By TOM BOWSER
NOTE: If you plan to attend a Juan Pastor Chinchano performance, be sure to arrive early. The venue was filled to capacity, with people standing along the sides the day we saw them.
It was day three of the Chicago Jazz Festival at the Jazz and Heritage Pavilion, North Promenade. As our exploration of the 2015 Chicago Jazz Festival continues, my wife and I saw Juan Pastor perform with the James Davis band Beveled. Juan Pastor's performance with Beveled demonstrated his talent as a musician. We decided we needed to see him perform in his element as a drummer and percussionist playing Latin-influenced jazz.
Juan Pastor is an entertainer as well as a good musician. His enthusiasm for making music propelled the band and enthralled the audience. The band was tight and well- rehearsed. I liked the interaction between Patrick Mulcahy on double bass and Stu Mindeman on piano. Stu Mindeman's piano playing was perfect to round out Chinchano's sound.
I was impressed by Marquis Hill's versatility. He appeared to easily adapt his playing style to Latin-influenced music. This was the fourth different group Marquis had played in by this point in the 2015 Chicago Jazz Festival. Marquis Hill and Rich Moore played wonderfully together. I sensed a healthy competition between Marquis and Rich, with one musician driving, pushing the other. Rich Moore's sax playing was tasteful and compelling.
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The Band:
- Juan Pastor - Drums and Percussion
- Patrick Mulcahy - Double bass
- Rich Moore - Alto Saxophone
- Marquis Hill - Trumpet
- Stu Mindeman - Piano
The technicians who work behind the scenes to make any live music event happen, rarely get the credit they deserve. Mixing live sound is a challenging job. The sound company did a good job producing a quality mix at a comfortable sound level. Nice work, guys!
The Chicago Jazz Festival is one of the largest, high quality, FREE jazz festivals in the United States.