Lake George Jazz Weekend features strong women, eclectic lineup

The 33rd Lake George Jazz Weekend got underway yesterday in Shepard Park with a crowd of several hundred filling the amphitheater and surrounding lawns. “It’s a great lineup this year,” said Program Curator Paul Pines in his opening comments. “I’m excited about lineups every year, and every year they are special, of course, but this year has a certain, distinctive quality. You’re in for a wonderful musical adventure today and tomorrow.” Jazz at the Lake is produced each year by the Lake George Arts Project.

The Festival opened with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, led by bass and trombone player Chris Brubeck and drummer Dan Brubeck. When introducing the band, Chris Brubeck said he has been playing with his younger brother his whole life – “He (Dan) was supposed to be taking a nap, but he’d be up banging on the crib.” Chris and Dan Brubeck are sons of jazz icon Dave Brubeck. Completing the Brubeck Brothers Quartet are guitarist Mike DiMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb. Their performance included the cool jazz of their 2012 release Lifetimes and Dave Brubeck compositions.

This year’s Festival is a tribute to women artists with the lineup featuring several outstanding female performers. Second on the bill was vocalist Charenée Wade who performed the music of jazz poet Gil-Scott Heron. When introducing Wade, Pines said he recognized Gil-Scott Heron as the “voice of a generation,” and when he heard Wade performing his work, he knew he had to bring her up to Lake George for the Festival.

Wade told the audience her music is blues, soul and what she calls congregation, “…and you are my congregation,” she said indicating the crowd spread throughout Shepard Park. Her performance did have an interactive, Sunday morning meeting feel to it. She delivered her arrangements of Gil-Scott Heron’s work with a rich, bluesy voice so powerful it carried across Canada Street and could be heard two blocks away on Ottawa Street over the sounds of traffic and lawn mowers.

Saturday’s program closed with the Lao Tizer Quartet featuring violinist Karen Briggs.  “I’ve been following Tizer for several years now,” says Pines, “and he’s a comedian. He’s an amazingly improvisationally original kind of musical adventurer…Today’s incarnation of Tizer with Karen Briggs features a wonderful, fearless, another fearless, woman on violin, Karen Briggs.” The group’s performance alternated Tizer’s and Briggs’ arrangements. Classically trained Karen Briggs turned to jazz after college. She became internationally known as the “Lady in Red” performing on the Yanni “Live at the Acropolis” video in a burnt orange dress. Her fiery performance in Shepard Park, which pushed to the limit what can be done with a violin, received standing ovations.

A quick survey of the people gathered in Shepard Park Saturday found most in attendance were in the older-than-40 age group. A notable exception was a young couple seated on the hillside overlooking the stage. Audrey Sellers and Adam Smith, both in their 20s, drove up to Lake George from Baltimore specifically to attend the Lake George Jazz Weekend. “We searched online for jazz festivals,” says Sellers, and chose the Lake George festival based on the strong lineup, particularly the Brubecks, and the free admission.

Smith is a drummer, although his genre is more aligned with the music of his peers, hard-core punk and heavy metal. “I’m trying to get more into Jazz,” says Smith. Although he hesitated to disparage the music of his generation, he said he is beginning to find it shallow and unintelligent compared to the complexity of jazz. He finds jazz mentally stimulating, whereas punk and metal rely more on physical slamming and headbanging for appeal.

Sellers’ interest in jazz came when she attended performances of the Baltimore Symphony. “I liked how all the parts came together to create a whole.” She finds a similar synthesis in jazz. Smith agrees with this assessment saying, “Jazz is a tasteful mix of structure and complexity …it is a unity of disparate voices.”

The young couple says they believe many of their generation aren’t willing to explore jazz because of an “ivory tower” stigma. Their peers are intimidated by venues that serve wine and cheese. Sellers admits that, at first, she was unsure what clothes to wear. They both enjoy the casual atmosphere in Shepard Park. “It’s nice, community orientated and personable,” says Smith. They admire the beauty of the area and the small-town feel of Lake George and may return for other events.

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The Lake George Arts Project Jazz at the Lake continues today with the final performers, the Amina Figarova Sextet, taking the stage at 4:30 p.m. Visit the Lake George Arts Project website for a complete schedule.