Honoring The Spirit of Creativity: A Review of the 2022 D.C. Jazz Festival

By Majeedah Johnson

For its 18th year, the festival continued a legacy of honoring the spirit of creativity across multiple generations of innovators and visionaries; featuring some of the genre’s heavy hitters and esteemed newcomers. The return to in-person festival events – after two years of virtual offerings due to COVID-19 – attracted record-breaking numbers of attendance. The Wharf, where many of the events were held, offered a picturesque backdrop of activity on the marina and nearby restaurants and retail shops for a family-friendly weekend. From music performances to historical documentaries and ‘Meet the Artist’ sessions, the D.C. JazzFest provided for a weekend of community-building, artistic expression, and passion.

The festival’s programs opened to a well-paced momentum of compelling events throughout the five days of gatherings. For its opening night at the notable Howard Theater, world-renowned and GRAMMY-award winning singer Kurt Elling performed heartfelt tunes; and Washingtonian juggernaut Christie Dashiell opened the concert, dazzling attendees with her captivating vocal performance.

On Friday, September 2, Diane Reeves and Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Band performed to a sold-out audience at The Arena Stage. Regina Carter’s Gone in a Phrase of Air and a concert by the same name was also featured at the Arena Stage. The piece examines the loss of community and businesses across the country, especially felt in communities with Black and brown people and fellow neighbors who were disenfranchised. The post-panel discussion, led by Kymone Freeman, Co-Founder of We ACT Radio, further engaged audience members on the impact of urban renewal.

Electrifying live performances at The Wharf on Saturday, September 3rd included those from: Cindy Blackman Santana, The Baylor Project, Chien Chien Lu, The Larnell Lew Band featuring Joy Lapps, Giveton Gelin Quintet, and Heidi Martin Ensemble. On Sunday, September 4, festival goers enjoyed live sets by Emmet Cohen Trio, Dayramir Gonzalez & Habana enTRANCE, Patrick Zimmerli’s “Mes- sages” - featuring Steve Wilson, Chris Potter, Ron Blake, Thomas Enhco, Scott Colley, and EJ Strickland - Marc Cary Trio, Dan Wilson Quartet, Donvonte McCoy, and Vox Sambou. Magnificent tunes from the Mambo Legends Orchestra, led by John ‘Dandy’ Rodriguez, ignited the crowd to their feet with many attendees showing off their best dance moves. As former musicians of the Tito Puente Orchestra, the cohesiveness of these jazz masters rendered spirited tunes which were steeped in the history of mambo.

On Sunday afternoon, among the crowd favorites, Christian McBride & Inside Straight performed a series of conversational jazz compositions featuring masterful solos from Peter Martin (piano), Steve Wilson (alto and soprano sax), Carl Allen (drums) and bandstand leader and bassist McBride as well as Baltimore’s own Warren Wolf on vibraphone.

While Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio breathed new life into traditional and elegant jazz standards, the festival’s closeout performers, The Chuck Brown Band adjourned the evening with a series of body-moving go-go classics.

At the Arena Stage, the D.C. JazzFest hosted a screening of Hargrove (2022), the documentary chronicling Hargrove’s genius and inspirations, which focuses on the last year of his life. The film, led by director Eliane Henri, includes interviews and conversations from Hargrove’s comrades including Erykah Badu, Yasiin Bey, Sonny Rollins, Questlove, Marc Cary, and Christian McBride. The intricacies and obstacles surrounding Roy’s life, as covered in the documentary, can leave audience members feeling incomplete as Roy succumbed before the project’s completion.

Henri was not permitted to film Hargrove’s live performances abroad and therefore had to insert old footage from shows in the U.S. However, Henri’s limited access to Roy for filming shaped the moments that were captured. Roy’s complicated relationship with his manager Larry Clothier lingers throughout the documentary with some former bandmates noting that their departure was influenced because of Clothier.

The focus on Roy’s transformative impact on jazz, hip hop, and fusion are among the remarkable highlights documented. His gift of bridging artists from multiple genres to create remarkable music will remain his legacy. Hargrove’s passing at 49 was a tragic loss to the music world.

Among the face-to-face panels, This Woman’s Work, held in the Meet the Artist tent, proved for insightful dialogue around the successes and obstacles that women experience in the jazz industry. Among the panelists, D.C. JazzFest president and CEO Sunny Sumter shared about her career within the world of jazz while festival publicist Lydia Liebman discussed her journey as a publicist and the value of artistic collaborations. The panel also discussed the uniqueness that women bring to projects which includes leadership, nurturing, and innovation in moving jazz forward. Audience members contributed to the discussion in addressing additional measures where the public can further support inclusivity in the jazz community such as openly acknowledging women who are contributing to artistic projects and endorsing women for meaningful, professional opportunities.

The most recent DC JazzFest was an outstanding presentation of community engagement in support of jazz performance. The compelling live offerings from jazz legends and newcomers along with the Meet the Artist sessions allowed audiences in-depth experiences with their favorite artists. Post-event discussions encouraged dialogue around the future of jazz performance and engaging new generations of artists and listeners. With the successes of this year, this year’s D.C. JazzFest promises to work with musicians to show the further evolutions of jazz music.