly transition into a monologue about her life that was more compelling than a episode of HBO’s In Treatment.
Was it Something She Said? Anna Phillips kept it real for Spatial Profiling.
Not that it wasn’t good, just unexpected. We look forward to Anna’s upcoming gigs, where she will bring the noise again with jokes at two shows locally: Chicks are Funny and Guns n’ Syrup.
Count Basie Orchestra Alto Sax player Marshall McDonald visited SU for a student workshop and concert with the Mortin Schiff Jazz Ensemble last week. During a break in selections he talked about his progression from Clarinet to Sax, and how legends such as Danny Turner and Marshall Royal offered up a unique flavor that helped create a signature Basie Orchestra sound. The conductor for the concert was SU professor Joe Riposo.
Evan Knight plays Dolce Vita
Amid the construction and fractured streetscape along the East Genesee Street portion of the Connective Corridor, Dolce Vita continued it’s live music series on Wednesday with a performance by the Evan Knight Trio. The trio played hits by Stevie Wonder and Al Green as well as some jazz standards.
Knight made a name for himself playing multiple gigs and festivals around Syracuse and was mentored by Dave Frateschi (of the BlackLite horns).
Curtis Haywood plays Eastwood
Yasu Hitosasaki on guitar
The Jazz in the City series concludes with the West Side concert on Thursday.
Curtis Haywood grooves to the music.
Jessy J, the Spanish-speaking smooth jazz saxophonist who grew up in Cali, showed she was a triple threat during her peformance in Syracuse on Saturday. Jessy J played (accompanied by Urban Coalition), she danced, and she sang to close out this year’s 2012 Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival.
Jessy J, the So-Cal Sax Machine
Jessy J shows off her dance moves.
Phil Raney
Urban Jazz Coalition, a Syracuse Jazz in the City alumni band, prostate made their return to Syracuse and played the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival on Saturday. The band, featuring Richard Randolph on sax and Phil Raney on Bass, especially pleased the crowd when the played a rendition of the Luther Vandross hit “Never Too Much.”
Hector Maldanado, percussion for Urban Coalition
The band also backed the featured act of the night, Jessy J.
Richard Randolph
Steve Wilson played the main stage Saturday at the Northeast Jazz & Wine Fest. He was accompanied by the Noah Kellman Trio.
Noah Kellman and Kate Davis (2/3 of the NK Trio)
Kenny G at Syracuse Jazz Fest (30th Anniversary)
Kenny G made a return to Syracuse last night for Jazz Fest. The Festival, produced by Frank Malfitano, is celebrating 30 years. G is a crowd favorite and helped pack the crowd in at Jamesville Beach (a new venue this year). Besides being a best-selling smooth jazz artist, he is known for his long notes (he made it to the Guinness Book a few years ago).
Musician among the people: Kenny G plays in the audience last night
. His next gig is tonight at the Hampton Jazz Fest in Virginia.
Hold On: Kenny G holds a note as he walks through the crowd at Jazz Fest to kick off his set on Saturday night.
Saxophonist Al Cutri shared the stage with Marion Meadows last night in Eastwood at the Jazz in the City series.