Trying to catch all the hot spots on the first night of the second annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival (DEJF), this listener was hurrying to get to one of the more illustrious U Street jazz clubs when he was stopped by a big bold sound on saxophone.

Instead of going where I intended, I had to detour and spend some time at Café Nema, catching the sounds of saxophonist Tedd Baker for awhile.

And that was the best thing about DEJF 2006. Like many festivals, while sampling the legendary heroes we all know, you inevitably come across some younger or lesser-known players who deserve more attention. Baker was one of those players during DEFF week in early October. Others were baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall, pianist Noble Jolley, his brother, drummer Nathan Jolley, vocalist Roberta Gambarini, percussionist Luciano Souza and trumpeter Michael Philip Mossman, among others.

So DEJF 2006 was certainly the glittery gala with stars Paquito D’Rivera, Roy Haynes, Randy Weston, Roy Hargrove, Billy Taylor, Geri Allen, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb and Poncho Sanchez entertaining audiences featuring city officials and diplomats and deep-pocketed sponsors at impressive venues like the Inter American Development Bank, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Theatre and Willard InterContinental Hotel.

But DEJF 2006 was much more with Baker showing his ferocious, mainlining bop deliveries at Café Nema; Marshall blowing bluesy, gutsy licks at Twins Jazz; and the Jolley brothers headlining an explosive set at Busboys and Poets, just to name a few highlights.

Brought to us by Executive Producer Charlie Fishman, former manager of Dizzy Gillespie, the festival was again a true honor to Duke Ellington’s legacy. This year’s festival, with major sponsor the District of Columbia government kicking in $300,000, cost about $1 million to produce, according to Fishman, and he estimates that after all costs are calculated, the festival might end up with a small deficit. Fishman says, “We're very grateful to our sponsors, all of whom, collectively made it possible to present the festival, but we need to attract more  sponsors,” for next year’s festival and for the long-term. 

But with a more diverse offering than last year’s festival, DEJF was well worth it for music lovers.

It began with the “Viva Las Americas” opening night gala at the InterAmerican Development Bank featuring D’Rivera, the hall of fame Cuban native who led various groups that night on his saxophone and clarinet, playing Latin-inspired jazz with special guests Hargrove on trumpet, Roberta Gambarini, a dynamic vocalist, and the Na’Rimbo Mariachi Band.

During the five-day festival there were many high points – but also a couple of low points. The Stephanie Jordan show at THEARC in Anacostia was canceled due to technical difficulties, and the free concert on the mall planned for Saturday the 7th didn’t happen due to inclement weather. It was a last minute cancellation, with the music moved to the Lincoln Theatre over a two-day period, and an admission was charged. Due mainly to the late notice, indicated Fishman, attendance at the Lincoln the final two days was not as great as organizers would have liked for artists like John Scofield, Mavis Staples, Nasar Abadey and Hargrove.

But despite some empty seats at events where the music was hot, such as the concert by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, which performed Ellington's arrangement of "The Nutcracker Suite" and other Ellington favorites, it was a rich week of music and special events. Besides the concerts, there were master classes featuring Haynes, Weston and Hargrove as well as free student-concerts. There were special commissioned programs, including an African tribute to Ellington arranged by South African bassist/arranger/composer Victor Masondo and vocalist Thembi Mtshali-Jones.

There was the Larry Willis-Allyn Johnson piano duel at Twins Jazz one night that kept a full house in rapt attention at the artists answering each other with creative spirals of pianistic melodicism in a truly mesmerizing performance.

There was Hargrove’s group at the Lincoln – yes, Hargrove was everywhere -- featuring Ronnie Matthews on piano, dazzling a few hundred fans. Hargrove’s smooth, silvery trumpet sounds often shifted into high-octane fire, with Matthews’ lyrical charm underneath on piano, Montez Coleman’s crackling drums and Duane Burno’s work on bass providing more than ample support.

Young lion Marshall, a DC native raised in Maryland, plays a compelling sax that belies his 23-years-of-age. And then there were the Jolleys, sons of noted guitarist, educator and composer Noble Jolley Sr., former director of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts jazz band.

At the nouveau cross-culture Busboys and Poets on 14th Street, NW, one night in front of a large, appreciative crowd, Noble Jolley on piano and brother Nathan on drums, with veteran Herman Burney on bass, were proving the heritage is very much pushing well into future generations. With Noble’s always inventive, lyrically intense lines on piano, and his brother providing his innovative explosions on drums, a more happening young jazz combo would be hard to find with their work on tunes like the traditional “Oleo” as well as Noble Jolley’s original “Moment of Truth.”

November birthdays: Lou Donaldson, Roger Kellaway 1; Phil Woods 2; Henry Grimes, Billy Mitchell 3; Arturo Sandoval 6; Chris Connor 8; Mezz Mezzrow 9; Hubert Laws 10; Ernestine Anderson 11; Buck Clayton, Sam Jones 12; Hampton Hawes, Idris Muhammed 13; Ellis Marsalis 14; W.C. Handy, Eddie Condon 16; Roswell Rudd 17; Sheila Jordan, Don Cherry 18; Tommy Dorsey 19; June Christy 20; Coleman Hawkins 21; Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy Knepper 22; Tyree Glenn 23; Teddy Wilson, Serge Chaloff 24; Paul Desmond, Etta Jones, Nat Adderley 25; Randy Brecker 27; Gato Barbieri 28; Billy Strayhorn 29.