It’s a family affair at the 20th Panama Jazz Festival

In contrast to 2022, when the infuriating Omnicron variant decimated the line-up – forcing festival founders Danilo Pérez and Patricia Zárate into quarantine – the 20th edition of the PJF was a humdinger. Prior to festivities proper, a warm-up jam at the Marriott HQ presided over by bassist/singer Luz Acosta and pianist Carlos Campos erupted into full-blown dance party, Pérez ultimately conducting the fun with flailing arms like Butch Morris; Patricia rapping (check her recording Violetas or the Grammy nominated Crisalida for further evidence); daughters Daniela and Carolina respectively dancing and singing/playing trumpet, plus youngest offspring, irrepressible 12 year-old Danilo Jnr, slapping bass as he crooned Milt Gabler’s hoary hit ‘L.O.V.E.’. 

Any considerations of nepotism are moot – Carolina, for example, a charismatic emerging talent, did lead her Calele's Quintet in a significant slot at the Ciudad del Saber – because all factions at the fest are rapidly absorbed into the extended Pérez brood. This embraces the many routinely brilliant students who visit from such institutions as Berklee, where Pérez, Zárate and managing director, saxist Marco Pignataro run the Global Jazz Institute (Berklee vice pres Ron Savage was spied jamming on drums by the by), and New England Conservatory (jazz studies chair Ken Schaphorst lectured on composition/conducted a flugelhorn masterclass), who mashed it up with star faculty/alumni from the homegrown Foundación Danilo Pérez (including ringers Samuel Batista and Luis Carlos Pérez) and more approachable talents from New York Jazz Academy, egged on by jam warriors Javier Arau and David Engelhard.

 

That a picturesque principal venue in old Panama was ‘pre-booked’ and out-of-bounds during this period was disappointing but the late-night sessions reconvened at Villa Agustina, a colourfully rustic beer garden in the heart of the beautiful Casco Viejo, which provided a proving ground for young talent after daytime educational forums at the ‘City of Knowledge.’ Outstanding moments here included a midnight drop-in from Pérez père – driving, unwavering latin rhythms underpinning his omnipresent smile – who backed his teenage employer, nonagenarian marvel Solinka. Pedagogically, much wisdom was to be gleaned from singers Catherine Russell (daughter of renowned Panamanian bandleader Luis Russell), Farayi Malek and Delfina Cheb-Terrab; pianist Chase Morrin, who dissected Pérez’ tetrachord concepts with impressive feats of rhythmic and harmonic analysis; Palestinian cellist Naseem Alatrash and John Patitucci. The latter demonstrated deep pocket mastery on acoustic/electric basses in a too-small lecture room, later disarmingly tearing up when honoured about his financial and artistic contributions to the festival and foundation. After a red-carpet parade at Teatro Anayansi, Patitucci reunited with drummer Brian Blade and Pérez, Wayne Shorter’s rhythm section, under the banner Children of the Light. The music was episodic and “comprovised”, to lift Danilo argot about the strategy/lack of strategy it takes to shape spontaneous composition, including pieces dedicated to strong women – Toni Morrison, Angela Davis, Zárate and the bassist’s wife Sachi.

The moment was emotional too – the last time the group gathered with Shorter had been there, in 2018. Pérez opened the concert in duo with stunning, if straitlaced, vocal star Erika Ender and closed the festival in cahoots with Gilberto Santa Rosa (a pioneer of soneo, or improvisation, in the realm of Puerto Rican salsa and bolero), entertaining tens of thousands at the Ciudad del Saber’s Cuadrangulo. As local police had the unpleasant task of turning fans away from the at-capacity finale, the ever-inclusive Pérez made sure to feed the cops in thanks for their service. Never to be outshone by her husband, Zárate assembled a two-dozen strong all-female Las Hijas del Jazz Orchestra, boasting the talents of Chilean pianist/festival coordinator Luciana Garcia, Swiss baritone sax/flautist Charlotte Lang, live-wire London-based drummer Jas Kayser, Panama’s Shanyra Torres and fleet Israeli sopranino saxist Lihi Haruvi. They were joined by Solinka for a moving rendition of Bebo Valdés’ Cuba-meets-flamenco hit ‘Lagrimas Negras’ (Black Tears). Bebo’s son, the mighty Chucho Valdés, incidentally, shook the living daylights out of the piano on the festival’s penultimate night, his quartet jet-fuelled by the superb percussionistics of Dafnis Prieto and Cuban powerhouse Roberto Vizcaino Jr. 

Throughout proceedings however, during which the feminist mantra chanted from stages went ‘Más mujeres, mejor país!’ any MVP gong had to go to blind bassist Ciara Moser, who’s classy costume changes for her ubiquitous pop-up appearances were almost as winning as her prodigious prowess on the pork chop. Last year Moser gave a fascinating lecture about how she navigates disability as a musician but seeing her in the hotel pool, racing Carolina, Daniela and the hyperactive Danilo Jnr (who was pulling somersaults and splashing a lot) was a revelation. Moser will let nothing hold her back and, like all the musicians who make the trip to Panama, she’s become firmly one of the family.