by rick grant
What: 2008 Jacksonville Jazz Festival
Where: Florida Theatre and Metropolitan Park
When: Friday April 11th – Sunday April 13th
The 2008 Jacksonville Jazz Festival will again kick off with the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition at the Florida Theatre in beautiful downtown Jacksonville. Although drastically reduced in scale from previous years, and almost canceled altogether, the City of Jacksonville has managed to pull together another Jazz Festival this year.
I remember doing an interview with gifted jazz pianist Lynne Arriale back in the early 90s after she won the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition portion of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival in 1993. Lynne had just moved to New York City to test the waters for furthering her career. She thrived in the glare of the bright lights and big city, quickly becoming the darling of the NYC jazz media.
Strictly Jazz gushed “Lynne is pensive, passionate, haunting, genuine, enlightening and deeply affecting.” That more than defines the writer’s impression of Lynne’s artistry. Even in the small jazz piano genre, she was making friends and influencing important people.
Bringing everything full circle, Lynne Arriale will be judging the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition at this year’s Jazz Festival.
When I first witnessed Lynne play live, I was impressed that she never lost the motif or theme in her complex improvisations. She restates the melody to keep it firmly implanted in the listener’s mind. If a jazz artist doesn’t do that, then the improvisations go off on a tangent from the theme, waxing abstract, causing the listener to lose interest.
“When we play live, there’s an added sense of adrenaline and excitement, which is intensified by the audience response. It is richly rewarding to feel the audience breathing with us, like a fourth part to our three way conversation,” Lynne says on her website.
For a number of years, I’d lost track of Lynne. So when I called her at a local number, I was delighted to find out that she has moved to Jacksonville Beach and is now teaching jazz piano at UNF.
“I just moved to Jacksonville. I was so excited to accept the position to teach jazz piano at UNF. Teaching, to me, is also learning. I meet some very gifted jazz pianists and it’s always a pleasure to help them achieve greatness. Of course, they keep me on my toes and I’m always learning and advancing my skills.”
This news only reaffirmed my respect for UNF as a major music school. Now Lynne is one of us and I am glad she is here passing on her knowledge to gifted students at UNF. Rich Matteson must be looking over from the other side with a big smile at how his fledgling jazz program has progressed since his death.
“Teaching at UNF is the best of both worlds. It allows me to play and teach, and also gives me plenty of opportunity to play gigs all over the globe. It’s an exciting life being associated with a major music school.”
When I called she was packing to travel to Norway for a gig.
“I’m promoting my new DVD, Live which was recorded live in Germany. Presently, I’m working on a new project with Randy Brecker, George Moran, and drummer Anthony Pinziotti. My trio includes Rufus Reid on bass, Anthony Pinziotti on drums, and Benny Golson on tenor sax, I’m looking forward to playing with these icons at the festival.”
The DVD package includes a special half hour version of Profile of a Performing Artist and other extras.
On April 11th Lynne and her trio will perform at 2 pm during the Saturday concert at Metropolitan Park. This is the quintessential jazz piano trio.
“Jazz is perpetuated by education, and that’s why I’m honored to teach at UNF, where we have brilliant young players who will go on to find niches in the music business. And thus, jazz continues as an indigenous American art form.”
Speaking of UNF’s brilliant jazz players, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival will also include performances by the UNF Jazz Ensemble 1 Big Band under the direction of Professor JB Scott. The Ensemble is considered the flagship of the University’s prestigious Jazz Studies program, which is headed by alto saxophonist Bunky Green.
Immediately following Lynne Arriale’s performance is the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the University of North Florida’s Jazz Program. Called “Past Present and Future” this two hour performance precedes Terence Blanchard’s world-class performance with a rotating selection of UNF Jazz Studies faculty, current Ensemble 1 players and alumni that have returned to take the Jazz Festival stage. Alumni include David Champagne on trumpet, Chris Creswell on bass trombone, Noel Freidline on piano, Clarence Hines on trombone, James Hogan on guitar and Lisa Kelly on vocal. Other players in the Alumni Reunion group include Juan Rollan, Dan Nickolson, Danny Gottlieb, Barry Greene, Dennis Mmarks and Marc Dickman.
Other headliners performing at the Jazz Festival include living jazz legend Benny Golson, world-class bassist and composer Rufus Reid, innovative drummer Anthony Pinciotti, the Kelly-Scott Jazz Quintet, Capitol Records recording artist and Grammy nominee Dave Koz, the famous Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, Grammy winner Norman Brown and contemporary jazz pioneer Najee.
In addition to the music, which is obviously the centerpiece of the annual Jacksonville Jazz Festival, this year’s program includes the traditional Jazz Brunch at Met Park on Sunday and Art at the Met on Saturday and Sunday. There will also be a wine tasting both days at Metropolitan Park.
Tickets to the festival are generally $10 a day. VIP tickets get you access to every event for $125. For poor musicians there is the ‘Round Midnight Jazz Jam on Saturday at the Jacksonville Marriott, which is free to the public. Jazz fans are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam with Festival performers. For more information please visit jaxjazzfest.com or call (904) 630-3690.
Article Published in the April 2008 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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