It was the smallest crowd I've seen this year at Harro, but it wasn't anywhere close to empty Thursday night at the Pablo Menendez and Mezcla show. There were still prime seats to be had, including in the first and second rows and some throughout. Garth Fagan et al was in attendance. Man, can that trumpet player (Mayquel) blow! Even when he was in the background my ears were drawn to him. I was really enjoying the music (even though I couldn't understand Menendez's Spanish), but a few people left after every song, including the first.

The band brought a bass player from Greece (not Greece, New York) -- Panagiotis Andreou (thanks, Jean!) -- and they teased us by beginning with a gypsy-type tune. He played in a very interesting plucking manner and sang scat -- or was it a foreign language I don't know? I don't think so... The song ended with a flamenco feel.

Menendez told a story about Irving Berlin discovering Cuban music, and the band broke into one of his tunes, a surprising mix of showtune and parade-type music.

Did you know it was illegal for Americans to go to Cuba? I didn't. Gone are the days of drinking with Hemingway.

The band performed a 500-year-old African song, recreated by memory, featuring master percussionist Octavio Rodriguez. Beginning airy and light, it then turned strong and powerful, ending in a clap-along. It was rousing, although I'm pretty sure not many of us understood the words.

A Cuban Viking song (Cuban Viking!) began so crystal clear, like an icicle, with Menendez's guitar sounding like a flute, although the actual flute didn't come in until later. The mood quickly changed to feeling like a huge, dark iceberg was hurtling toward us. And people kept filing out.

I hit the Big Tent for some Nils Landgren, but truthfully, after seven days, one funk band starts to sound just like another. Nothing against the band, it's just a side effect of the amount of music a person takes in over the course of the Jazz Fest. And with this much good music you begin to appreciate how some bands stick out because they have a certain something extra.

I headed over to Abilene's little tent to catch the Bottle Rockets. I loved the band. Really loved them. But the sound was way too loud, even with my earplugs. Lots of people filed out for the same reason. They loved the band, but they loved their hearing more. I found standing outside on the sidewalk worked for me.

Then I got called to an impromptu show of Tommy Brunett and band at Nathaniel's and it was just damned good fun. Teressa Wilcox backed him up, which is strange as she's really an amazing frontrunner. Way fun.

Sidenotes: For a cool collection of Jazz Fest passes, check out Paul Dodd's set here. Clicking on them will give you info on some of the shows he's seen over the years. Photographing the passes is a great idea, but now I'm thinking of turning them into refrigerator magnets.

Next on my Jazz Fest menu is Bryan Lee & the Blue Power Band. And hopefully a little Booker T.