Review: BRIC JazzFest 2023 Opens in Brooklyn

Last night marked the official start of BRIC JazzFest in Brooklyn. The weekend-long event is now in its 9th year and runs from October 19-21 showcasing a wide variety of musicians on two separate stages. 

This year, the festival combined both jazz and Hip-Hop, showcasing a lineup that came from artist Melanie Charles along with Winter Jazzfest founder Brice Rosenbloom and BRIC Producer Viviana Benitez.

Last night kicked things off and did not disappoint. It started off early, around 6:15 pm for a panel discussion dived into how Jazz and Hip-Hop collide, featuring Charles, Marcus J. Moore (The New York Times), Timmhotep Aku (NPR Music), and Wes Jackson (BRIC President).

Isaiah Collier was the first to perform live on stage in the Gallery where he started promptly at 7:15 pm and amazed his audience with his rendition of “My Favorite Things,” playing the saxophone while integrating two tambourines and a megaphone. 

In the Ballroom, Melanie Charles and Orrin Evans charmed the crowd with an intimate experience. The duo worked together harmonically, with Evans on the piano and Charles at the mic, giving us that smooth lounge vibe and taking us through songs, such as “What's Wrong with Groovin,'” “There is no Greater Love,” “The Lamp is Low,” and “Fade Away,” a song from Evans' Luvpark Album. 

Immediately following, Panikkar Rosner and Leigh were on the Gallery stage with their band performing upbeat duets before Alexa Tarantino and Terrace Martin also came out to perform. 

While all acts were impressive, the standout of the night had to be Endea Owens and the Cookout band. They performed in the Ballroom to a packed space with people who were not afraid to get up and dance, with some even doing the electric slide after getting the OK from Owens herself. Most of the songs played were from her new album, Feel Good Music and the music made you feel good for sure. The Grammy Award-winner bassist did not hold back on her skills as she killed it. The opening number, which is titled after her album, wowed us as she performed solo before the band came in. When you looked around the room, you saw everyone bopping their heads and smiling, clearly entranced by the talent on stage and Owens' electric charm. At one point in the evening, she chuckled to the crowd about how she was her favorite composer but stressed the importance of believing in yourself. “Life is too short to be angry.” 

For more information on BRIC JazzFest and tickets to the upcoming performances, please visit the official website: https://bricartsmedia.org/ 

Photo credit: Julia Drummond

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