3rd Annual
Healdsburg Jazz Festival
Rodney Strong Vineyards
Healdsburg, CA
May 30–June 3, 2001

Clear blue skies, bright sun and a gentle breeze accompanied by sizzling music–you could not have ordered a more perfect day for the 3^rd Annual Healdsburg Festival of Jazz. Honoring the memory of drummer Billy Higgins, Jessica Felix and the Healdsburg Arts Council staff hosted a five-day event with a gala dinner, film, and afternoon and evening performances. The Festival's third day featured 'Latin on the Lawn' with the Pete Escovdeo Orchestra and Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band. Truly, this was paradise for an afternoon.

Pete 'Pops' Escovedo (above) opened the afternoon concert with the his warm jokes and made us feel like he was still right here with us in the Bay Area. He recently moved to Los Angeles to 'retire', and pursue more musical adventures. Along with his son, Juan Escovedo, the band included some of the Bay Area's finest with Jeff Wasserman, Wayne Wallace, Murray Low, Melecio Magdalua, Robbie Kowk, Paul Van Vanvaginegen and Mark Van Vanvaginegen.

In Ray Obiedo's True or False, Melecio lead with a brilliant alto sax solo. The band moved into Puente's Oye Como Va, featuring Low's burning montunos on keyboards. In Zina's Samba, named for Pop's youngest daughter, the tropical samba had the crowd up and dancing along the side of the stage.

Trombone player and the band's arranger Wayne Wallace introduced his Esta Noche. The brass section ripped those notes and Pops, Juan and Paul on percussion made this tune burn. Montunos from Low and a bit of campana from guest percussionist Babatunde added to this fine arrangement.

The crowd, seated on the lawn, would not let the band go and everyone was on their feet for the encore. A great guachara/son warmed the already hot afternoon and precipitated the music that was to come.

Jerry Gonzalez (right) and Fort Apache stepped on to the stage and the afternoon heat continued. Along with Andy Gonzalez on bass, Larry Willis on piano, Steve Barrios on traps and Joe Ford on alto sax, Jerry and the Apaches, as he likes to call them, were in fine form as Larry opened with his driving keyboard and Jerry on flugelhorn.

That site of his bolero hat, head down, standing behind the congas as he played, was a familiar image. Branded the 'Pirate of Jazz' by Spanish director, Fernando Trueba in his recent film Calle 54, Jerry is striking to the eye and awesome to the ear. He wails on trumpet and flugelhorn, never wavering for a moment. We watch as he sits to strike the congas, entranced, but always aware of his fellow musicians and the music that they are creating.

Andy Gonzalez, brother and co-leader of Orquesta Libre out of New York, played solos that mesmerized the crowd and would play off of Larry Willis on keyboards. Willis, a legendary player with a couple of hundred recordings behind him, swept us away with his montunos and brilliant solos. With each of his solos, you could hear sighs from the crowd.

Steve Barrios pounded those drums and hammered striking rhythms to counter Willis, Jerry, and Joe Ford on saxophone. Ford, a former McCoy Tyner band member, had so many hot, fast riffs and solos, one would think he might he would melt his own horn. Luckily for us, he persisted all afternoon.

It was apparent that much unspoken communication was happening between the band members. We had to keep up as solos were taken and then intertwined in the loose musical structure the band chose that afternoon. Gasps could be heard from the audience at the end of solos and various clapping for more. A final bolero by the band, with Jerry wailing on trumpet, Willis playing some familiar Chucho Valdes and Irakere montunos and the band wound down. It was too late to slow the heat they had created from burning those of us that were listening. Between the hot sun and their music, we were cooked.

The afternoon in paradise came to a close. Jerry and the band shook hands with many a fan, both young and old. Kudos to the Festival for bringing out Jerry and the Fort Apache Band. We have gone too long without a taste of the heat they can create. We look forward to the next Healdsburg Jazz Festival in anticipation of how they might top this year's lineup—not an easy feat.

©2001 by salsasf.com
Photos ©2001 by salsasf.com
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