The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Tri-C JazzFest bringing diverse lineup
Annual event bringing diverse lineup for three-day celebration at Playhouse Square
The stars of the jazz world again will shine brightly at the Tri-C JazzFest in and around Playhouse Square.
The stars of the jazz world again will shine brightly at the Tri-C JazzFest, which takes place June 28 through 30 in and around Cleveland’s Playhouse Square.
“What stands out in the overall picture this year is the broad tent,” Tri-C JazzFest Director Terri Pontremoli said. “The idea that jazz encompasses a lot of different styles and a lot of different kinds of music. Like being able to have Common on our lineup, for instance, on June 30.
“Jazz encompasses a lot of different styles and a lot of different kinds of music” — Terri Pontremoli, Tri-C JazzFest director, talking about this year’s diverse lineup
“He’s been quoted saying that hip-hop is the child of jazz culture. The older I get, and the more I’m exposed to, the more I see that connection between hip-hop and jazz. It’s pretty startling. It’s really creative, it’s very improvisatory, it takes a lot of skill. So having Common on our lineup is just really great fun.”
When it came time to book an opener for Common, Pontremoli said she couldn’t help herself. One of her personal missions when creating lineups is being able to introduce people to new artists.
That includes having José James and his band perform before the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy and Grammy-winning rapper-actor-songwriter.
“I’ve been excited about singer José James for a long time,” Pontremoli said. “Recently, he’s gotten into a Bill Withers project. I presented José during our Performing Arts Series a few years ago at Nighttown.
“From the moment he did anything by Bill With- ers, the audience was in the palm of his hand.
“He’s a really strong performer. He brings part of hip-hop to what he does, so his approach will be really fresh. That will be quite the surprise for Common fans.”
The 39th annual JazzFest includes free outdoor activities during the weekend including the U.S. Bank Kids Club, cooking demonstrations, food trucks, vendors, games, the Chemical Bank Jazz Talk Tent with artist interviews and a Saturday morning yoga session.
Also outdoors are the festival’s free concerts from 3 p.m. to midnight June 29 and 30 on a stage located at Euclid Avenue and East 14th Street.
One local Northeast Ohio artist looking forward to returning to the Tri-C JazzFest is Latin music percussionist Sammy DeLeon, who in 2016 was honored with the Cleveland Jazz Legend Award. The Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta will be closing the affair with a performance at 11:15 p.m. June 30 on the outdoor stage.
“It’s very important to have a Latin band play the Tri-C JazzFest,” said DeLeon,
56, a 1979 Admiral King High School graduate. “I’ve been there for the last 15 to 20 years.
“I’m basically the only Latin band they’ve had play all of these years. That’s why I love playing there. They’ve brought Latin bands from out of town, but I’m the hometown band.”
While DeLeon’s group averages between 50 and 70 shows a year, including a whopping 20 scheduled for next month, he said the Tri-C JazzFest appearance ranks high on his list of importance.
“I’m a Tri-C Latin jazz legend,” DeLeon said. “My role is to make sure the people are having a good old time, so we’ll be playing music by Tito Puente, Latin Legends Band and my own original songs like ‘Mujeres’ and ‘Song for my Father.’”
Even though The Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta has previously played indoors at the JazzFest, you probably can guess where the band leader said his hot and spicy salsa music is best experienced.
“It’s always better to play under the stars,” DeLeon said.