by Paul Klemperer

Mark Whitfield

Mark Whitfield's playing credentials span contemporary and classic jazz. He has recorded and performed with such contemporaries as Branford Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Kenny Kirkland and Christian McBride, as well as legendary elder statesmen like Tommy Flanagan, Al Foster, Ray Brown, Jimmy Smith, Betty Carter and Carmen McRae, to name just a few.

Whitfield developed his jazz chops on bass in his teens, but later switched to guitar and received a scholarship from Boston's Berklee School of Music in 1983. From there he moved to New York, developing a close relationship with guitar great George Benson. He recorded three albums with Warner Brothers, The Marksman, Patrice, and Mark Whitfield before signing with Verve Records in 1994.

While Whitfield's first two Verve releases (True Blue and 7th Avenue Stroll) are stylistically situated within the classic "jazz renaissance" of the 1980s and '90s, his most recent release, Forever Love, explores other textures, including solo acoustic guitar and ballad work backed by a 21-piece string orchestra. His purpose for this album was "to take classic love songs that had been recorded by great singers." These simple, beautiful pieces "require a lot of emotion, so I had to reach down deep to come up with the right mood." Whitfield's addition to the Austin Jazz Fest lineup should be an exciting mix of sterling technique and emotional intensity. His music will appeal equally to modernists and lovers of classic jazz.

John Adams

John Adams teaches jazz bass at the University of North Texas in Denton, the institution where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. But he is much more than a rigorous academician. He has toured with the Woody Herman Band, Sal Nistico and Zoot Sims, and backed classic vocalists Mel Torme and Rosemary Clooney, as well as modern players like Randy Brecker and Dave Liebman.

A veteran of UNT's acclaimed One O'Clock Lab Band, Adams formed his quartet, one of the best-known in the region, in 1990 with fellow UNT grad Ed Soph on drums. Soph has toured with Stan Kenton and Dizzy Gillespie among others, and is featured on Adams' 1996 release Jump Shot. Fellow former One O'Clock Bandmates Marvin Stamm (trumpet) and Chris Seiter (trombone) joined in this recording, as well as Warren Bernhardt, music director and keyboardist for Steely Dan.

Adams' music is lyrical yet soulful. The song selections on Jump Shot range from straight-ahead jazz and timeless ballads, to Pachelbel's "Canon in D," to "Kyrie," a 1st century Gregorian chant. On these two tracks the interplay between the musicians is reminiscent of the Modern Jazz Quartet. One is struck particularly by the lush tone Adams' achieves on the bass, as well as his virtuosic phrasing. His show is sure to be a high point of the Festival.

Jason Marsalis

Bearing a famous name can be a burden, especially for the youngest member of the family. But by all accounts drummer Jason Marsalis is living up to the high musical standards set by his older relations. "Look out for Jason," says brother Branford. "He's gonna be a monster."

From an early age the young drummer was surrounded by music. He played with trombonist brother Delfeayo at the World's Fair in 1984, when he was just seven years old, and has often backed up his father Ellis Marsalis over the years. Already he has amassed an impressive list of recording credits, including (besides the immediate family) Marcus Roberts, Marcus Printup and New Orleans patriarch Harold Battiste.

One might expect Jason to be imitative of his family's musical ideas, but what has struck listeners is the maturity and distinctiveness of his playing. "If there was one thing that was stressed in my family," he explains, "it was individuality. And it was stressed to the point where each of us have different personalities."

The youngest Marsalis has drawn from a number of influences. One of his earliest inspirations was Lenny White's drumming with Return To Forever. The complexities of the rhythms opened Marsalis' ears to so-called "fusion" music. "Finally it dawned on me that the stuff I had thought was fusion was from the '80s. I hadn't heard any of the '70s music." This prompted him to study earlier Chick Corea recordings, taking him ultimately back to Miles Davis. "What I'm doing with fusion now is listening to certain rhythms and concepts and trying to apply those things to my own writing...to take different grooves, melodies and themes from fusion and use them so it sounds like jazz."

Marsalis has also studied the masters, drummers like Max Roach, Alan Dawson and Elvin Jones, and influential New Orleans natives James Black and Ed Blackwell. The sheer variety of influences and Jason Marsalis' rising recognition as a creative and adaptive innovator are good signs that we're in for a memorable performance.

Ray Barretto

The appearance of Ray Barretto at the Austin Jazz & Arts Festival is a major coup for Austin. The legendary percussionist embodies the heart of both modern salsa and Latin jazz. His performance and recording credits (over 1,000 studio dates!) read as a Who's Who in modern jazz.

Born in Brooklyn, Barretto grew up in Harlem and the Bronx, becoming steeped in the big band and bebop styles. After a stint in the army, Barretto became a regular player in New York nightclubs, sitting in with Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Charlie Parker and others. "That kind of schooling was essential for where I am today," he explains.

In 1957 Barretto replaced Mongo Santamaria in Tito Puente's big band. In following years he became the percussionist of choice for jazz artists like Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Jack McDuff, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kenny Burrell and Lou Donaldson. He formed the Ray Barretto Orchestra in 1962, moving gradually from strict Latin dance music to more experimental Latin jazz, finally forming his current group New World Spirit in 1992.

Barretto's 1998 release Contact! has achieved both critical and popular support in the United States, Europe, and in Puerto Rico, where he was honored at the 1997 Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fesitival. "They felt strongly about doing something for someone who has roots there," Barretto recalls.

In his own words, Barretto's purpose is to bring Latin and jazz influences together in a sound that "represents jazz at the highest level possible." The music will be an intense blending of great jazz improvisation and Afro-Latin rhythms. In his life and music Ray Barretto exemplifies the strength and diversity of American culture, both North and South. His message is in his music, and on June 14 he'll be bringing it to Austin. Don't miss it!