Congo Square Stirs Crowd

Shauna Farnell

Wynton Marsalis, right, and a member of Odadaa, left, get their groove on.

A packed Ford Amphitheater sat spellbound on June 24 in the harmonious contrast of jazz and tribal rhythms as Wynton Marsalis' orchestra and Ghanaian percussion master Yacub Addy's ensemble, Odadaa, melded forces.

The performance kicked off the Bravo! Vail Music Festival's 20th season in unconventional fashion. On one side of the stage was the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in deep concentration with intricate direction from Marsalis, who would occasionally sneak into the back row and take up the trumpet. On the other side was Addy with Odadaa floating and grooving in brightly colored African robes calling out choruses and thumping out lightening fast beats on bongos and earthy chimes.

Marsalis and Addy co-wrote the performance, called Congo Square after the district in New Orleans where African musicians were known to gather and perform for themselves and passer-bys in the late 1700s.

When the two sounds - the polished jazz and the raw percussion- met in monumental moments of harmonious fusion, the audience broke out in applause mid-song throughout the show.

Such is magic of sound at the Bravo! Music Festival. For other recommended performances, check out our Bravo! highlight preview package here.