October is that time of the year when the clubs close their doors, marking the end of the season. More importantly for some of us, it’s when the island’s best Jazz festival returns for its annual edition.
Clearing our diary of any other social engagements, we prepared ourselves for a night of eclectic music and sweet melodies on the festival's biggest night. Saturday promised a seriously great ensemble of artists known as the ‘New York City / Ibiza Jazz Explosion’. Led by Ricky Ford, this group looked set to deliver outstanding sonic adventures.
Ricky Ford himself is a living legend of the Jazz scene. He has been active ever since the 70s, when he played with legendary bands like Duke Ellington under Mercer Ellington and with Charles Mingus. In short, a genuine living legend. Other musicians in the band were equally famed: joining Ricky on sax was Eric Person; Omar Kabir on trumpet; Tal Cohen on keyboards; Doug Weiss on bass; and Marc Miralta on drums.
Unfortunately, due to the recent flooding, the concert had to be moved from its classic venue, El Teatro, to the concert hall of the luxurious The Standard Hotel, in the heart of Ibiza Town. Bright lights and hotel guests offered a different atmosphere to the magic of Teatro. Luckily, any concerns were short-lived. After a brief presentation by the festival gurus, the first notes hit the speakers and we were once again transported to another world - a world created by high-quality music, performed by artists at the top of their game.
The concert started with some cool Jazz pieces, where the band provided a relaxing bed of notes and the saxophonists could express themselves freely, inventing beautiful pastiches of music with some interesting avantgarde moments. The sax duet traversed a wide musical horizon, providing many interesting musical sensations, while the band followed accordingly, never missing a step and never making a mistake. They played in a very organic way, creating a very pleasant acoustic experience for everyone listening.
In the blink of an eye, the first part was over.
After 20 minutes, the band was back and the tone of the concert was entirely different. The vibe was more energetic, and now there was space for all the instruments to shine. Solos became the order of the day. The soloists really knew what they were doing, masterfully exploring incredible pieces of music that were both challenging and entertaining. We personally liked the second part more as the vibes were certainly more explosive.
Various improvisations followed, with singer La Jose being called to the stage to improvise some notes for the Latin-style music. They even brought in female drummer, Patti Ballinas, who really meant business. The last tracks kept growing in intensity in a musical crescendo that took us in a superbly syncopated journey through the music.
Finally, we lost our sense of time as the river of notes carried us off with it, curious to see where it would take us. Magic pervaded the room and everyone was tapping a hand or a foot, enjoying the moment that these great artists were creating in front of our eyes. The end arrived too soon, but the people didn’t want to leave without an encore. We got it, and it was pure bliss.
Jazz Point Festival is so much more than just a festival of Jazz; it is a mission to keep music alive. Give it a chance, even if you are not that into Jazz, as good music is a universal language and everyone can enjoy it. The atmosphere this music creates is something unique and the musicians that play it, especially at this level, are true artists that deserve praise and attention.
Thanks to the Jazz Point Festival, another year has passed, but the music will stay with us forever.
Words: Stefano Lariccia
