MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL
FRIDAY NIGHT 9/21/2012

PHOTOS BY TOM EHRLICH © 2012

I previously posted Pedrito Martínez Group who performed on Friday.  Here are the rest of the groups that I saw and photographed Friday night.  There were more Afro-Caribbean groups this year than usual and for my money they were the strongest groups.

EDDIE PALMIERI SALSA ORCHESTRA

Eddie Palmieri, Luques Curtis bass and Nelson Gonzaléz tres

Salsa and Latin Jazz icon Ediie Palmieri brought his Salsa orchestra to Monterey and presented a great set in spite of the fact that there were major problems with the sound.  This group is an all star band.  Many of the band memebers have their own groups and many perform with numerous jazz and salsa groups.

Legendary Eddie Palmieri on piano and young lion Luques Curtis on bass.  I have known Luques since he was in high school and actually met him in Havana in 2000 playing with a latin jazz group called Insight.  Luques is a monster bass player and can play dance music and jazz equally well.

Eddie moved to the timbales for one song along with his long time timbalero José Claussell.

Eddie Palmieri and José Claussell on timbales

Nelson Gonzaléz considered the best Puerto Rican tres player on the planet. Luques Curtis on bass.

Mike Rodrígruez on trumpet.  Mike and his brother have their own band and he can be found playing in many latin jazz and salsa group.  One of the top young trumpeters around.  Joseph Gonzaléz on maracas ( Nelson Rodríguez's son) sang coro.

Herman Olivera vocals and Joseph González maracas.  Herman is one of the best soneros on the planet.  Sings and has sung with numerous salsa groups for many years and also performs with his own groups.

Maestro Ediie Palmieri

Herman Olivera and Joseph González

José Claussell timbales, Nelson González tres, Johnny Rivero congas, Herman Olivera vocals, Orlando Vega bell, Joseph González vocals, Brian Lynch trumpet.  Johnny Rivero is a legendary conguero who has played wiith numerous salsa groups for many years and Brian Lynch is one of the best trumpeters playing today.  He also has his own groups and plays with numerous groups both dance music and jazz.

Palmieri soloing on the timbales, José Claussell.

José Claussell timbales, Herman Olivera vocals, Johnny Rivero congas

Conrad Herwig is one of the best trombone players on the scene today.  He also has his own groups and plays with many groups - proficient in both salsa, latin jazz and straight ahead jazz.

Horn section - left to right Mike Rodríguez trumper, Brian Lynch trumpet, Conrad Herwig trombone and Joe Fiedler trombone.

Palmieri piano, Luques Curtis bass and Nelson González tres

Nelson González tres, José Claussell timbales and Eddie Palmieri

Luques Curtis 

Herman Olivera

Orlando Vega bongo.  Orlando is one of the young lions on bongo/bell is an excellent purcussionist.

Mike Rodríguez

GREGORY PORTER

Gregory Porter

Gregory Porter is one of the best and most popular jazz singers.  He has a very soulful/gospel influenced style with poetic lyrics and great stage presence.  He is one of my favorite vocalists and I finally got to see him live.  He did not disappoint.

Gregory Porter

Gregory Porter and Yosuke Sato saxophone

JACK DEJOHNETTE GROUP

Legendary jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette

Jack DeJohnette

David Fiuczynski guitar and Jack DeJohnette

Rudresh Mahanthappa on sax

GRÉGOIRE MARET QUARTET

Grégoire Maret on harmonica

Grégoire Maret is the son of a Swiss father and an Afro-American mother.  He is a highly regarded harmonica player described by many as the successor to jazz harmonica legend Toots Thielemans.