Healdsburg Jazz Festival covers a lot of musical ground

The unapologetically purist Healdsburg Jazz Festival remains true to its goal of presenting real live jazz every summer, but it still covers a lot of musical territory within its chosen category.

“I like Healdsburg because it’s really a jazz festival, not ‘smooth jazz,’” said New York jazz pianist Kenny Barron, who has played the festival before and will return for this year’s event, running May 29 through June 7 at a dozen locations in Healdsburg, Windsor and Santa Rosa.

But even strict jazz fans can be inclusive when it comes to musical styles. Last year, the annual celebration held a fest-within-a-fest on its first weekend, devoted to the blues. This summer, on its 17th time around, the festival will do the same, but with a Latin theme this time.

Jazz and the Music of the Americas will run two evenings in a row, May 30-31, at the Jackson Theater in Santa Rosa.

The May 30 concert will salute the music of Brazil, reuniting Barron with his old friends and collaborators, Trio da Paz, three Brazilian musicians based in the New York Area for the past 30 years. The Luciana Souza duo with Romero Lubambo also will perform.

“I love Brazilian music, and what better way of doing that than playing with Brazilians?” Barron said. “The music is emotional. The harmonies and melodies are elusive. You think it’s going one way, and the music starts going somewhere else.”

Barron first encountered Trio da Paz playing in a New York coffee shop one weekend afternoon.

“He used to come see us play in New York, and he said he’d love to do something together,” said Nilson Matta, bassist and composer with Trio da Paz.

Since then, Barron and the trio have toured together and recorded an album titled “Canta Brazil” in 2002. Trio da Paz also includes Romero Lubambo on guitar Duduka da Fonseca on drums and percussion.

“In Brazil, everybody has loved jazz forever,” Matta said. “We grew up with the bossa nova there, but we also heard jazz by (keyboardists) McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock.”

The second night of “Jazz and the Music of the Americas,” on May 31, will focus on the music of Argentina and the Caribbean, featuring the Pablo Ziegler Jazz Trio for New Tango and the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Septet.

Even with the Latin jazz cornerstone this year, the festival doesn’t neglect other styles.

The festival includes a blues brunch May 31, with Terrie Odabi and Evolution Blues at Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards in Windsor.

There will be a New Orleans Day on the Green on the festival’s final day, June 7, at Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Vineyard, with the St. Gabriel’s Brass Band, the Dixie Giants and the Russian Ramblers.

Both Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards and Dry Creek Vineyard are new venues for the festival this year, and so is the Paul Mahder Gallery in downtown Healdsburg, where the Ed Reed Quartet will play the opening night of the festival, on May 30.

Between weekends, there will be music every night at venues ranging from the Healdsburg Plaza and the lobby of the Healdsburg Hotel to the Raven Theater.

You can reach staff writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com.

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HEALDSBURG JAZZ FESTIVAL

The rest of the line-up (all in Healdsburg unless otherwise noted):

FRIDAY, MAY 29

Ed Reed Quartet: Tribute to John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, Paul Mahder Gallery, 222 Healdsburg Ave. 7 and 9 p.m. $25.

SUNDAY, MAY 31

Blues Brunch with Terrie Odabi and Evolution Blues: Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards, 4401 Slusser Road, Windsor. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $25.

MONDAY, JUNE 1

Jazz and Wine Dinner with the Randy Vincent Trio: Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Reservations recommended.

TUESDAY, JUNE 2

Ritmos Unidos,:Healdsburg Plaza. 6-8 p.m. Free.

Batacha: Partake by K-J:,241 Healdsburg Ave. 8-10 p.m. Wine and food pairing reservations required.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

Adam Theis MOBtet featuring Tiffany Austin: Spoonbar, 219 Ave., Healdsburg. 7-10:30 p.m. No cover. Dinner reservations recommended.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4

Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet with Jackie Ryan: Healdsburg Shed, 25 North St. 7 and 9 p.m. Pre-concert dinners at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Reservations required.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

Ben Stolorow Quartet: Partake by K-J, 241 Healdsburg Ave. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wine and food pairing reservations required.

Benny Green Trio: Raven Theater, 115 North St. 7:30 p.m. $45-$65.

Sylvia Cuenca Trio: Hotel Healdsburg lobby, 25 Matheson St. 9 p.m.-midnight. No cover.

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

Stephanie Ozer Quartet: Seasons of the Vineyard, 113 Plaza St. 4-6 p.m. No cover.

The Cookers: An All-Star Group, Raven Theater, 115 North St. 7:30 p.m. $45-$65. No cover.

Lorca Hart with Josh Nelson: Hotel Healdsburg lobby, 25 Matheson St. 9 p.m.-midnight. No cover.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

New Orleans Day on the green with St. Gabriel’s Celestial Brass Band, the Dixie Giants and Russian River Ramblers: Dry Creek 3770 Lambert Bridge Road, Windsor. Noon-3 p.m. $25, including Dry Creek Valley wine glass. Lawn seating, low chairs allowed.

George Cables Trio with Craig Handy: Raven Theater, 115 North St. 7 p.m. $30-$50. Reserved seating.