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It’s time for New Mexico to honor a musical tradition that’s rooted in freedom, diversity, improvisation and personal style. And we’re gonna keep the party going for weeks – just like we have for nearly two decades. The 19th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival begins Thursday, September 4 at The Outpost Performance Space with a concert by powerful local vocalist Hillary Smith and saxophonist Glenn Kostur, a renowned musician who has mentored countless musicians at UNM’s Jazz Department. From there the festival continues with three weeks of music, art, films and concerts throughout Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos.
Tom Guralnick is the founding executive director of the Outpost and the man with the vision, the drive, the talent and the worldwide recognition to organize and direct the festival. He’s done it very well since 2006. And in case you didn’t know, he plays one hell of a saxophone himself.
“There’s young emerging artists, young emerged artists, local artists as well as internationally, touring artists,” Guralnick says of this year’s lineup. “Jazz is really about having your own style and a personal sound and approach to the music. In our festival, we honor the fact that this music is from an African American tradition, but it has gone all over the world in all cultures.”
Hillary Smith has the pipes to kick off the Jazzfest in proper fashion, and she’s bringing her partner in jazz, saxophonist Glenn Kostur, to the Outpost on opening night. And they’re backed by a band with some serious instrumental chops. Drummer Rich Malloy and bass player Gordon Johnson will keep the rhythm section locked in so John Funkhouser can do some magic on piano. On Friday, the band will be followed by the Jimmy Bosch Salsa Masters at the Albuquerque Museum through a partnership with the New Mexico Jazz Workshop. Smith is truly a groovy human who’s passionate about her craft – she even snuck away from some wedding festivities to talk about her concert with us.
“It’s the ‘Glenn Kostur Hilary Smith Jazz Romp.’ So we’re sharing the night, we’re sharing the band, and we’re best friends. So, it’s going to be really cool,” Smith says. “We feel like it’s the biggest dang deal ever. Working with this group of musicians is such a career highlight, and being able to do it for our very dear friend Tom Guralnick is the icing on the cake. And with the amazing supporters that come to the Outpost and support live and local music all the time, it is a love fest from beginning to end.”
Week two keeps the music flowing with Brazilian vocalist Claudia Villela and accordionist Vitor Gonçalves at the Outpost on Sep. 11, followed by a Sep. 12 show up north at Unit “B” by Chocolate Maven in Santa Fe. Back in Burque on the same night, Friday’s festivities continue with multi-instrumental composer and improviser Fred Frith at the Outpost. He will also perform at Entropy Gallery in Santa Fe on Sep. 13 and 14. On Sep. 13, you can hit Blues Night on Civic Plaza and watch multi-Grammy-nominated blues vocalist Shemekia Copeland along with The Pleasure Pilots and Russ Green. The Civic Plaza show is free, something Guralnick says would not be possible without help from generous donors and the City of Albuquerque’s support.
“Like most nonprofits and arts organizations, our grant from the National Endowment for the Arts was rescinded this year,” Guralnick says. “But the community has been tremendously supportive. Within six days, people jumped forward and replaced that $25,000. And our partnership with the city is strong and very important for the festival, for us to do these free concerts.”
Week three continues at the Lensic in Santa Fe with Grammy award–winning pianist Billy Childs Quartet on Sep. 18, three-time Grammy award–winning guitarist John Scofield’s Combo 73 on Sep. 19 and NEA Jazz Master vocalist Dianne Reeves and her quintet (guitarist Romero Lubambo, pianist John Beasley, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Terreon Gully) on Sep. 20. Passion for Bach & Coltrane with Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez, Neal Smith Trio and A.B. Spellman make some noise on Sep. 21. You can also catch Spellman reading from his new book at Collected Works Bookstore on Sep. 20. Other Outpost performances include Linda May Han Oh, David Sanchez, Nate Smith, Barry Altschul’s 3Dom Facto, and Carmen Lundy.
Music-adjacent events throughout the month include a Jazz Dinner at Dave’s Jazz Bistro in Santa Fe featuring vocalist Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim with the John Rangel Trio, an Inpost Artspace reception for the Jazz Festival art exhibition featuring artist Greg Tucker and poetry by Larry Goodell and jazz-themed films at Nob Hill’s Guild Cinema.
Guralnick says he’s particularly excited about this year’s Jazzfest because the celebration of different art forms – music, poetry, film, history – won’t just be contained inside the festival’s venues. Jazz will spread across a chunk of the state, literally pouring into the streets of Downtown Albuquerque. It’s a celebration of the fact that even nationwide federal funding cuts can’t silence jazz. Just like the music’s revolutionary roots and improvisational origins, the New Mexico Jazz Festival has a will and a spirit of its own, and you’re just along for the ride wherever it takes you.
“Certainly the ‘experimental’ or avant garde stuff is a really important factor in the music. It is for me, that’s how I got into the music, and it’s one facet of the music that we’re dedicated to presenting,” Guralnick says. “It’s a really important part of the world of jazz. Because jazz is really about freedom. It’s about experimentation. It’s about doing new things on the spot, at the moment.”
Tickets, info, a full list of performances and more are available at newmexicojazzfestival.org and lensic.org.
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