Pete Escovedo en el Festival de Jazz DuPont Clifford Brown 2009

El principal festival musical de Wilmington y el más grande de atlántico medio. Se llevara a cabo este año del lunes 15 de junio al domingo 21 de junio.

Entre las principales figuras del festival de este año se encuentran: Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk; Jazz Attack presentando a Rick Braun, Richard Elliot y Jonathan Butler; The Bad Plus; La orquesta de Jazz latino de  Pete Escovedo; Kem; Javon Jackson Band con Les McCann; El coro Odean Pope Saxophone; Jason Moran & the Bandwagon; Roy Haynes y la banda de Fountain of Youth Band. Para la lista completa de eventos visite:  www.cliffordbrownjazzfest.com.

Pete Escovedo ha sido una fuerza importante en la música Latina desde finales de los años sesenta, y su versatilidad ha resultado un éxito en varias aéreas de la música, desde el jazz latino y la salsa hasta el rock y el pop latino. Creció en Oakland, rodeado de música. Su padre cantaba con algunas big bands latinas. Pete tocaba el saxo en la escuela secundaria y pronto cambió a los vibráfonos.

Cuando el pianista Ed Nelly necesitó un percusionista, Escovedo respondió a su llamado. Él y uno de sus hermanos menores, Coke Escovedo, se desarrollaron rápidamente como percusionistas y recibían muchas pedidos de actuaciones en Carolina del Norte. Con el menor de los hermanos, Phil Escovedo, tocando el bajo, se formó el sexteto de jazz latino, Escovedo Bros.

El grupo se separó en 1967, cuando Carlos Santana contrató a Pate y a Coke para su grupo de rock latino. Después de hacer giras con Santana durante los siguientes tres años (se han reunido con él algunas veces después), Pete y Coke crearon la big band latina de 14 instrumentos "Azteca", con la cual grabaron dos álbumes para Columbia. Cuando la banda aumentó a 24 miembros, se hizo muy caro mantenerlos juntos aunque la música era bastante impresionante.

Desde ese momento, Pete ha tocado un sinnúmero de veces inclusive con celebridades como Herbie Hancock, Woody Herman, Cal Tjader, Tito Puente entre muchos otros. Comenzó a apelar a su hija, Sheila E., a mediados de los setenta cuando todavía era una adolescente; primero grabaron juntos en 1976 con Billy Cobham y han trabajados juntos muchas veces desde entonces. Desde Azteca, Escovedo ha dirigido frecuentemente también su propia banda de jazz latino, a veces incluyendo también a sus hijos, Juan, Peter Michael y Zina. Pete Escovedo ha grabado como líder para Fantasy (codirigiendo con Sheila E.) y Concord.

Escovedo y su orquesta de jazz latino se presentan el jueves 18 a las 6:30 pm.

El DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival fue recientemente galardonado con el Salón de la Fama 2009, un premio anual entregado por el Gobernador Markell por su significativa contribución a la industria turística de Delaware. Este festival  internacionalmente conocido fue honrado por su longevidad; habilidad para atraer artistas de alta calidad, publico, patrocinantes y una promoción positiva de Delaware y la región.

Pete Escovedo at the 2009 DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival

Wilmington’s premier music festival and the largest free jazz festival in the Mid-Atlantic. This year’s Festival will be held on Monday, June 15 through Sunday, June 21.

The 2009 headliners include Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk; Jazz Attack featuring Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Jonathan Butler; The Bad Plus; the Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra; Kem; Javon Jackson Band with Les McCann; the Odean Pope Saxophone Choir; Jason Moran & the Bandwagon; Roy Haynes and the Fountain of Youth Band. A complete schedule of events is listed below and on www.cliffordbrownjazzfest.com.

All concerts, which are free to the public, are performed in Downtown Wilmington’s Rodney Square, with the exception of the opening and closing day performances. Day One of the festival, Monday, June 15, will take place in the Clifford Brown Garden located at 16th and Clifford Brown Walk. The Garden is home to “Twin Obelisks for Brownie,” a 14-foot-tall granite monument honoring Clifford Brown. Carved by Wilmington sculptor Rick Rothrock, the monument was dedicated during last year’s festival. This year, the City of Wilmington will unveil Rothrock’s Phase II of the monument—a series of meditation benches encircling the Obelisk and bearing the names of Clifford Brown’s colleagues, family members, and mentors. A reception at the Brandywine River Ballroom (adjacent to the Clifford Brown Garden) will follow the monument dedication ceremony.

The festival will close on Sunday, June 21 at Wilmington’s Grand Opera House with the return of one of the festival’s signature performances—Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, led by acclaimed local conductor and music educator David Christopher and performed by approximately 150 instrumentalists, vocalists, and dancers. Featured performers will include award-winning tap dancer Joseph Webb, whose performances include Savion Glover’s Bring in ‘Da Noise Bring in ‘Da Funk; the Pieces of a Dream Modern Dance Theatre; and several distinguished soloists, including vocalist Devonne Gardner, who soloed for Ellington when he debuted the Sacred Concerts; 13-year-old vocalist Halima Bleu of Wilmington, who performed the role of Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King; and Iris Fairfax, Lawler Rogers, and Zen Aura. Featured instrumentalists include trumpeters Nick Corvino and Matt Gallagher, bassist Rob Swanson, and pianist Dennis Fortune. The Wilmington Children’s Chorus will also perform.

Ellington considered his Sacred Concerts the most important work of his long career. While discussing the work, Ellington once explained, “Every man prays in his own language.” It is this quote that captures the spirit of the three Sacred Music concerts that Ellington premiered in 1965, 1968 and 1973, and that were the culmination of the last, liturgical phase of his life's work in music. Ellington found a whole new vocabulary to express his spirituality late in his life by fusing liturgy and Jazz along with elements of classical music, choral music, spirituals, gospel, blues and dance.

Nationally renowned jazz performer Eric “Critt” Crittenden returns to this year’s festival with his “Critt’s Juke Joint” performance on June 18-20 at the Sheraton Suites Hotel’s Basil restaurant, starting at 10:00 p.m. nightly. Crittenden’s signature style blends jazz with hip-hop, funk, and soul. Crittenden will also perform a “Supreme Spirit” brunch at a to-be-announced location on Sunday, June 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 “Our wonderfully supportive group of Jazz Festival sponsors, led by DuPont, has provided Tina Betz and her team with the backing needed to assemble another outstanding Jazz Festival honoring the memory and music of Wilmington’s jazz king. Clifford Brown,” said Mayor Baker. “We hope everyone will head to Wilmington for a week-long celebration of jazz, featuring an exciting and entertaining list of national, regional, and local performers.”

Sylvia Banks, Manager, Corporate Contributions at DuPont said the company is proud to sponsor Delaware’s premier outdoor music event. "Thanks to the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Wilmington has become a destination for tens of thousands of jazz-lovers from across the country every year. DuPont’s long-standing commitment to the Festival mirrors our company’s long-standing commitment to our hometown. We are pleased to help continue the tradition of free outdoor jazz in Downtown Wilmington.”

The DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival was recently awarded the 2009 Hall of Fame: Annual Event Award by Delaware Governor Jack Markell for its significant contribution to Delaware’s tourism industry. The internationally renowned festival was honored for its longevity; ability to attract quality artists, audiences, and sponsors; and positive promotion of Delaware and the region.

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