|
Jammin’
at the
North
Sea Jazz
Festival
‘99 |
 |
| All
Aboard! |
|
Alvester
Garnett
|
|
July
1999 |
So...
I'm writing this on
the train now from
Cuneo, Italy to
Nice, France. We
just barely made it
in time because the
driver took a
supposedly
"quicker"
route on the
suggestion of a
friend and it
actually ended up
being longer! But at
least we made it.
I
just finished up a
gig in Giaveno,
Italy with Werner
"Vana"
Geirieg.
The rest of Regina
Carter's
band is on a break.
We spent two nights
there and the people
were absolutely
wonderful! Me AND
my belly loved that
place and the
people! They fed us
like crazy and the
food was
spectacular! The
sauces were
fabulous. On top of
it all we didn't
have to spend a
dime; they paid for
all of our meals! I
only had to pay for
using the phone for
Internet service,
which was pretty
cheap. I'm pretty
sure that Regina's
band had to feed
themselves on their
days off back in
Nice. On top if it
all Vana and I made
some extra cash. Now
that's what I'm
talking about!
 Our gig
on Saturday July
10th, at the North
Sea Jazz Festival in
Den Haag (The Hague)
Holland went great.
I received a lot of
compliments from
various musicians
and record industry
people about my
playing. This
festival is so huge
that at any given
hour between 2 p.m.
and 2 a.m. there are
at least 10 to 12
different bands
playing on different
stages at the same
time. They even
broadcast some of
the performances
live on TV. Our show
was aired live and
excerpts were
repeated, so that
gave us even more
opportunity for
feedback. I was very
happy to hear great
compliments from
Latin jazz stars
like Hilton
Ruiz and Danilo
Perez's
drummer since a good
part of our show is
Cuban based. At
least I'm headed in
the right direction.
I just have to
practice even
more...
I
even lucked into an
extra gig while at
the festival! When I
went through the
artist's entrance
with Regina’s
band, Lou
Donaldson
happened to come
along looking for a
drummer, since his
drummer wasn't able
to make the gig due
to last minute
scheduling changes.
He knew Regina’s
guitarist Rodney
Jones (who
has played with
virtually all the
old cats) and asked
him for a
recommendation. Of
course he graciously
recommended me and
bang—I had the
chance to play with
another old master
and earn an extra
$600! We did it with
no rehearsal and I
got a pile of
compliments off of
that hit too.
Al
Foster (Miles
Davis'
drummer for most of
the 70's, currently
with Joe
Henderson)
had heard about the
drum situation with
Lou. He was
backstage listening
while I was playing,
since he went on
after us with John
Scofield
and Joe
Lovano. He
told me afterwards
that it sounded like
the regular drummer
had made the gig
since I was making
all the stops and
starts at the right
time! Lou himself
thanked me and said
I played the gig
like I'd been in his
band for years!
Scofield also dapped
me up and Russell
Malone
mentioned that he
had even more
respect for me after
hearing me swing
hard with the older
cats.
As
a matter of fact Al
Foster tried to hook
me up with the
actual head of
Yamaha drums, who
was in attendance. I
talked to him
briefly but didn't
dig his vibe. Get
this—I said to
him, "So what
does it take to
become a Yamaha
artist?" He
replied with some
mumbo jumbo about
how the company
wasn't really taking
on many more
artists. So then I
clarified that I was
a drummer and that I
was interested in
their drums. His
reply was, "Do
you know who Rodney
Green
is?" Now that
was arrogant and
rude! On top if it
all the man is
Japanese and he
knows that it was
disrespectful! But
that's OK, because
in a way, that only
inspires me to work
harder at being a
success. Someday
he'll be ASKING
ME to
play his drums! I
prefer supporting
American companies
anyway when it comes
to audio and music
equipment.
OK,
now I'm at my hotel
in Nice—HUGE room,
but no more free
food—well...except
breakfast!
Another
hip feature of the
North Sea festival
is that I always get
to see so many of my
musician friends and
make some new ones
along the way. It
helps to keep one’s
self in the eyes of
one’s peers. Also
they had jam
sessions every night
of the festival,
from Friday thru
Sunday. The sessions
usually end when
breakfast is served,
7 a.m.! I sat in
Saturday and Sunday
night and didn't get
back to my hotel
until 6 a.m. one
time and 4:30 a.m.
the other time. I
saw bassist, Steve
Kirby there
and on TV with Elvin
Jones
(Elvin was Coltrane's
main drummer in the
60's). It's
impossible to see
every show so it was
nice to catch a few
minutes of Kirby, my
former Cyrus
Chestnut
Trio bandmate, with
Elvin on the TV.
Roy
Hargrove
was there every
night of the
festival from
beginning to end.
That boy sho' luv ta'
play! His rhythm
section was the
house band. The
first night I sat in
with John
Ormond, Abbey
Lincoln's
bassist and my
former bandmate. The
group also included
Roy and a bunch of
other musicians whom
I didn't know. On
the second night,
which I enjoyed
more, they had Delfeayo
Marsalis on
trombone and a
strong British bass
player named Larry
who plays in Courtney
Pine's band
(I might see him in
London in two
weeks). Also there
was a good female
alto player from
Holland (no not Candi
Dulfer!),
plus Roy, another
good trombonist, Ray
Gallen—Roy
Ayers' alto
man, and a slew of
other musicians. It
was a lot of fun and
I put my "Stanky
Swing" on 'em
and we had a ball!
Later
I went and hung with
Abbey Lincoln after
her show. She was in
great spirits and we
had a good, yet
brief,
"hang".
Her manager Billy
Hoogstraten
was there. You know
that record by Stan
Getz
entitled,
"Billy
Highstreet
Samba"? It was
titled for him—he
used to manage Stan
Getz also!
Ora Harris,
Betty Carter's
former manager was
there too. Marc
Cary, John
Ormond and
Jaz Sawyer
made up her rhythm
section.
Unfortunately, I
missed her concert.
I fell asleep after
watching the Formula
1 race and didn't
get up in time. I
didn't have a
schedule for the
Sunday shows and I
mistakenly assumed
that they would be
starting later. They
went on at 7 and I
didn't get over
there until 8:45.
An
Invitation...?
At
least I got to see
the F1 race. Did you
hear about Michael
Schumacher's
crash?! He broke his
right leg! He
crashed not even 30
seconds into the
British Grand Prix
race. They said it
was a loose screw on
his rear brake fluid
line, so all of the
Ferrari mechanics
are being
questioned. It's all
over the news in
Europe but probably
not the US. Next
year they are
bringing an F1 race
to Indy so I might
be going come next
fall. Thinking back
a couple of days, I
had flown into
Montreal for the
DuMaurier Festival
that was held on
July 8th. There I
had a chance to see
the track where the
Canadian Grand Prix
is held every June.
As a matter of fact,
anyone is allowed to
drive, rollerblade,
or jog around it at
certain times when
races aren’t being
held. What do you
think? Is my little
truck ready for a
few laps around the
F1 track? You can
ride shotgun and if
we flip over you can
call the ambulance!
Don't worry—I'll
let you use my cell
phone. :)
One
slight inconvenience
of the North Sea
Jazz Festival is
that we didn't stay
in the main hotel
right next to the
Congress Centre
where all the
concerts are held,
so we had to take a
10-minute cab ride
or get the festival
reps to take us. It
kind of kept us out
of the loop but at
least our hotel was
not the madhouse
that I remember from
the 5 other times
that I've played
there. Also the
breakfast, which was
free and
"all-you-can-eat,"
was great and much
better than what was
offered in the main
hotel! It had all
the fixin's and I'm
sure you would have
enjoyed it!
More
about the festival:
The
"North Sea Jazz
Festival" was
held July 9th -
11th, 1999 at the
Congress Centre of
the Hague in the
Netherlands. The
Congress Center is a
huge convention
center featuring 17
different stages.
Bands
at the festival this
year included:
1.
The Roy Hargrove
Quintet
2. The Count Basie
Orchestra with
Special Guest Milt
Jackson on
vibes. [Their
show was a tribute
to the recently
deceased singer Joe
Williams who sang
with Basie in the
'50's.]
3. David Sanborn
Band
4. Bob James Trio
5. Pat Metheny Trio,
with Larry Grenadier
and Bill Stewart
6. Roy Ayers
7. Benny Golson’s
All Star Quintet
8. Arturo Sandoval's
'Hot House'
9. Herbie Hancock’s
Gershwin's World'
10. The Joe Zawinal
Syndicate
11. Celia Cruz
12. The Kenny
Garrett Quartet
13. The Regina
Carter Quintet—featuring
ME!
And the list goes on
and on....
Peace,
Out,
Alvester
Alvester’s
Web site: www.jazzworld.com/alvestergarnett
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