[Dixielandjazz] Pensacola Jazz Festival

[Patrick Cooke]

I would have posted this on Monday, but I'm still getting used to this new laptop computer, and my emails don't always seem to go where I want them to.
   
  I attended the Pensacola Jazz Fest this past weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I have occasionally played this festival, but even when I'm not playing it, I still attend.  
   
  There is only only one venue, two stages side by side.  While a group is playing on one stage, another group is being set up on the other. It's a small festival, well organized, in a pleasant outdoor venue.  Seville Square is in downtown Pensacola, shaded by large oak trees.  The main stage is a permanent structure gazebo; the other stage is a temporary structure set up adjacent to the gazebo.  There is also a children's stage at the other end of the park for middle school and high school groups. 
   
  The sound is always excellent, and is better than I hear at most festivals.  The sound is provided by a local radio station; the operators are all professionals who really know what they are doing.  There are speakers set up throughout the park, and you can hear well balanced sound anywhere in the square.
   
  The festival is put on by the Jazz Society of Pensacola (JSOP), who raises money in jazz events throughout the year, and secures sponsors from the community who contribute goods and/or services or financial contributions.  It is a very active group of dedicated, talented, and hard-working folks who really know how to organize jazz events.  They manage to put on a yearly festival with professional world class talent that is FREE to attend. 
   
    In addition to a couple of local college groups, there was Russell Kassoff, pianist and accompanist to Frank Sinatra for many years.  Mr. Kassoff is an extremely talented keyboardist incorporating some gorgeous chords and incredible technique into his performance.
    Also, an amazing bass man, Jay Leonhart, whom you may remember from New York Swing and other top groups, played technique matching Kassoff''s lightning fingers in some rapid unison duets.  This is dangerous territory for bassists unless they have flawless intonation; and indeed Leonhart's intonation was flawless from the lowest to the highest positions on the bass.  I asked him if he and Kassoff had rehearsed those passages, and he said he "rehearsed" by studying the parts, and executing them in his head.
     Gene Bertoncini played both jazz and classical guitars.  He did a number of  Jobim's compositions on classical guitar and some well executed jazz choruses on the jazz guitar.
     I had not heard Harry Allen before. but he played great tenor sax.  
     The festival usually includes a group from New Orleans, and that was the Rebirth Brass Band.  Now, as a rule I'm not much into brass bands, but this group was something else.  Talk about a high-energy group!  They had a bone, a sax, two trumpets, a sousaphone a snare drummer, and a bass drummer.  They started playing when they got on the stand, and didn't stop till they got off.  No awkward pauses while the band discusses what they're going to play next.  They went directly from one tune into the next, with playing, vocals, and choreography.  If there was any talking, they were vamping behind the talker.  The audience response to this group was amazing.  They were gathered around the stage, dancing and cheering.  They did a march around the park and had an instant second line, all without a pause in the playing.  On both days, this group closed the festival.
     All af this would not have been possible without the hard work of the jazz society and their volunteers, and particularly Crystal Joy, who is herself a talented working and recording jazz vocalist who accompanies herself on piano.  
   
  Pat Cooke