In its heyday, PlayhouseSquare played host to crooners, jazz and big bands musicians like Bing Crosby and ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra.

Now, as PlayhouseSquare’s revitalization hits a dazzling high, Cleveland’s own jazz festival, the Tri-C JazzFest has unveiled a new format celebrating the district.

It’s the 35th anniversary of the Tri-C JazzFest and they’re making a big move – closing down Euclid Ave. between 13th and 14th St with three days of concerts.

From June 26-28, music lovers can take in twelve ticketed shows throughout PlayhouseSquare’s theatres, plus a host of free outdoor music, food trucks and Great Lakes brews on Star Plaza.

Concerts include trumpeter Sean Jones and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra opening the festival on June 26; Eddie Palmieri, whose career as bandleader spans 50 years, with a night of salsa and Latin jazz on June 27; and pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias performing her tribute to Chet Baker at the Hanna on June 28. Check out the full schedule below:

The free Star Plaza concerts, which are the latest centennial gifts from the Cleveland Foundation, will take place outside on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 starting at 3pm.

You can learn more about the musicians and purchase tickets on the JazzFest website.

You can also win two tickets right here to the Raul Midón concert on June 28!

Blind since infancy, Midón grew up listening to his father’s collection of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis records, as well as the pop music of the time: Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Paul Simon.

He writes on the JazzFest’s website: “The way I play today is an amalgam of those styles, mixed with my fascination with the great rock and blues guitarists like Eric Clapton and B.B. King. I’m constantly trying to integrate everything I know musically into the guitar.”

The New York Times describes Midón as “a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus.” And now you can enjoy his concert at the Hanna Theatre by entering my giveaway.

There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway
**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) Leave a comment telling me who your favorite jazz, blues or swing musician is.

2) If you’re a fan of Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland and Clue Into Cleveland on Facebook, leave a comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here and here.

3) Follow @ADHicken and @TriCJazzFest on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did both.

4) Tweet the following and leave one comment letting me know you tweeted:

I want to see @RaulMidon at @PlayhouseSquare on 6/28. Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway for #TriCJazzFest tickets: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2w3

You can tweet once per day for additional entries. Just leave a separate comment each time you tweet.

5) Subscribe to Clue Into Cleveland via a feed tracker like Bloglovin’ or Feedly and leave one comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “Subscribe” section of this page.

You have until Tuesday, June 17 at 11:59PM to enter.  On Wednesday, June 18, Random.org will select a winner and I’ll announce the winner’s name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Tri-C JazzFest with a guest in exchange for previewing the event. My choice to blog about the festival is based on how much Scott and I have enjoyed these concerts in years past. Opinions are my own.

Cleveland’s Museum of Contemporary Art hosted Tri-C JazzFest’s Lionel Loueke concert

I have a not-so-secret obsession when it comes to organizing things. I feel bad sometimes for Scott who has to put up with my unquenchable urge for lists, schedules and Google Docs (though he does admit he’d be lost without them).

The funny thing is that I wasn’t always like this. My parents lovingly (and sometimes worriedly) called me Space Cadet for the first 2 decades of my life.

But then a switch flipped after college and lists were how I got myself through the day. I like things orderly and prioritized – and I sometimes fear a tiny part of me would fall apart if I had to go cold turkey without my planner.

Lionel Loueke at Tri-C JazzFest

There is one part of me, though, that prefers chaos over order – and that’s when I’m listening to music. When things aren’t fitting in their little square checkboxes and I need to quiet my brain, my favorite music to turn to is jazz.

With all its frenetic energy and sometimes maddening cacophony, I can focus just on unpacking all the sounds and find some temporary solace.

That’s why – after a particularly stressful week – I was happy to attend Tri-C JazzFest’s Lionel Loueke Trio concert at the Museum of Contemporary Art last Thursday.

I love the inside of MOCA – the sharp lines and splashes of color are so dynamic

After a late dinner, we didn’t have a lot of time to explore MOCA. So after a quick peek at a bit of the museum, we took our seats in the Gund Commons.  It was a great choice for this concert – a stark backdrop that allowed the music to stand on its own without distractions.

Willard Jenkins, the artistic director of the JazzFest, introduced the evening’s performers, commenting that they had picked MOCA to complement the Lionel Loueke Trio’s edgier sound.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but out walked a quiet, gentle-looking Loueke. With a simple Namaste bow, he picked up his guitar, followed by Michael Olatuja on bass and John Davis at the drums.

We listened for a few moments to what simply sounded like them tuning their instruments and warming up.  But then all of a sudden, what seemed like a random assortment of notes turned into a wild, visceral piece of music.

Which was the way most of the evening shaped up. Loueke has been described by his mentor Herbie Hancock as “a musical painter.” Very fitting, considering how his music unfolded at MOCA – mesmerizing you into a groove broken by a surprising splash of color like a dramatic drum beat or high-energy solo.

Lionel Loueke, Michael Olatuja and John Davis performing at Tri-C JazzFest

And the trio were seamless in their improvisation. Even when the sound of an ambulance driving by threatened to disrupt the momentum of one of the songs, the music flowed around the siren – with it becoming yet another (albeit, unintentional) layer to the song.

What I enjoyed most, though, was being introduced to the sounds of Loueke’s native Benin in West Africa.

Describing his most recent album, Loueke writes on his website: “I have two heritages. One is from my ancestors from Africa, and that goes through my music, my body, my soul, every aspect of what I do. But also I have the heritage from the Occident, from the West, from Europe and the U.S. I speak English, I speak French, and I have that heritage too. I called this album Heritage because I’ve been blessed by all different parts of the world, and most of the songs reflect that.”

His song “Ife” started with a bit of percussive guitar layered under vocals spoken in Yoruba. Incorporating a lot of the electronic distortion he’s been using recently in his music, Loueke then warped the sound of the vocals, echoing them on top of each other to achieve something a little strange, but very cool.

The joy for performing this music that Loueke, Olatuja and Davis showed (especially Olatuja’s beaming smile!) was contagious – lifting me up as I left the MOCA that night.

MOCA Cleveland at night

From Aaron Neville & Dr. John to the iconic Natalie Cole, it’s been a great year for Cleveland’s annual jazz festival.

If you haven’t been able to a performance yet, there’s one last chance to enjoy the 2013 Tri-C JazzFest:

On May 4, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra will present a special concert at the Tri-C Metro Campus Auditorium. This performance from the Grammy-winning 13-piece collective is a don’t-miss, celebrating the rich sounds of traditional Latin jazz.

The concert starts at 8:30pm and tickets cost $30. Learn more and order tickets at tri-c.edu/events/Pages/spanishharlemorchestra.aspx

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a Tri-C JazzFest concert with a guest in exchange for hosting a giveaway and reviewing the concert. All opinions are my own.

The pessimist in me had my faith in humanity shaken by what happened Monday, but reading about the first responders, everyone who ran to help during the bombing, the SWAT and police who searched for Tsarnaev, and the resilience of the people of Boston reaffirms what Patton Oswalt wrote:

The good outnumber you, and we always will.

Another way to help Boston, which was not mentioned in the article I linked to yesterday, is The One Fund Boston set up by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino. Learn more at onefundboston.org.

***

Before I wrap this week up, I have a Tri-C JazzFest giveaway winner to announce. After removing the pingbacks and putting the remaining entries into Random.org, that winner is…

Entry #8, Jim. Congratulations, you’ve won 2 tickets to next Thursday’s Lionel Loueke Trio concert!  I will email you today to confirm.

The JazzFest opens tonight (4/19) with a FREE concert at PlayhouseSquare. Enjoy the music of Detroit’s Nadir & Distorted Soul inside the beautiful State Theatre lobby from 5-7pm. “We’re Going to Have a Funky Good Time” will feature happy hour drink specials throughout the event.

An eleven-time winner of the Detroit Music Award, Nadir’s latest album The Book of Jonah has been described as “a dirty, honest little funk ’n’ roll record recalling George Clinton, early Stevie Wonder and the MC5 in a big sonic soup…”

As a military son, Nadir was raised in Tennessee but traveled the world. This influence of gospel and Nashville songwriting traditions has been infused with his current home’s rich heritage of Motown, Rock, Hip-Hop and Electronic.

The result: music that throws away labels, weaving together progressive soul with indie rock, twenty-first century blues, new Detroit funk, and many other styles.

Tonight at 8pm – PlayhouseSquare

Afterwards, starting at 8pm, New Orleans’ Aaron Neville and Dr. John will present “a night of soul, stomp and swamp” in the State Theatre. Tickets for this concert range in price from $45-$65.

Other JazzFest happenings this weekend include:

• Robert Glasper Experiment (Saturday, 2 p.m., PlayhouseSquare)
• Kenny Garrett (Saturday, 4:30 p.m., PlayhouseSquare)
• Smooth Jazz All-Stars (Saturday, 8 p.m., PlayhouseSquare)
• Dex @ 90 (Sunday, 7 and 9 p.m., Nighttown)

You can check out the full festival schedule on Cleveland.com. And you can enter to win tickets to the May 4 Spanish Harlem Orchestra concert over at WhyCLE.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a Tri-C JazzFest concert with a guest in exchange for blogging about it. I was also provided 2 tickets to give away. The choice of which events I highlight on Clue Into Cleveland is 100% my own.

Cleveland’s Tri-C JazzFest, April 19-27, 2013

In January, I blogged about coming up with my Cleveland “bucket list” for the year – new-to-me places or events I’ve wanted to, but haven’t yet explored.

I’m glad to be able to cross one off my list in a couple weeks: the Tri-C Jazz Festival.

What started in 1980 as a weekend event, has transformed into 10 days of jazzing up Cleveland.

Staying true to its roots, Tri-C JazzFest brings world-class, awarding-winning Jazz musicians to Cleveland while fostering the history and nurturing the future of Jazz.

What this means for you and me is a line-up of funky, fantastic, and unforgettable concerts throughout downtown and the Cleveland neighborhoods.

Diana Krall at 2012 JazzFest playing to a packed house with quartet, Robert Hurst (bass), Anthony Wilson (guitar) and Karriem Riggins (drums). (photo by Jeff Forman)

The Festival starts next Friday, April 19 with a FREE opening night party. “We’re Gonna Have a Funky Good Time” starts at 5pm in the State Theatre lobby and features music by Detroit’s Nadir & Distorted Soul. Sponsored by Great Lakes Brewing Co., the party will also feature happy hour drink specials until 7pm.

Other festival highlights include:

• On both Saturdays, kick back and get comfortable in PlayhouseSquare for a whole afternoon and evening of concerts, including the 60th Birthday Bash for Cleveland’s own and Grammy winner Joe Lovano. On April 20 and 27, shows will be held at 2 pm, 4:30 pm and 8 pm, along with live music and meet-the-artist sessions in the lobby.
• From April 22-24, the 3-day DownBeat Invitational on Tri-C’s Metro Campus will showcase student ensembles from as far away as Israel. Furthering the JazzFest’s educational mission, early-career artists Anat Cohen, Orrin Evans and Dominick Farinacci will teach workshops and perform.
• While most of the concerts wrap up by April 27, JazzFest 2013 has one last thrill up their sleeve when the Spanish Harlem Orchestra comes to Cleveland on May 4. The 13-piece collective will blow up Tri-C with rich Latin jazz that the LA Times called “as thrilling as riding a horse that suddenly breaks into a gallop.”

With a full schedule like this, there are many great concerts to pick from. It took a bit of consideration, but when I was invited to attend one of the Festival’s concerts, I decided to go with the Lionel Loueke Trio on April 25.

I may be driving to Chicago the morning after at 5am, but there was something about this concert, which starts at 8pm on the 25th, that drew me in.

Lionel Loueke Trio performs at the Tri-C JazzFest on April 25 at MOCA Cleveland.

Born in Benin, West Africa, Lionel Loueke melds the sounds of West African folk music with traditional American jazz. After playing in bands led by greats Terence Blanchard and Herbie Hancock, Loueke branched out into a more electric sound in his latest album “Heritage.” Electric bassist Michael Olatuja and drummer John Davis who are both featured on “Heritage” will join him at JazzFest.

This particular concert is a Bucket List two-fer for me because it also takes place at MOCA Cleveland. Even before the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland moved from the old Cleveland Play House building to its incredible new home, I’ve regretted not finding the time to visit. But with the Lionel Loueke concert on April 25, now I’m making the time.

And you can too by entering my giveaway for 2 tickets to the April 25th JazzFest concert!

There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway
**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1)  What’s on your Cleveland bucket list? I’m always looking for more ideas so leave a comment with something you’ve always wanted to do in Cleveland.

2)  If you’re a fan of Tri-C JazzFest and Clue Into Cleveland on Facebook, leave a comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here and here.

3)  Follow @ADHicken and @TriCJazzFest on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did both.

4)  Twitter users can get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “I want to win #TriCJazzFest tickets! Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway to see Lionel Loueke Trio @MOCACleveland: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-1Xu″.   (Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.)

5)  Subscribe to receive Clue Into Cleveland blog posts in your inbox or feed reader like Feedly and leave a comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “Subscribe” section of this page.

You have until Thursday, April 18 at 11:59PM to enter. On Friday, April 19, I will select a winner using Random.org and will announce the winner’s name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a Tri-C JazzFest concert and give away 2 tickets on my blog. My opinions and the choice to post about this event are my own.