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Buenos Aires Jazz Festival 2009: Growing Into a Tradition
December 3-8, 2009
In the land of the tango, Argentina—specifically the stylish city of Buenos Aires—there is a movement afoot to bring great jazz to the land, expand the audience for the music, and increase public exposure for the growing number of outstanding jazz musicians in that South American country.That movement is the driving force behind the Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival, whose second edition took place in December 2009. Artistic director 
Adrian Iaies
pianob.1960
Thelonious Monk
piano1917 - 1982
Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic1922 - 1979
Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940
American pianist 
Fred Hersch
piano
b.1955
Matt Penman
bass
Nasheet Waits
drums
b.1971
The event was a success, well attended in its club and theater venues, as well as at its outdoor concerts on the terrace of the city's Cultural Center in the barrio of Recoleta. The outdoor performances were free of charge, allowing access to the music for many residents and tourists who may have been unaware of the festival, in the area instead to enjoy the beautiful park and museums, or the basic grandeur of the neighborhood, or perhaps visiting the famous Recoleta Cemetery (a maze of amazing mausoleums that includes the resting place of Evita Peron). The crowds on the terrace were good and very receptive. Notably, a great many were of the younger set, digging the music no matter what the genre and soaking up the great vibes.
"The main point is that we are trying to start with the tradition," says Iaies, himself one of the great musical resources of the city and a three-time Latin Grammy nominee as a pianist and composer. "Put down the roots of a tradition of the festival, not only programming concert after concert." He adds, "We must support the musicians ... to stimulate (the jazz scene) and make it different (for musicians) from the regular gigs and playing standards."
Iaies is a man of passion, joyous in spirit. To converse with the director during the festival at any of the nine venues is to expect he will have to break away at various points to greet musicians and industry people who seek a bit of his time. Each is welcomed graciously and warmly. He's involved. He's committed, and backed up fervently by his ever-busy, yet always accommodating artistic producer Daniel Arano.
"Buenos Aires has a jazz festival and must have a jazz festival," says Iaies. "It is a must." He notes that the city has always been a desirable place for concerts by heavy hitters like Herbie Hancock
piano
b.1940
Oscar Peterson
piano
1925 - 2007
Dave Holland
bass
b.1946
Ron Carter
bass
b.1937
"Argentinean jazz has no problem," says Iaies. "The artistic quality is high. We have musicians put into a position to play with Fred Hersch or 
Ben Monder
guitar
b.1962
Hersch formally opened the festivities December 3 with a concert by his trio. The event was sold out, attended by not only fans, but many of the musicians who would be playing in the ensuing days. Buenos Aires Minister of Culture Hernan Lombardi also made an appearance. Hersch is one of the more renowned pianists in jazz and his sophistication and intensity as an artist made an impression. Earlier in the day, he conducted a master class at Teatro Presidente Alvear, where he spoke to students not about chord progressions and notes, but about ways to free themselves up, approach music in different and fresh ways, to avoid stiffness and open up avenues for creating in the moment.
In concert, the trio performed in typical fine fashion. Waits, who has been with Hersch for a handful of years now, laid down a funky beat using mallets that opened "I Wish I Knew," the pianist floating in and around the rhythm; cool and bouncy. 
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015
"Still Here," written for 
Wayne Shorter
saxophone
1933 - 2023
At his solo concert a few days later, Hersch compensated for not having his rhythm mates by becoming his own with different voicings and a more active left hand. His trio had performed his own "Twirl" composition a couple nights earlier. In the solo version, he was more intricate and expressive, using swirling patterns with right hand over a repeated left-handed rhythm to evoke the motions of a ballerina, which inspired the tune. He blended ballads with standards like "Blue Monk" and obscure tunes like 
Billy Strayhorn
piano
1915 - 1967
Fats Waller
piano
1904 - 1943
The success of the Hersch concerts, says Iaies, helps the festival for the ensuing years. Efforts soon begin for the next edition, and seeing the attendance numbers, universally good reviews and the overall buzz created by the headliner puts a stamp of success on the festival that sponsors, including the government of Buenos Aires, want to see.
The headliner set the bar high, but the festival maintained its high caliber right through to the final concert by the Orchestra National de Jazz from France on December 8. Like most large-city festivals, it's impossible to catch all the music, but there was enough music to satisfy those who took the time to investigate.
At the outdoor terrace venue, a sculpture of legendary tango composer 
Astor Piazzolla
bandoneon
1921 - 1992
Guillermo Klein
piano
A smattering of highlights:
The diversity was impressive. Trumpeter Mariano Loiacono played the best hard bop of the festival, burning in a style out of 
Clifford Brown
trumpet
b.1930
Joe Lovano
drums
b.1952
The trio of Norberto Machline, Alejandro Herrera and Luis Ceravolo also played straight-ahead jazz, but in a funkier style. Pianist Machline was thoughtful and soulful during Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island," evoking 
Horace Silver
piano
1928 - 2014
Antonio Carlos Jobim
piano
1927 - 1994
Another bassist, Guillermo Vadala, led a fusion group that was captivating. He's a musician of high repute in Argentina and played strong lead lines in an easy-flowing, melodic style that had just enough technique and brought the funk without being too boisterous. Guitarist Baltasar Comotto soared over the locked-in grooves with a strong, blazing quality that was well-suited to the music. Javier Lozano gave the music a rich foundation on electric keyboards and his solo statements were funky and fleet, matching well with Vadala's melodicism. The compositions were accessible and catchy; good stuff that had the crowd roaring its approval.
At the other end of the musical spectrum was the free-form openness of Pepi Taveira's band. Taveira has a resume that includes playing with the likes of 
Clark Terry
trumpet
1920 - 2015
Danilo Pérez
piano
b.1966
Pianist Guillermo Klein made some noise in the United States, where he lived for a time, in recent years. He brought a find band to the outdoor site that features not only jazz, but influences of his native Buenos Aires. Sergio Poli is a violinist who has an ebullient style and good feel for swing. His group, which included the fine bassist Herrera, went through jazz standards like Charlie Parker's "Scrapple from the Apple," Isham Jones' "There is No Greater Love" and Sonny Rollins' "Oleo." On Bird's "Scrapple," Poli was fast and furious, swinging like mad. and Herrera's solo was crisp and facile. Poli can flat-out play.
Oscar Feldman
saxophone, alto
b.1961
Al Di Meola
guitar
b.1954
Stan Getz
saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991
Lester Young
saxophone
1909 - 1959
Another bassist, Mariano Otero, led an outstanding nonet playing swinging modern music with engaging arrangements. He has studied bass with the likes of 
Scott Colley
bass
b.1963
Drew Gress
bass
b.1959
From Uruguay, guitarist Nico Mora, bassist Andres Ibarburu and drummer Gustavo "Cheche" Etchenique performed like a power trio of sorts, improvising over fusion motifs much of the time. Mora proved to be an appealing player, tossing out interesting, angular lines over the driving rhythms. Contracuarteto from Chile, a pianoless group with two saxophones, explored a variety of styles from bop to softer themes that contained influences of indigenous music. The musicians were versatile enough to cover all these bases in fine fashion.
The Small Jazz band played old-style jazz harkening back to tunes like "Save That Tiger" and "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey." Though the music was ancient, it was expertly rendered and had the audience dancing on the outdoor terrace to the Dixieland style. In contrast to that brash energy was the mellow duet of veteran trumpeter Roberto "Fats" Fernandez and pianist Pablo Raposo. Fats plays with a big tone and improvised largely on the melody of songs including "My Favorite Things" and "My Foolish Heart"—mostly ballads and medium tempi. "Cherokee" was the most daring, taken at a faster pace. Fernandez also scatted nicely during sections of some of the old chestnuts in a pleasing style that was fun to hear.
The festival also featured some fine singers. Sofia Rei Koutsovitis has been making big waves outside of South America of late, having collaborated with musicians like 
John Zorn
saxophone, alto
b.1953
Bobby McFerrin
vocals
b.1950
Maria Schneider
composer / conductor
Geoffrey Keezer
keyboards
b.1970
John Scofield
guitar
b.1951
Joe Zawinul
keyboards
1932 - 2007
The youthful Barbie Martinez sings standards—including offbeat numbers like Wardell Grey/Jon Hendricks/Annie Ross's "Twisted" and Bobby Timmons/Hendrick's "Dat Dere"—in English with a sumptuous, soft voice that can belt out more boisterously when the song calls for it. She has great phrasing and a very appealing style that can go over very well in the United States should the opportunity arise. Delvina Oliver has a nice soprano voice and mellow delivery and also sings standards in English. Her version of Miles Davis/Bill Evans' "Blue in Green," from 
Miles Davis
trumpet
1926 - 1991
Argentine Roxana Amed is a delight, with a rich voice that has both great flexibility and emotion. She conducted some master classes on singing during the festival. (Classes were also led by Hersch, Waits, Penman and Cardenas during the festival). But she was not part of the 2009 concert schedule. She did, however, appear at one of the jam sessions led by trumpeter Gillespi, where she did a killer version of Monk's "Ask Me Now," backed only by festival director Iaies on piano. She has a great way of playing with the melody, using her voice like an instrument. She and Iaies both have great fervor in their performance and the duet was exquisite. Overall, Amed can be just as likely to sing a Joni Mitchell song, an original composition, jazz or pop—all with equal joy and excitement.
Jam sessions with trumpeter Gillespi and amigos were held on four nights at La Trastienda Club near the city's Plaza de Mayo. Various combinations of musicians who appeared elsewhere during the festival worked out on jazz standards both straight-ahead and fusion. It didn't always work to perfection, but was a good opportunity for the musicians to stretch out and commune with their colleagues, and was fun for the audiences who wanted to devour more music late into the night. There were plenty of fiery solos being dispersed.
A rich tapestry of music was presented during the six-day run, with an emphasis on displaying a variety of styles. In the notes for the festival's outstanding 92-page program, Mauricio Macri, head of government for the city, says the aim was to present "a high-quality program in clubs, theaters and open air venues throughout the length and breadth of Buenos Aires, in order to appeal to as many different audiences as possible: the knowledgeable, the neophytes, the curious, residents of the city, tourists, and people from Argentina and the world." That aim was more than likely created by Iaies, it nonetheless it was well carried out.
A big part of both the '08 and '09 versions editions included special works commissioned by the festival. In 2009, Fernando Tarres, Ernesto Jodos, Diego Schissi and the Tango Jazz Club were called upon. Tarres, noted pianist, wrote a tribute to the great Piazzolla. Jodos, also a venerable pianist in Argentina, had a group performing music honoring 
Gato Barbieri
saxophone
1934 - 2016
If that isn't enough, an outstanding film series was featured at the Cultural Center, including Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer, the renowned Calle 54, and The Jazz Baroness, a documentary on Pannonica de Koenigswarter, the noted member of the prominent Rothschild family who was a huge jazz fan and friend and benefactor to artists like Monk, Bird and others.
Referring back to program notes, Iaies says of jazz music: "Tradition and avant-garde are but two photographs of the same landscape, taken from a different angle. They need and nurture each other. They are not mutually exclusive. We are confident that musicians and audience see it that way. That is how we see it, hence our commitment to designing a wide-ranging, well-balanced program. We are working to strengthen the enormous pedagogic potential of the festival, the communication aimed at gaining more followers into the genre and the promotion of artistic partnerships and gatherings between artists of different backgrounds, as well as to encourage the creation of music by means of commissions. Our eagerness can be summarized in two, almost dogmatic, lines: to take risks and to register works. To blur the artistic boundaries and to leave an imprint. The festival should drive the Argentine jazz community into taking a step further. This is the only way tradition can be built. To return to the previous analogy, we expect that the fan, once unfolded, will never fold up again but, on the contrary, will transmit its expansive, refreshing impulses to all of us lovers of the most vigorous and revolutionary music genre left by the twentieth century."
So the landscape of Buenos Aires Jazz.09 Festival Internacional was a broad one. Hopefully, it advanced its noble goals, exposing the superb talents of so many worthy musicians to thousands of music fans. Many cities across the world have jazz festivals. The one created in Buenos Aires is in its infancy, but the its organizers have a grand design to see it grow and develop a tradition of its own. They also a singular passion for the music and the people who play it that, with any luck, can be a springboard to success.
For those who have always wanted to see the city of Buenos Aires in the summertime and like music, what could be a better enticement?
Photo Credits
Page 1: R.J. DeLuke
Page 2: First, Buenos Aires Jazz.09 Festival Internacional; Second, R.J. DeLuke
Page 3: Both, R.J. DeLuke
Page 4: Both, Buenos Aires Jazz.09 Festival Internacional
Page 5: R.J. DeLuke
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