Speaking OUT Edgefest 29
This year’s Edgefest was an artistic and popular success with a large turnout every night. Once again the team that put this together over the past year deserves tremendous applause. Executive artistic director Deanna 
Relyea, Edgefest coordinator Kenji Lee, Piotr Michalowski and the staff of Kerrytown Concert House, pulled out all the stops to assemble a fantastic group of artists for this year’s Edgefest. KCH has always been the central location of the event, but now there were no rival venues. There were many high points, but let me focus on a few of them.
On Wednesday, saxophonist Dave Rempis (left) headed the Truss Quartet from Chicago, with Pandelis Karayorgis on piano. Rempis’ alto was forceful and moving, and he was backed very nicely by the rhythm section. Another reedman, Marty Ehrlich (below), was the leader of Air Legacy celebrating the pathbreaking Air Trio, which I heard some years ago at the University of Michigan.
Thursday, Ben Miller’s 11th hour quartet drew on other prominent Ann Arbor musicians, which is not surprising since Miller was born here. Miller used a conventional sax mouthpiece and one for a trumpet, creating some very interesting sounds. Miller also used Marlena Boedigheimer for some impressive two-sax passages. The marvelous drummer Jonathan Barahal Taylor always floors me with his relaxed timing and finesse.
Violinist/violist Jason Kao Hwang was an absolute virtuoso in doing soliloquies. He started out playing pizzicato, then shifted to bowing his instrument, creating a powerful if not unexpected transition. Hwang has become a regular at Edgefest and we should be grateful for his startling creativity each year. The same could be said of pianist Myra Melford. This time with her Splash trio she played with Michael Formanek’s powerful bass and Ches Smith on drums and vibes.
Friday featured the duo of brass man Taylor Ho Bynum (right) and bassist Ken Filiano for an opener — both well known to Edgefest afficionados. They have played together for decades, which shows in their easy rapport. Bynum stole kitchen items and a CD as mutes, which produced haunting sounds and bounced off Filiano’s emotive playing. They were followed by a tight Detroit/Chicago quartet: pianist Mike Malis, violinist Caroline Jesalva, percussionist Adam Shead and saxophonist Salim Washington. Detroiter and baritone saxophonist Alex Harding made up another duo with pianist Lucian Ban. Harding takes no prisoners with his forceful approach to the big sax and is always a joy to listen to. Friday closed with Ellen Christi and FLUX IN CHAOS, a most unusual dance performance since Patricia Nicholson (below) was on KCH’s relatively small stage. It nevertheless worked out nicely as the dance was accompanied by the great William Parker on bass and Michael TA Thompson on drums.
Saturday led off with the usual Edgefest parade through the Kerrytown Market area. Many thanks should be extended to Caroline Fitzgerald and her students at Scarlett Middle School who provided the music for the parade. Tenorist Andrew Bishop visited Scarlett to train the students in Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” which is always the theme for this occasion.
The afternoon’s music featured pianist and Detroiter Kenny Green and his collective with yet another powerful saxophonist Hanah Jon Taylor. Veteran pianist Marilyn Crispell showed her prowess in a solo performance and altoist Darius Jones’ soaring tone was striking with his trio.
The evening led off with Detroit born violinist Gwen Laster and violist Melanie Dyer in a quartet setting with percussionist Andrew Drury. Jason Kao Hwang’s Edge celebrated their 20th anniversary in a blowout performance which included Bynum, Relyea on vocals, Michalowski on saxophones, Ken Filiano and Andrew Drury. It was a fabulous end to one of the best Edgefests in memory!
TOP: Deanna Relyea sang in an Edgefest Preview at Ziggy’s on September 30 with Piotr Michalowski, Shoske Rayzl-Yuni on guitar and Ken Kozora on flute
photographs by Lars Bjorn