SAN JOSÉ JAZZ SUMMER FEST

FRIDAY - AUGUST 9, 2013

PHOTOS BY TOM EHRLICH © 2013

San José Jazz Festival, now called Summer Fest is my favorite jazz festival.  As I say every year, there is more Afro-Caribbean music at this jazz festival than any other in the United States that I am aware of.  Although this year there was no Latin Jazz stage, Latin Jazz acts were featured on many of the stages and there is one stage of non-stop salsa all weekend.  

The festival starts Friday evening and goes thru Sunday evening.  This post covers the Friday night bands that I listened to and photographed.  Saturday and Sunday will follow soon.

AFROLICIOUS

Is a swinging funk band from San Francisco.  A great way to start the festival.

Pleasuremaker (Cheo Mcguire) and Diamond Vibes

Quique (Enrique Padilla) congas and Wendell "Get Down" Rand bass

Alan Williams  trombone,  DJ Señor Oz (Oz Mcguire), Fabio Res drums

Pleasuremaker guitar and Diamond Vibes

Quique conga, Get Down Rand bass

JOSH JONES ENSEMBLE

Some of the Bay Area's better musicians are in this group.  Drummer Josh Jones is the leader.  The band played mostly covers of Ray Barretto salsa classics.  Calixto Oviedo sat in for a couple of songs and took a memorable drum solo.

Josh Jones drums, Saul Sierra bass

Marty Wehner

Josh Jones

Omar Ledezma

Calixto Oviedo

Edgardo Cambón

Two living drum legends Dafnis Prieto and Calixto Oviedo  - Dafnis performed with his Proverb Trio on Saturday.

Patrick Morehead

Edgardo Cambón

Josh Jones

Omar Ledezma bongo, Saul Sierra bass and Chloe Jane Scott flute

Calixto Oviedo

Edgardo Cambón

Josh Jones

Edgardo Cambón

Saul Sierra bass, Josh Jones drums

Omar Ledezma

EDGARDO CAMBÓN AND LATIDO

I was planning to listen to and photograph another great Bay Area salsa band - Louie Romero and Mazacote, but they came on at 8:30, it was cold and I forgot my jacket, so I went to the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel in San José where Edgardo Cambón and Latido (his smaller group) was playing.  Sorry Louie and the band for having to leave you out of this report.

Latido played an inspired couple of sets and kept the dance floor full all night.

Latido

Dr. John Calloway sits in

Calixto Oviedo

Julio Areas timbales, Calixto Oviedo bongo

Ayla Davila bass

Julio Areas

Calixto Oviedo

Marco Díaz

Calixto

Ayla Davila

Edgardo Cambón

Calixto

John Calloway piano, Marco Díaz trumpet

Edgardo Cambón and crowd

John Calloway flute, Edgardo Cambón congas, SF Giants on TV