REVIEW: A Different Side of Jazz Fest
06/27—06/28 @ SPAC, Saratoga Springs
“I arrived expecting the music to be the story, but left realizing the music is only part of it.”
I walked into Jazz Fest at SPAC anticipating reviewing the music. After all, that’s what draws the crowd there. But while the performances were engaging, my curiosity was drawn to another form of artistry: the vendors.
The music creates an artistic environment. Jazz brings people in, but the vendors transform the event beyond just a concert. Whether it was a painter, a jeweler, or a clothing designer, they added to the immersive, cultural experience of Jazz Fest.
As music played from all directions, I made my way to each vendor, listening to the owners’ stories. There had to have been 50 of them.
I started at the tent belonging to Toucan Hats. There were hundreds of beautiful, handmade hats with designs I’ve never encountered before. Each was stitched uniquely, they couldn’t possibly be mass-produced. Some featured bright colors and big flowers, others had subtle dragonflies stitched into the fabric. After observing every color and pattern, and talking with owner Carole Amper, I came to an epiphany — this is talent, too.
“You have psychic readers, you have rum cakes, you have art, so I think it's all about the creativity, right?” says Frankie Flores, a local artist who had his tent filled with paintings. He’s been attending Jazz Fest for 18 years, after moving to Saratoga from New Orleans. “We're all different.”
People crowded the tents. There was hardly time to converse with the owners before a line formed behind me. The soft jazz added just enough motivation to continue on such a hot day.
I wandered to Erica Kirkland’s setup. She owns Nohemm, where she handmakes dresses out of African fabrics. She told me to stand back and notice which pattern calls to me, and then read the description that it carries. So, I did. I got the “wounded healer.” That’s the lesson meant for you, she told me. I believed her.
Mike and Joanne Jacobs of Joanne Flatow-Jacobs Fine Art were selling pastel prints. “There’s a subculture of us,” Mike explained about the local businesses selling. He recently convinced his wife that she’s talented enough to sell her pastel pieces. She certainly is — so much so that I had to buy a print of a colorful pond with swans.
A lot of the vendors are recurring sellers at the festival. Nearly everyone emphasized how they love the event, and how sweet the customers are. It made sense. The music cultivates such a welcoming atmosphere for art of all kinds. Each business reflected the personality of the person behind it. So much passion and creativity — just as much as there is behind the jazz.
Ceramicist Christina Fuller is one such artist. It was only her second year at Jazz Fest. Her tent had pastel painted, handmade bowls, magnets, mugs, and more. She was informing me about the long process of creating objects out of clay. I could see the passion in her eyes talking about it, despite still having to convince her husband that she can turn it into a business. She laughed.
I stumbled across Shawn Deryder’s tent, Sweeping Feather Flutes. After observing his handmade Native American-style flutes that he uses for sound healing therapy, he explained that the vendors “bring their unique gifts and crafts, and bring a sense of community feel to the vibe of the festival.”
While it’s normal to acknowledge the music, these local businesses clearly contribute just as much to the festival's success. Just like the jazz that filled the SPAC grounds, the vendors offer styles or stories you can’t replicate, either.
“I think [vendors] help shape the festival because of the uniqueness of the products, the creativity. Jazz is art — this is all art,” Ritah Nakandi said, gesturing at her diverse collection of items. She runs Afri-Root Collective, where she goes to Uganda and teaches African women to craft objects using sustainable materials, like tree bark. “All these things are unique. You can’t find them in the stores. I work with these women. It's me who brings all these products into the U.S., just me.”
I arrived expecting the music to be the story, but left realizing the music is only part of it. Jazz Fest is a truly immersive artistic experience. Once you realize that art isn’t one-dimensional, you open your eyes to see it everywhere.