Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Experience 2024
Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Experience 2024
Courtesy Geoff Anderson
Aspen, Colorado
June 20-22, 2024
The Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Experience returned this year with 20 acts performing over the course of three nights in various venues around downtown Aspen. JAS has been sponsoring two festivals (or "Experiences") each of the last several years. The June festival has been more jazz and jazz-adjacent and the Labor Day Festival (although still promoted under the "Jazz Aspen Snowmass" moniker) tends more toward pop and even some country.
Similar to last year's lineup, this year's June Experience included some straight-ahead jazz along with a healthy dose of funk, particularly of the New Orleans variety, along with some blues thrown in for good measure. Just like the 2023 festival, there were so many bands playing simultaneously, that it was impossible to see them all. And seeing as many favorites as possible required careful planning and intricate choreography. Trade-offs were inevitable: Stay for entire sets, or stay for partial sets to maximize the number of different bands? Oh, the stress!
Thursday, June 20
The Rumble with Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux, Jr.
The winner of the 2024 JAS award for Best Plumage was, hands down, Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux, Jr. of the New Orleans funk band, The Rumble. Boudreaux is a Mardi Gras Indian, a tradition in New Orleans where some people create their own elaborate costumes vaguely based on Native American garb and form parades through town. "The rumble" is what parade-goers hear from the marching musicians trailing the Indians.The Rumble is a seven-piece band in the New Orleans funk-party tradition. Everyone in the band sang at one time or another and sometimes simultaneously. Most of the band's material consists of original compositions and most of it is drenched in that New Orleans funky gumbo. The Rumble played in the subterranean Sterling, an intimate joint with a low ceiling perfectly conducive to working the crowd (and the band) into a sweaty funk-frenzy. There isn't even a real stage, just a repurposed seating area and some portable lights and speakers. But the band was successful in recreating that sweaty, funky New Orleans vibe, even with the handicap of playing the first set of the first night.
But that headdress... it just raises all kinds of questions: Does he wear it on the plane? (Seems unlikely.) Does it travel in a custom-made climate-controlled case? What about replacement parts? What's the likelihood of finding a few extra pink feathers for sale in Aspen? (Well, maybe slightly more likely than other towns.) But still, it seems like there should be a repair kit with feathers, beads, sequins and other spare parts in case things get a little too funky on stage.
Mokoomba
After the New Orleans funk-frenzy (and wild plumage) of the Rumble, across the street was Mokoomba, from Zimbabwe, a six-piece band from the other side of the world, but nevertheless a band that could dig a groove as deep as any outfit on this side of the Atlantic.Actually, their first tune was more of a drone that gradually intensified over the course of seven or eight minutes adding layer upon layer. The building intensity even sounded a bit like Ravel's "Bolero." The grooves kicked in after that with the African rhythms injected by two percussionists and a funky bassist. The guitarist favored a clear, sweet tone heard with many other African bands such as Jaluka from South Africa. The band also engaged in some light choreography where the frontline marched back and forth for a few steps.
They sang a couple of tunes a cappella, sounding a bit like another South African band,
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
band / ensemble / orchestra
Paul Simon
composer / conductorb.1941
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
The night closed at the Belly Up, Aspen's concert hall/nightclub. This is one of the biggest venues for JAS holding (not really "seating" because so much dancing goes on) about 450 revelers. The other good-sized venue is the Wheeler Opera House, more of a sit-down affair, seating about 500.Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a swing revival band led by
Scotty Morris
vocalsThe band's origins go back to about 1989. Since that time, BBVD had some commercial success with songs like "You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three," "I Wanna Be Like You," and "Go Daddy-O." Their sound draws heavily from performers such as
Cab Calloway
composer / conductor1907 - 1994
Louis Prima
trumpet and vocals1910 - 1978
Partial Set List
King of Swing; She's the One; Where I Can Go to Save My Soul (Song about New Orleans); The Jitters; Minnie the Moocher; Just Like You; Big Time Operator; You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three; Jumpin' Jive; Go Daddy-O; So Long Farewell GoodbyeFriday, June 21
On Thursday night, six venues were in operation, but on Friday night, JAS turned up the heat with eleven venues making for seemingly infinite permutations for seeing which band where and when. Most bands played more than one set making planning a little easier, but still, trade-offs and compromises were required.By the way, this isn't a complaint; not only was it impossible to get bored, there were really no bad choices. It was just like planning a ski day at Aspen with new snow on the ground, it's all gonna be great, but where, oh where will it be best? That's the fun of strategy when there's no way to lose.
JAS Student Band Led by Christian McBride
JAS is more than a music promoter. The organization also has an educational component. Collegiate jazz students from around the country can apply for an all-expense paid scholarship for a two-week residency in Aspen learning about jazz from the masters.
Christian McBride
bassb.1972
Jon Batiste
pianob.1986
Gretchen Parlato
vocals
Christian Sands
pianob.1989
Rico Jones
saxophone
Ulysses Owens, Jr.
drumsb.1982
Ben Williams
bass, electricI caught most of the big band's early evening performance at the Wheeler Opera House. McBride led the band through a professional-quality set of swinging tunes. McBride provided ample opportunity for multiple soloists who were all first rate. A highlight of the set was vocalist Maggie Kinney who sang two tunes and displayed the vocal chops and poise of an experienced jazz singer. Trumpeter
Brian Lynch
trumpetb.1956
Over the last several decades, jazz has stood on a rather rickety foundation in terms of popularity. The declaration that "Jazz is Dead" has been tossed around so many times and for so long, it's almost a punchline (as well as the name of a contemporary project focused on revitalizing jazz artists from the past). So it's great to see the fostering of up-and-coming talent at such a high level.
Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel
guitarb.1955
He played originals and some well-known tunes. Most of the songs were instrumentals, but he sang a few too such as "The House of the Rising Sun." Another vocal was his original "Angelina" for his daughter. He told stories about how he and his brother started to play guitar when they were kids and their efforts to get their dad to buy instruments for them. After playing acoustic guitars for a while, they decided they needed electric guitars and went to work on dad to get some. Dad finally caved in and one day brought home two electric guitars. But no amplifier. They went back to work on dad and finally got an amplifier, but blew it up before too long. It's all worked out OK for Tommy, however, as he tours the world (with very little overhead).
Partial Set List
Just an Old Fashioned Love Song; The Entertainer; Angelina; Mona Lisa; House of the Rising Sun; Guitar BoogieCedric Burnside
Astute readers will remember that I reviewed
Cedric Burnside
guitarBurnside appeared in Aspen with the same trio he had in Denver three weeks prior. His set was a mixture of his original material and tunes written by his grandfather (his "Big Daddy")
R.L. Burnside
guitar1926 - 2005
Mississippi Fred McDowell
guitar, slide1904 - 1972
Katie Thiroux
Bassist/vocalist
Katie Thiroux
bass
Matt Witek
drums
Dawn Clement
pianoThiroux's main bass influence has been the great
Ray Brown
bass, acoustic1926 - 2002
John Clayton
bassb.1952
Tierney Sutton
vocalsb.1963
Bobby Rush
vocals
b.1933"
data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush has never been a guy to sit still. In his 90 years, he has accomplished more than most people could with several lifetimes. To start with the awards: he holds three Grammys, 19 Blues Music Awards, he's been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. His autobiography, I Ain't Studdin' Ya was published in 2021. He's released over 30 albums and dozens of singles, a total of 429 records by his count. He's appeared in movies and on TV. He has his own record label and he's owned a radio station for nearly half a century. There's a Broadway-style play about his life, "Slippin' Through the Cracks." Bobby Rush
vocalsb.1933
He played with all the blues greats,
Muddy Waters
guitar1915 - 1983
Howlin' Wolf
vocals1910 - 1976
B.B. King
guitar, electric1925 - 2015
Buddy Guy
guitar, electricb.1936
Friday night at JAS, Rush played two sets in the VIP tent. Fortunately, the powers that be opened the tent to the lowly pedestrians who only purchased the base-price tickets. Rush appeared with a four-piece backing band that (no surprise here) played the funky blues. Rush sang, told stories and played harmonica, but no guitar. He was also joined on stage by two dancing ladies. Only one of them sang and that was only at the end of the set. Mainly, the dancing ladies were there as eye candy. Rush repeatedly drew attention to their derrieres, and they happily accommodated by turning around and displaying the goods. And there were significant goods to display; such a vast amount, in fact, that I started to wonder about whether prosthetic devices and/or implants for that area of the body are a thing. That raised questions, especially in a place like Aspen, about how this could be a sensitive topic; objectifying women and all. But Rush is unapologetic. He says, "I joke and talk about sex in a way that people can understand. I'm all for lifting it up, because if it wasn't for sex, none of us would be here." Much of the set revolved around sex. At one point he convinced much of the audience (especially the women) to get up and dance. He suggested they touch their toes, "But don't go too low, I ain't been home in three weeks." But there seemed to be no objections from the well-heeled Aspen audience.
In his pre-concert interview, Rush talked about his life growing up, first in Louisiana, then Arkansas, then moving to Chicago. He told a story of getting a gig shortly after arriving in Chicago as a teenager. The bar that hired him made him come in the back entrance and then play behind a screen so the white audience couldn't see that they were listening to a black man. He was still outraged that something like that would happen in Chicago. He had left the South to get away from that kind of Jim Crow, segregationist attitude. But mostly he talked about his music and lamented that Black audiences have moved away from the blues. He was proud and happy that he could still play the blues and continue to spread the word to those interested enough to listen. As he says of the blues, "it's the root of all music, it's the mother of all music. If you don't like the blues, you probably don't like your mama."
Partial Set List
What's Good for the Goose (Is Good for the Gander); I Be Studdin' Ya; I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man; Porcupine Meat
The New Mastersounds
band / ensemble / orchestra
"
data-original-title="" title="">The New Mastersounds
The New Mastersounds celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Originally from England, frontman/guitarist The New Mastersounds
band / ensemble / orchestra
Eddie Roberts
guitarSimon Allen
saxophone, tenorHailing from England wasn't a handicap that prevented the band from channeling the New Orleans funk. Much of the set dripped with that Southern gumbo. Roberts remarked on one tune that was especially New Orleans flavored, saying that the band wrote it even before ever visiting New Orleans. When they finally did, on their first gig, he said people kept asking "Who dat?" He'd respond, "We're The New Mastersounds." The crowd would holler, "Who dat?" "Well, we're The New Mastersounds." "Who dat?" He started to wonder if there was some kind of communication problem until he finally found out "Who dat?" is a widely-used chant in New Orleans usually applied to the local pro football team but also deployed in concerts.
Saturday, June 22
After seeing six bands on Friday, maybe it was time for a bit of a break on Saturday and only catch four bands. Or maybe that's just the way the schedule worked out. Yeah, it was just the way the schedule worked out.
The Headhunters
band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1973"
data-original-title="" title="">The Headhunters
One of the most highly anticipated acts of the JAS festival was the appearance of the Headhunters. Originated by The Headhunters
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1973
Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940
The Headhunters celebrate their 50th anniversary in 1024. Or maybe it's their 51st anniversary because the Herbie Hancock Headhunters album (Columbia, 1973) came out 51 years before this performance. Either way, that's quite a chunk of a human lifetime, and similar to other bands with that kind of longevity, the ranks of the original members are dwindling. In this case, the Headhunters are now down to one. Percussionist
Bill Summers
percussionb.1948
The original Headhunters drummer,
Harvey Mason
drumsb.1947
Mike Clark
drumsb.1946
The other members of the 2024 Headhunters included
Jerry Z
organ, Hammond B3
Chris Severin
bass
Donald Harrison
saxophone, altob.1960
Summers acted as the band's emcee and talked about his 50-year association with Mike Clark and how they are essentially brothers. Throughout the evening, the two played several percussion duets and the telepathy evolved from a half-century of rhythmic communication was obvious. About halfway through the set, keyboardist
Nigel Hall
keyboards
Jon Cleary
guitar and vocalsThe diverse set ranged from the funk like that one to jazz standards like "Monk's Dream" and "ESP" to Headhunters tunes like "Butterfly" and "Watermelon Man" (Headhunters album version). The Headhunters were known for bringing the funk from the beginning and, in fact, that was one of the main reasons Hancock started the band. Fifty (or 51) years later, they still bring the funk, even transfusing it into straight ahead tunes like "Monk's Dream" and "ESP."
Toward the end of the set, Summers offered some African prayers and chants invoking hopes for peace and a better world. The last tune of the evening was for Harrison and his hometown, "Hey Pocky Way," a great tune by
The Meters
band / ensemble / orchestraThe only downside of the set was the extensive percussion breaks. Usually, Summers and Clark played these together, but often it was just one or the other. Some of this sort of thing is good, but Saturday night, it seemed overdone taking up at least a quarter of the set time, maybe a third. It left me wondering whether they lacked rehearsal time and used the drums for filler. Otherwise, it was a fun set that brought back some of the old Headhunters tunes and it was fun hearing the Headhunters put their stamp on other familiar songs. Even if they didn't play "Chameleon."
Partial Set List
God Made Me Funky; Monk's Dream; ESP; Butterfly; Loft Funk; Watermelon Man; Hey Pocky WayCory Henry
After the Headhunters, it was back to the Aspen Art Museum's rooftop for
Cory Henry
keyboardsb.1987
His set started with some standards like "Isn't She Lovely" and "Caravan." He soon brought out his three female backing vocalists and broke into a highly rearranged version of "America the Beautiful." From there, things got even funkier with some of his original compositions like "Dancin' Ain't No Sin" and "Rise People Rise." Like Bobby Rush, he coaxed some of the Aspen crowd out of their seats and onto the dance floor. He ended his set with some gospel music, "Lay My Burden Down." Finishing with some gospel music seemed appropriate because his album, released in February 2024 is named Church (Culture Collective). His prior album was Operation Funk (Culture Collective, 2022) so the set drew from both of those elements.
Christian McBride Trio
Along with the Headhunters, the Christian McBride Trio was another must-see act. The trio's performances (two on Saturday night) were dedicated to master bassist Ray Brown, a true giant in the history and development of jazz. McBride is fast approaching that same status, if he's not already there. Like Bobby Rush, McBride's accolades have been piling up: eight Grammys, Newport Jazz Festival Artistic Director, host of NPR's "Jazz Night in America," host of The Lowdown, Conversations with Christian on Sirius XM and teaching and mentorship such as his involvement in the educational efforts of Jazz Aspen Snowmass.The list of musical luminaries for whom he has held down the bottom end is as long as it is impressive: " data-original-title="" title="">Five Peace Band (with
Chick Corea
piano1941 - 2021
John McLaughlin
guitarb.1942
Kenny Garrett
saxophone, altob.1960
Vinnie Colaiuta
drumsb.1956
Bobby Watson
saxophone, altob.1953
Freddie Hubbard
trumpet1938 - 2008
Benny Golson
saxophone, tenor1929 - 2024
Sting
bass, electricb.1951
Roy Hargrove
trumpet1969 - 2018
Milt Jackson
vibraphone1923 - 1999
McCoy Tyner
piano1938 - 2020
Saturday night at JAS, McBride was joined by two long-time comrades in arms,
Benny Green
pianob.1963
Gregory Hutchinson
drumsb.1970
This set was, quite simply, the state of the art of straight-ahead jazz trio playing. Between their virtuosity and the years playing together, these three could, and did, go anywhere and each could anticipate the next moves of the other two. So often, bass solos seem like something to be endured rather than enjoyed, but McBride's solos were constantly inventive, full of surprises and always upbeat and exciting. Likewise, Green was a constant font of creativity, wringing new phrases and clever lines from the set list predominantly composed of standards. Like the others, Hutchinson is one of the best in the business on his instrument and he continually added, color, sparkle and percussive emphasis in clever and unusual places.
Despite all the musicians in the small town of Aspen at the same time, there didn't seem to be much intermingling among them off stage. This set was an exception. As an indication of the high regard in which the members of this trio were held by the other musicians in town, several of them came to hear this set including Harrison, Clark, Thiroux and her band and opera star Renee Fleming. McBride introduced several of them, including Fleming who, according to McBride, was the vocalist for
Illinois Jacquet
saxophone, tenor1922 - 2004
Set List
Jada; Milestones; Blues for Junior; Tin Tin Deo; That's All; You Are My Sunshine; Squatty RooJon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen
After the straight-ahead piano trio, it was back to the Belly Up. Wrapping up JAS 2024 was another New Orleans outfit, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Despite his current home in the Big Easy, Cleary hails from England (just like the New Mastersounds). But Cleary has lived in New Orleans for decades and that's allowed him to play with many of the great musicians from that city.Nigel Hall
keyboardsCleary was a chatty emcee and told tales of musicians he had played with and where the songs on their set list came from. The band led with "Unnecessarily Mercenary," a song Cleary wrote and recorded with
Bonnie Raitt
guitar and vocalsb.1949
Earl King
guitar, electricb.1934
Johnnie Taylor
vocals1938 - 2000
Dr. John
piano1940 - 2019
Cleary is a songwriter and his tunes have been covered by, in addition to Raitt,
Taj Mahal
guitar and vocalsb.1942
John Scofield
guitarb.1951
Set List
Unnecessarily Mercenary; I'll Be Happy When I Get the Blues; Zulu Coconut; On the Old Piano; Dyna-mite; Those Lonely, Lonely Nights; Been a Little Minute; Dancin' the Boogaloo; Last Two Dollars; Uptown Downtown; Two Wrongs; You Know That She Lied; Such a Night; I Just Kissed My BabyEpilogue
Thirteen bands in three days. Yes, it was a bit of a marathon, but there was no pain of the long-distance runner. This was nothing but a great time. It's easy to get spoiled though. From now on, will I want to go somewhere just to see a single band play? Yeah, I'm not that spoiled.Looking ahead, JAS is currently constructing a custom facility in the heart of downtown Aspen around the historic Red Onion Bar, an establishment that dates back to Aspen's silver mining heyday in the 1880s and 1890s. The new building is slated to open in the second half of 2025 and will feature a performance space, rooms for teaching and a studio for recording and broadcasting. JAS plans to hold up to 300 events per year in its new facility and will feature many of the same acts appearing at the June Experience this year and in prior years.
Not stated in the promotional literature on the new building is whether it will supplant the June Experience by featuring the same acts spread over the course of a year rather than nearly all at once in the current three-day festival format. Judging from the "Letter from the President + CEO," by Jim Horowitz, found in the 2024 JAS concert guide and a brief chat with him after Jon Cleary's second set, it sounds like the June Experience concept will continue, "as long as people keep buying tickets." Seems reasonable. With any luck and a little promotion, there should be ample room for both.
Tags
Live Review
Geoff Anderson
United States
Colorado
Aspen
The Rumble
Joseph Boudreaux, Jr.
Mokoomba
Jaluka
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Paul Simon
Scotty Morris
Cab Calloway
Louie Prima
Christian McBride
Jon Batiste
Gretchen Parlato
Christian Sands
Rico Jones
Ulysses Owens, Jr.
Ben Williams
Brian Lynch
Tommy Emanuel
Cedric Burnside
R.L. Burnside
Fred McDowell
Katie Thiroux
Matt Witek
Dawn Clement
Ray Brown
John Clayton
Tierney Sutton
Bobby Rush
Muddy Waters
Howlin' Wolf
B.B. King
Buddy Guy
The New Mastersounds
Headhunters
Herbie Hancock
Bill Summers
Harvie Mason
Mike Clark
Jerry Z
Chris Severin
Donald Harrison, Jr.
Nigel Hall
Jon Cleary And The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
Meters
Cory Henry
Christian McBride Trio
5 Peace Band
Chick Corea
john mclaughlin
Kenny Garrett
Vinnie Colaiuta
Bobby Watson
Freddy Hubbard
benny golson
Sting
Roy Hargrove
Milt Jackson
McCoy Tyner
Benny Green
Gregory Hutchinson
Illinois Jacquet
Cornell Williams
A.J. Hall
Bonnie Raitt
Earl King
Johnnie Taylor
Dr. John
Taj Mahal
John Scofield
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
Aspen
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses
| More...
Showcase
Featured
Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful
By Antonio Adolfo buy
Darwin AI: Surivior Choice
By Alex Otey buy
Giveaway
Playlist
Premium
Weekly newsletter
Get more of a good thing
Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories and includes your local jazz events calendar.
Aspen
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...Showcase
Buy Now
Featured
Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful
By Antonio Adolfo buy
Darwin AI: Surivior Choice
By Alex Otey buyGiveaway
