Dodging a bullet in what could have been a risky proposition, Tri-C (a.k.a Cuyahoga Cumminity College) debuted its’ all-inclusive potpourri of musical styles billed as MusicFest this past weekend with a good degree of success.  Despite a weather forecast that threatened rain at a probability of 70% or better, both days saw not a drop of precipitation.  And notwithstanding limited media promotion and a solid weekend of Cleveland Indians action at Jacobs Field, nearly 10,000 folks passed through the event each day.  The setting couldn’t have been more perfect, with a nice mixture of food vendors and more than enough room for folks to spread out a blanket or unfold a chair or two.   

On the other hand, organizers might have been a bit optimistic in leaving just fifteen minutes of downtime between acts, with most of the set changes lasting anywhere from a half hour to forty minutes.  An obvious disparity in sound quality from act to act was most noticeable during “Jazz Meets Hip Hop” where it was hard to tell that Glenn Holmes was actually playing an acoustic bass.  Of course, it didn’t help that fortified decibel levels for most of Friday evening reached a deafening pitch at times.          

Amidst the rock, funk and hip hop sounds, jazz figured prominently throughout the weekend.  Bassist Stanley Clarke worked a crowd of dedicated fans, although his younger band mates gave him a run for his money on more than one occasion, particularly violinist MadsTolling and frenetic drummer Ron Bruner, Jr.  Although the teenage horde that pressed to the front of the stage seemed to revel at their every move, Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood offered a meandering set that was spiced with equal amounts of inspiration and monotony.  Saturday afternoon found the crowd a bit on the sparse side, but that didn’t prevent saxophonist Lisa Parrot from turning in a prickly and cutting edge set benefiting from the able assistance of bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Gerald Cleaver.  Vibist Stefon Harris also hit the mark with a hybrid steeped in the jazz tradition, solidified with funk and other modern strains.

The question remains as to how well the festival managed to inspire a cross fertilization among the various crowds, however it was an effort worth trying and one can only hope that this free event becomes a summer regular in Cleveland.