The Hyde Park Jazz Festival reached new heights in 2023
The festival’s bustling constellation of world-class music included a greater diversity of styles than ever before.
October 2, 2023
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is one of the best-programmed events of its kind anywhere, thanks to the resilient and resourceful people, many of them volunteers, who organize and coordinate it. It’s also one of the most frustrating, because there’s so much good stuff to see that schedule clashes are inevitable—especially on Saturday, when 31 presentations competed for attention between lunch and the wee hours. Even though I’d contributed photographs to the celebratory presentation Velvet Lounge 40 Years Later: A Legacy of Place, I couldn’t make it to the Logan Center Screening Room to catch the panel.
All the zigzagging around the neighborhood fosters interactions among festivalgoers, though, whether you’re strolling along on the Midway, hunting among ivy-festooned university buildings for the quickest route to the next bank, church, or museum that’s doubling as a venue, gathering in the vestibule of the Logan Center, or riding a packed elevator to its ninth-floor penthouse. You’ll often hear a snippet of commentary in passing: “Did you catch Silvia Bolognesi? For my money, the best set of the fest so far!” (Much of the festival’s on-site revenue comes from donations from attendees.) Or “Did you see Pedrito Martinez? He was killing it!”
Excited exchanges between aficionados and scholars of jazz complement the laid-back enjoyment of the general public, who might just happen by while dog walking or getting a snack at an outdoor concession. A significant fraction of the local populace is hip to the music by now, with the HPJF in its 17th year, but Kate Dumbleton, the festival’s artistic executive director, keeps the bookings resolutely ahead of the curve—there are always surprises and unfamiliar names, often artists on the rise or from out of state or overseas.
“We had more musicians traveling than ever before, and the logistics for so many large projects really challenged our capacity. But we were really happy with the results,” said Dumbleton. “We are always looking to improve the community and musician experience. We tried some new things, like an artist hospitality tent on the Midway with drinks and snacks, upgraded buses for getting around the festival . . . we were so happy to have great weather and no travel problems.”
Sam Lewis, cofounder of Elastic Arts and director of engagement and artist programs for the festival, enjoyed a double celebration, even though he was working. “I thought it was the best festival I have witnessed from a curatorial standpoint. The performances were spectacular,” he said. “Having the festival begin on my birthday was special to me. But it was also John Coltrane’s birthday, so the fest turned into a celebration of Coltrane’s music from many performers.”