Lake George, NY Jazz Weekend. Multiple bands, multiple artists. Showcasing both local and international talent in the world of jazz. Performances were centered at Shepards Park with many of the local bars and restaurants playing during the mornings and late evenings.
Friday night opened at Shephards Park with the Sarah Caswell Quartet. Sara is a jazz violinist . She is accompanied by a trio consisting of Michael W. Davis (drums/fiancee), Jesse Lewis (guitar). Although, this was far from a traditional jazz combo, the band swung with gusto.
The music moved to various bars and venues throughout the village. I was able to visit the library where the Chad McLoughlin Trio played a more traditional set. Hudson Valley based musicians Rich Syracuse (bass) and Jeff Siegel (drums) rounded out the band. Other bands and venues included Scott Hopkins Jazz Trio(Barnsider), Alan Thomson Trio (Mezzaluna) , Steve Horowitz Trio (Lighthouse Grill) and Angelina & JP(Inn @ Lake George).
For those who delight in a jazz brunch , Tyler Giroux( piano) with Dylan Perrillo (bass) gave us music to munch by at the Hello Sunshine Bagel Bistro.
The early afternoon brought the entertainment back to the park. Matt Wilson’s band Honey & Salt took to the stage playing and reciting a set of music inspired by the poetry of Carl Sandberg. Matt’s impossible to imitate style of drumming was matched by Jeff Lederer on reeds/flute and Kirk Knuffke (trumpet/cornet) as well as Martin Wind on bass.This set inspires me to read Sandberg’s poetry again.
International flavor and youth were the word as 24 year old Mexican Jazz singer Lucia took to the stage with her band singing some songs in both Spanish and English. “What A Difference A Day Makes” and “Besame Mucho” was done in both Spanish and English. “La Llorona ” ( folktale that is part of Dia De Los Muertes), the jazz standard (Speak Low) and “My Favorite Things” were part of her showcase. Her band included Gabriel Chakarjli (piano), Guillero Lopez (bass ) and Julian Miltenberg (drums).
Jeremy Pelt is considered a senior trumpet maestro of the jazz community. He proudly brought 4 young jazz musicians to strut their stuff. He would be frequently be listening to these young musicians play. His knowing grin and frequent stepping back signaled that they all had something to say. Jalen Baker on vibraphone and Jarel Spears on drums were adjacent to each other and seemed to telepathically communicate between each other. Guitarist Misha Mendelenko was positioned at the other end of the stage. The Ukranian born guitarist certainly added his own phrases to the conversation. Compositions touched upon included many from Jeremy’s long career but focused on his latest release “Tomorrow’s Another Day ( HighNote Records 2024).
The closer of the festival was guitarist David Gilmore. No, not the Pink Floyd guitarist but the influential guitarist from Woodstock, NY. Rounding out his quartet were Luis Perdomo-piano, Brad Jones- bass and E.J. Strickland-drums. All veterans of the NY scene. David Gilmore has just been appointed as a professor at the New School, so he was frequently explaining the multiple meters that the band was playing in and other technical aspects of the music. One standard was played the Bill Evans/Jim Hall (piano/ guitar) tune “Interplay”. Most of the rest of the set consisted of music inspired by recent events appropriately titled “Metaverse”, “Child of Time” and “Now & Then”. The festival closed on a progressive contemporary note.
Stay tuned for announcements on lineups and dates for Lake George Jazz Weekend 2026.One of the oldest continuous jazz festivals in the country and one of only 2 that are at no charge to the public. Next year’s festival will be on a brand new concert stage.
