I recently had the good fortune to attend the Rosslyn Jazz Festival on a perfect, sunny day with good friends. We found a shady spot under a tree, set up our beach chairs, grabbed a beer and waited for the music.

It opened with the Kenny Rittenhouse Septet, a regional favorite. They were tight and crisp and I enjoyed their energy. They played a set of contemporary jazz arrangements of standards tunes like “The Work Song.”

Kenny Rittenhouse Septet

The Soul Rebels, a funk/soul/jazz/rock/hip-hop brass band from New Orleans, followed later with a non-stop, bootie-shaking tsunami of tunes with colorful references to the music of Michael Jackson, Daft Punk…and Hannah Montana (if you can believe that), a.k.a. Miley Cyrus before she started messing around with the mouse.

The Soul Rebels

The day ended with Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band, with James Carter on Sax. They shook up the park with their saucy version of Coltrane and by the end of the set, had everyone on their feet. James Carter was full of notes, from top to bottom. Fun times.

Poncho Sanchez

Not only did I hear some great music, I was finally able to SEE great music with my new glasses!

Seeing Jazz