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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Jazz fans, artists flock to Moscow



 (The Spokesman-Review)
Chris Kornelis Correspondent

For one week each February, Moscow becomes the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.

Fifteen thousand students from as far away as Massachusetts and Alaska will compete in group and solo competitions in the annual festival, now in its 38th year. Filling hotels from Spokane to Clarkston, others staying with host families or on gym floors, those students and other visitors bring more than $5 million to area businesses, according to program adviser Bill Cole.

And although it would be nice to think that the masses are flocking to Moscow for the local cuisine, visiting jazz artists are the obvious attraction. Many musicians from around the world travel to Moscow each year to mingle with students, teach clinics and perform at evening concerts in the University of Idaho Kibbie Dome.

The concerts, which start at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 8 p.m. Feb. 25 and 26, feature 32 artists and groups. For those accustomed to the festival, most of the performers should sound familiar; all but five are festival veterans and 21 performed last year.

The house band for the third year in a row features drummer Jeff Hamilton, guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Benny Green and bassist John Clayton. The quartet is the most visible group of performers, backing guest artists each night. Although the group is created just for the festival, the players frequently work together in bands and on albums.

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

Freddy Cole, brother of the late Nat King Cole, who for years tried not to be associated with his famous brother and niece Natalie is feeling more comfortable with family history. He recently has been performing songs recorded by his brother. Expect him to do the same when he returns to the festival.

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Returning for his second festival appearance is guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli, supporting his latest Telarc release, “Bossa Nova.” Pizzarelli, known as much for his showmanship as his music, first appeared at the festival in 2002, filling in when Lou Rawls canceled at the last minute.

Pizzarelli is joined by his father, Bucky, who has performed in the festival’s house band and was a first-call session guitarist in the ‘60s, performing with artists including Benny Goodman, Zoot Sims and Stephane Grappelli. The father and son perform together often with the John Pizzarelli Trio, which includes John’s brother Martin on bass. The duo will be backed by the house band at their jazz fest appearance.

Feb. 25, 8 p.m.

Lou Rawls, who announced onstage during the 2003 festival that he would become a bigger part of the festival, skipped last year. Expect Rawls to bring his Vegas-style “Wind Beneath My Wings” and bright jackets back to the festival.

Jane Monheit also will make her annual stop on the Palouse for a Feb. 25 set. Her set last year was a bit more sensual than the festival is used to, though reviews of her recent performances indicate that she has shed most of the uncomfortable flirtation.

Feb. 26, 8 p.m.

The Roy Hargrove Quartet consistently puts on one of the finest sets of the festival and hardly anyone sees it. The quartet usually closes an earlier night of the festival and by the time they take the stage, most of the younger attendees have exited. With the Lionel Hampton New York Big Band headlining Saturday, crowds may get a rare glimpse of this festival regular.

For several years, Lionel Hampton, who died in 2002, traditionally made his only festival appearance on Saturday nights with his band. With Hampton gone, The Lionel Hampton New York Big Band still performs but is not the same. The band has played several gigs in the past year with disco diva Chaka Khan. It is unknown if the band will find room for “Tell Me Something Good” between favorites “Flying Home” and “Hamp’s Boogie-Woogie.”