Opening Night a Sell-out for Jazz Festival

Despite the rain, and the lingering question of whether anyone still had the juice for jazz after the last year of turmoil, the show must go on.

And it did. A possibly oversold -- missing the two front rows, according to seat-counters -- was packed, but no one seemed to mind. First Noam Lemish and his accompanists brought a "Bhutan vibe" into the music, surprising first-timers to his music but confirming his status among the cognoscenti.

"I thought he was very impressive," Healdsburg resident Martha Nezgoda said of Lemish, who is a Windsor resident. "I think we're seeing someone who someday will be very impressive in the jazz world."

Sam Salmon, a Windsor City Councilman, said he thought Lemish's set -- done with three of his musician friends on bass, sax and drums  -- was "terrific," he said.

"It was local, very sweet and original," Salmon said.

Dennis Abbe, volunteer ticket manager for the festival's Opening Night, said close to all the 447 seats at the Raven were sold. Online tickets were still being purchased up to 7 p.m. Friday and some walk-ins arrived just before the 8 p.m. curtain time, he said.

Over intermission, it was like a class reunion, festival veterans greeting one another after a full year of frustration, reunited by the music and the venue.

Then , introduced and Julian Lage, two jazz first-chair instrumentalists with Healdsburg connection.

First together then as soloists, they played the level of music that makes the l what it is, a one-of-a-kind celebration of the art of jazz.

"I thought it was sublime," said Michael Coyle of Healdsburg of Hersch and Lage's set. "There was an ethereal connection between the two of them that went far beyond collaboration -- something deeper."

Hersch told the audience it was only the second time the two had played together, but, he said, "I think we're going to keep this going," nodding at Lage.

Lage said he was equally impressed with Hersch, telling the audience, "I have the best seat in the house being up here -- sorry, Gold Circle [premium seat] members."

Aaron Rosewater, co-owner of Levin & Co. bookstore on Center Street in Healdsburg, said he was amazed by the partnership between Hersch and Lage.

"My dream would be for them to make a CD together," Rosewater said.

"To be able to feed off each other nonstop, the way they did, was incredible," Rosewater added. "One would come up with an idea and the other would pick it up and go with it."

It's why we keep coming back year after year, grateful to find the jazz festival is still in town.