Speaking of institutions, Dr. John was next up, and you couldn't help but feel the cool as his band played on stage. It appeared that the years have not been kind to the body of this 65-year-old "N'awlins" boy, but his voice is a different story. His deep, soulful croon cut through the funky styling of his three-piece rhythm section during a chilled-out set that included his version of Ellington's "Satin Doll." While it wasn't as thrilling as the sets that surrounded it, simply watching Dr. John and his legendary keyboards was a joy in itself.
After some delicious soul food on 14th Street, but before the last act of the night, festival organizer Charles Fishman took a few moments to address a nearly packed Lincoln Theatre. Fishman is a good man to have organizing your jazz festival: a Grammy-winning producer, he was also the manager for Dizzy Gillespie until his death in 1993. The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival can no doubt thank Fishman's connections for helping to bring it from last year's "humble" beginnings with Dave Brubeck and Chuck Brown to this year's stellar sophomore line up that included Roy Hargrove and Roy Haynes as well as Sanchez, Dr. John, and the next act.
Fishman introduced to the stage guitar hero John Scofield, who immediately announced that on this night, he would be playing the songs of the one and only Ray Charles. He was accompanied by his band and a vocalist that did the late, great piano man justice on covers of "Mary Anne," "Hit the Road, Jack," and "What I Say," but this was all about Scofield. Scofield has become famous over the years through collaborations with the likes of Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, and Mediski Martin & Wood (who, incidentally, he will be performing with on Friday, Nov. 10 at the 9:30 Club), but let's give credit where credit is due: this cat can really tear it up.
A few songs into the set, Scofield had the pleasure of inviting to the stage a singer whom Bob Dylan dubbed "the epitome of soul," Mavis Staples. Silent until her first note rang out, her versions of "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "Georgia On My Mind," took the audience like siren songs. She brought us dancing back to earth with her doctored version of Charles' "I've got a Woman" (went her lyrics: "I've got a Man"), and during the encore gave us "I'll Take You There," the song she made famous with her family, The Staple Singers, back in 1972.
Leaving the Lincoln still slightly dazed from Scofield and Staples, I could only wonder if next year's Duke Ellington Jazz Fest would possibly duplicate a performance that had the audience singing and dancing and forgetting about everything outside the theater. While Fishman and company have a lot to live up to, you can bet that the U Street clubs, the Kennedy Center and the National Mall (weather permitting) will be the places to be on Sept. 27 through 30, 2007. Don't let this one slip off your radar.
After some delicious soul food on 14th Street, but before the last act of the night, festival organizer Charles Fishman took a few moments to address a nearly packed Lincoln Theatre. Fishman is a good man to have organizing your jazz festival: a Grammy-winning producer, he was also the manager for Dizzy Gillespie until his death in 1993. The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival can no doubt thank Fishman's connections for helping to bring it from last year's "humble" beginnings with Dave Brubeck and Chuck Brown to this year's stellar sophomore line up that included Roy Hargrove and Roy Haynes as well as Sanchez, Dr. John, and the next act.
Fishman introduced to the stage guitar hero John Scofield, who immediately announced that on this night, he would be playing the songs of the one and only Ray Charles. He was accompanied by his band and a vocalist that did the late, great piano man justice on covers of "Mary Anne," "Hit the Road, Jack," and "What I Say," but this was all about Scofield. Scofield has become famous over the years through collaborations with the likes of Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, and Mediski Martin & Wood (who, incidentally, he will be performing with on Friday, Nov. 10 at the 9:30 Club), but let's give credit where credit is due: this cat can really tear it up.
A few songs into the set, Scofield had the pleasure of inviting to the stage a singer whom Bob Dylan dubbed "the epitome of soul," Mavis Staples. Silent until her first note rang out, her versions of "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "Georgia On My Mind," took the audience like siren songs. She brought us dancing back to earth with her doctored version of Charles' "I've got a Woman" (went her lyrics: "I've got a Man"), and during the encore gave us "I'll Take You There," the song she made famous with her family, The Staple Singers, back in 1972.
Leaving the Lincoln still slightly dazed from Scofield and Staples, I could only wonder if next year's Duke Ellington Jazz Fest would possibly duplicate a performance that had the audience singing and dancing and forgetting about everything outside the theater. While Fishman and company have a lot to live up to, you can bet that the U Street clubs, the Kennedy Center and the National Mall (weather permitting) will be the places to be on Sept. 27 through 30, 2007. Don't let this one slip off your radar.
