A 2016 Chicago Jazz Festival Preview: Pharez Whitted Quintet

This Is Jazz Today: A 2016 Chicago Jazz Festival preview, in sound & vision.

Pharez Whitted Quintet

Trumpeter Pharez Whitted finds a middle ground between past and present.  His 2012 release For the People had the echoes of hard bop crossing paths in opposite directions with post-bop flurries, while his 2014 release The Tree of Life had some modern soul and some old-school funk a la the CTI jazz era.  The thing that binds them up nicely is Whitted’s delivery with his long, slow exhalations of melody.  Even during the higher tempos, Whitted holds the melody in place, up for everyone to see, before rejoining the charge ahead.  It’s an appealing characteristic, and leads to some pretty thrilling moments.  Whitted has Chicago ties that go back to CSU and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble and now with the CYSO.  His 2012 release For the People was stocked with Chicago personnel like guitarist Bobby Broom, yet further evidence that Whitted’s roots are buried deep in the Festival home turf.  For the 2016 Fest, Whitted is performing with saxophonist Edwin Bayard, bassist Jon Wood, drummer Greg Artry and pianist Lovell Bradford.

The Pharez Whitted Quintet is performing Friday, Sept. 2nd at 3:30pm at the Jazz & Heritage Pavilion.

Here’s an album track from his 2014 release The Tree of Life…

Read more about the artist and the upcoming show at the Chicago Jazz Festival site.

Here’s a nifty video of Pharez Whitted performing live at Chicago’s own, Andy’s Jazz Club…

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The 38th annual Chicago Jazz Festival is taking place in (and around) Chicago’s Millennium Park, Wednesday August 31st – Sunday September 4th.

Read more about why you should be a part of the audience by visiting the official Chicago Jazz Festival site

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