There were two major lessons learned on Sunday of Saratoga Jazz Fest 2025.
First, don’t sleep on the acts that play the smaller Charles R. Wood Discovery Stage (I’d been told this for years and it was spot on). The Discovery Stage provides the festival with a more intimate small club setting, ideal for dancing, appreciating legends up-close, and experiencing the next generation of jazz masters.
Second, every jazz festival should end in a massive dance party as this one did with incendiary performances from La Excelencia, an eleven-piece salsa band from New York City, and headliner Trombone Shorty, who brought his brand of New Orleans block party jazz to the SPAC stage.
Here are my impressions – this time in chronological order.
Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars – 11:45 AM – Discovery Stage
Bassist Todd Coolman leads instruction at the Skidmore Jazz Institute, a two-week opportunity for talented student musicians to receive mentorship from jazz educators who also have impressive performance resumes.
Coolman also led this Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty septet for the opening set on Sunday.
“So this is what morning looks like,” Coolman joked, making reference to the odd hours that jazz nightclub performers often keep. He then introduced the clever concept of their set: each of the seven members would introduce a piece that influenced or mentored them. The group included Dave Stryker (guitar), Bill Cunliff (piano), Steve Davis (trombone), Jimmy Greene (saxophone), and Dennis Mackrel (drums).
Coolman got things started with Paul Chambers’ “Whims of Chambers” and noted that hearing the piece changed his life. “Without you, no me” said Coolman, quoting Jimmy Heath’s tune dedicated to mentor Dizzy Gillespie.
Guitarist Dave Stryker, whose dextrous solos stood out in this set, cited a chance encounter with a CTI-era George Benson record as his life-changing moment, and trombonist Steve Davis recalled that Curtis Fuller was not only a trombone legend, but that he also told funny jokes.
Basically this group of veteran players and teachers were educating the audience as much as they were entertaining it.
Al Di Meola Acoustic Band – 12:30 – Amphitheater
Al Di Meola kicked off the main stage with an eclectic acoustic set that ran the gamut of Latin, world beat, new age, classical, and jazz fusion. In all genres, Di Meola is a true guitar virtuoso, and it was cool to see him in an all-acoustic setting.
Drummer Sergio Martinez mostly played with brushes or on the cajon and Amit Kavthekar’s tablas made this group feel quite a bit like John McLauglin and the late-Zakir Hussein’s group Shakti.
Like Shakti, this group listened extremely well to one another with rhythms turning on a dime and runs of guitar arpeggios coming to abrupt stops at the same moment Martinez muted a cymbal and Kavthekar silenced his tabla. At times, Di Meola employed electronic effects to enhance his acoustic instrument to add texture that filled the amphitheater.
Material for the show dug into Di Meola’s later solo work (“Vizzini” off of 1998’s Infinite Desire) and early classics (“Mediterranean Sundance” from his 1981 album with Paco de Lucia).
Brandee Younger Trio – 1:10 PM – Discovery Stage
Jazz harpist Brandee Younger, 41, is no stranger to the Capital Region.
She’s appeared on Skidmore’s Zankel stage as a soloist and as a member of Makaya McCraven’s band in recent years. And, earlier this month she played with Ravi Coltrane at The Egg in his outstanding tribute to his mother Alice Coltrane.
It was a treat to see Younger in a trio setting where her harp was the lead voice and the instrument wouldn’t get buried in the mix under louder horns.
On Younger’s new record, Gadabout Season (Impulse), she recorded with Alice Coltrane’s restored harp. While she carries the torch of legendary jazz harpists like Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, Younger is coming into her own as a composer and band leader.
Still, Younger’s finest moments on the Discovery Stage were covers. Her interpretation of “Turiya and Ramakrishna” was perhaps the most beautiful piece of music performed at the entire festival. Some of this has to do with the sheer cosmic beauty of the composition, which Younger cites as her favorite, but it’s also evident that Younger’s interpretation is reverent and her touch on the harp is superb.
Her solo harp arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic” turned the soulful art song into a spiritual that stated Stevie’s poetic message without even needing the words. And this time, Younger paid homage to Ashby who played on the studio version of this Songs In The Key of Life track.
Younger’s own compositions are a bit more sprawling, often revealing an r&b or hip-hop influence. In her pieces, rhythmic playing with pizzicato plinking or thick chords usually opens up into ethereal arpeggios. Bassist Rashaan Carter, who also played in Albany on the Ravi Coltrane date, makes for an adept musical conversationalist with Younger. This was particularly evident on “Gadabout Season” where the pair traded phrases while drummer Alan Mednard established the groove.
DJ Logic – 2:10 PM – Amphitheater
Despite the fact that guitar legend Vernon Reid canceled his appearance with this all-star group, DJ Logic and his pals were one of the more exciting groups to watch.
These musicians also brought a very different sound to the stage as they mostly channeled the poly-rhythmic Bitches Brew sound of 70s Miles Davis. And, they did so with two instruments that hadn’t been featured yet at the fest: Emilio Modeste’s soprano sax and Gregoire Maret’s harmonica.
The spacious music was essentially a master class in rhythm led by Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. On voice box, handheld fan, bullhorn, and sundry noisemakers, Baptista was like a kid with a toybox making a joyful noise. DJ Logic added beats and scratch effects on the turntables and Marcus Gilmore was yet another incredible drummer to showcase his talents at Jazz Fest.
As if the Miles influence wasn’t evident in the first half of their set, the band launched into “In A Silent Way”. Marcus Machado lived up to the challenge of recreating McLaughlin’s legendary guitar on the track (and taking over for Reid) and Matthew Garrison proved to be as much of a master on the electric bass as his father Jimmy was on upright.
Maret played harmonica through an envelope filter at one point (I wondered what Jerry Garcia would make of it?) — that was a first for me and anytime I can hear something new after decades of attending shows is a pleasure for a sound-seeker like me.
While Baptista’s creative percussion may have stolen the show, I’d argue that Emilio Modeste’s work on the sax proved he’s a name to watch.
Fierro’s Woodfired Pizza and Thorn & Roots – Local Food Court – 3:00 pm
Hey, even concert reviewers get hungry. The carefully curated local food vendors did not disappoint. On Saturday, I was so busy that I only bought a $5 hot dog from the regular SPAC vending area. It’s nice you can still get anything for $5 inside the gates of a music festival, but on Sunday, I wanted to get something a little more filling.
Fierro’s Woodfired Pizza Truck, based in Greenfield Center, smelled great and their cheese pizza was generous in size. The dough had the perfect balance of char and chew and the sauce tasted fresh and light. Highly recommend.
I was thirsty too, and wanted to drink something that would help give me some energy in the last hours of the fest. I opted for a smoothie from Saratoga’s own Thorn & Roots called the “Go Away Doc”. The drink was described on their menu as an equation that added carrot, mango, banana, pineapple, ginger, lemon, and coconut water into a single cup. It was refreshing, delicious, summery, and I felt like maybe I was doing something borderline healthy. I’ll be going back to Thorn & Roots physical store soon for another.
While I didn’t have time to thoroughly peruse the crafts, I was impressed with the variety of offerings. Several sharp dressers seemed to be wearing new hats purchased from Hat sational by DEI of Saratoga, and I overheard a group of women singing the praises of Koza Cashmere, a vendor who repurposed cashmere sweaters into mittens, hats, and adorable stuffed animals. An acquaintance in my row loved the fair trade crafts, jewelry, and affordable gifts provided by the Woman’s Peace Collective from Great Barrington, MA.
Fest sponsor GE Vernova also gave away free chalk to kids in attendance, resulting in some great messages written on the walkways (“no whining” was my favorite). One group of youngsters seemingly tried to make the world’s longest hopscotch game, and I inadvertently interrupted a hopper on my way to the amphitheater for Cassandra Wilson.
Cassandra Wilson – 3:50 PM – Amphitheater
Cassandra Wilson is an NEA Jazz master and has graced the stage at the Saratoga Jazz Fest seven times.
Unfortunately this time she took the stage a little late, and I only had time to listen to a single song before I ran to see Gary Bartz’s set on the Discovery Stage.
Looking incredibly elegant in stylish sunglasses and a flowing white and yellow dress, Wilson opened with “Until”. Cyro Baptista sat in on percussion.
I’ll have to wait until the next time to see a full set. Jazz Fest was an embarrassment of riches and tough decisions had to be made. What I did hear of Wilson’s sonorous voice upheld her status as one of the finest voices in jazz history.
Gary Bartz – 4:10 PM – Discovery Stage
Surprisingly, Sunday marked the festival debut for 84-year-old NEA Jazz Master, Gary Bartz.
He wore an incredible sparkling silver jacket and green kicks. He gets my vote for best dressed of the fest.
The band opened with “Nommo – The Majick Song” to “take the evil spirits away”. A blues, the lyrics of the tune tell bad thoughts to disappear. This set the tones to the positive vibes that pervaded Bartz’s outstanding hour long set.
Ranging from his 70s brand of spiritual jazz to ballads, Bartz was in excellent form for a saxophonist of any age. His articulation and somewhat breathy tone was just right. Bartz’s sound found a happy medium between the sharp attack of his contemporary Jackie McLean and the smoother West Coast sound of Art Pepper.
Supported by Kassa Overall (drums), Reuben Rogers (bass), and the excellent Paul Bollenback (guitars), the group also played classic Bartz tracks like the Langston Hughes tribute “I’ve Known Rivers” and “Song of Loving-Kindness” which paired Bartz’ plainspoken vocals with his sax playing. Think spiritual jazz Chet Baker.
As he closed that last tune, Bartz ad libbed some lyrics and told the crowd “I’m just making shit up”. It’s heartening to see the octogenarian Bartz is still improvising with the best of them.
I left this set with a buoyed spirit — the same way I feel after a good Sun Ra Arkestra set. The positive lyrical content and the joy in the sound of Bartz’s horn gave me hope that I can bring the feeling of this festival back to the real world, which isn’t always filled with beautiful music.
Cory Wong – 5:30 PM – Amphitheater
For technical guitar whiz, Cory Wong, it was his first jazz fest appearance.
Wong’s group boasted a five-piece horn section and was one of the loudest groups at the festival. This was studio big band music reimagined for the internet age.
Wong’s long been associated with Vulfpeck, has connections to Snarky Puppy, and he hails from Minnesota. He wears his Prince influence on his sleeve, but he also owes a debt to 70s studio musicians Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree — these guys sounded a fair amount like a smooth and funky album by the 70s fusion group Stuff. In interviews Wong’s talked a fair amount about his intention to bring funky rhythm guitar forward as a featured instrument in a large band. Wong’s clean, percussive, punchy, and driving guitar sound was the bedrock for outstanding horn solos and some tasty clavinet and synth sounds from keyboardist Kevin Gastonguay.
And drummer Petar Janjic could give Steve Gadd a run for his money, which is really saying something.
Their set ended with Wong’s finest composition and trademark piece, “Meditation” which started with contemplative solo guitar from Wong and built to a crescendo as the horn section joined the fun.
La Excelencia – 5:45 PM – Discovery Stage
During Wong’s set, I got a flurry of texts from a few friends letting me know that La Excelencia’s salsa set had turned into a full-fledged dance party in front of the Discovery Stage.
I was able to catch the last three tunes from the eleven-piece New York City band’s set.
My thoughts: just book La Excelencia to close out the Discovery Stage next year. For all of the virtuosic technical musicianship that Wong and company showed on the main stage, I preferred the heart at the center of La Excelencia’s sound. Their brand of salsa dura is raw with the percussion at the center of the sound. To say this was lively stuff is an understatement — it was the hottest of salsas, channeling that 1970s Fania Records sound.
The group’s refreshingly unique Latin sound was a great change of pace in that later afternoon slot.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue – 7:15 – Amphitheater
Sunday felt like a great musical tour. From the Spanish Harlem of La Excelencia to the Bourbon Street of Trombone Shorty, the energy was relentless.
Trombone Shorty (nee Troy Andrews), started playing his trombone in his native New Orleans with the Carlsberg Brass Band at the age of five. His blend of authentic New Orleans jazz with pop, hip-hop, and funk sensibilities was the musical equivalent of a Red Bull chased with a strong cup of Death Wish Coffee.
Andrews is also a talented vocalist and hype man who led his Orleans Avenue band through a series of popular Trombone Shorty tunes including “Lifted”, “Do To Me” and “Where Y’At?” which included lots of audience participation. Andrews also switched dexterously between trombone, vocals, and trumpet. He plays both instruments with a brash New Orleans swagger that can’t help but bring Louis Armstrong to mind.
On “Here Come The Girls” Andrews channeled another trumpeter — Dizzy Gillespie — by puffing his cheeks and sustaining a single note for several choruses (and probably a couple minutes). After the note trailed off, Andrews fell to the ground in exhaustion, got a drink of water, and was toweled off by a band member. These antics were all in good fun and Andrews had the crowd in the palm of his hand.
Perhaps the highlight of the entire festival was the band’s “When the Saints Go Marching In” which of course turned into a New Orleans-style second line. Andrews led his band off the stage and around the walkways of the amphitheater. Even the ushers gave up on preventing cell phone photos and videos because seeing these guys wail on their brass instruments from a few feet away was way too cool and had to be documented.
Even after the second-line, which would have been a fitting closer, the band wasn’t done and they reeled off a rousing version of The Blues Brothers “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love”.
Some of the group’s originals owe a debt to classic rock and r&b as well. On “I’m Standing Here” the horn section aped the riff from The Allman Brothers’ “Whippin’ Post” and “Might Not Make It Home” could have been an Earth, Wind, and Fire seventies hit.
The set closed down with the band turning it up one final time for George Clinton’s “Give Up the Funk” (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)”. The funk chestnut was a fitting closer for Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Avenue who indeed tore the roof off of SPAC and put an exclamation mark on a simply astonishing array of music at Saratoga Jazz Fest.
