Alessandro Powell Photo
Isabella Mendes.
“Everyone who loves jazz is cool,” said Mayor Toni Harp.
She said that between sets at the kick-off for the 33rd New Haven Jazz Festival held this past Saturday night on the Green. This year’s festival celebrates the women of jazz, although not all the musicians were female. The Karrin Allyson Quartet headlined, Isabella Mendes and Sambeleza played an hour-long set, and the green filled up early for the festival’s perennial openers, the Jazz Haven All Star Youth Band.
Even though News 8’s Jocelyn Maminta, who emceed with co-anchor Keith Kountz, declared that “it’s girl power tonight,” the jazz felt more international than feminine, as the ladies sang in Brazilian, French, English, and occasionally — especially in Allyson’s case (above) — Louis Armstrong’s native tongue of scat.
The tempo and feel that Sambeleza‘s Isabella Mendes brought to the music skewed toward bossa nova, though still fit comfortably under jazz’s wide umbrella. Mendes attended Hamden High after her family immigrated from Sao Paolo, Brazil. She was composing at the age of eight and was introduced to jazz at ECA. Her former teacher, Jeff Fuller, now backs her up on bass.
Mendes played a number of original songs as well as American and Brazilian classics. In her song “Guarujá,” she paid homage to her favorite beach. Later she covered the composition of a Brazillian mother-daughter jazz duo, “Dá Licença,” the lyrics of which told the tale of a young soccer player in an analogy of romance.
Allyson sang “Under Paris Skies” — “or New Haven, in this case,” she joked — in French. After receiving four Grammy nominations (one per album) for best jazz vocals, she could perhaps sing in whatever language she wanted. But she hardly needed language to be heard; her scatting spoke worlds.
The Youth Band was no exception in highlighting its female players, as the band’s guitarist held it down with a technical proficiency that sliced through the dueling horns. The All Stars played with a discipline that belied their years, even as they riffed off their own final measures.
The music stopped by 9 p.m., but Jazz Week continues until Aug. 30, with 22 acts scheduled throughout New Haven. It’s so much jazz all you have to do is open your window to get involved. Just remember to stay cool.
