This is The Festival Roundup as printed in our March 2017 issue, the most recent Roundup can be found under Events in our menu.
JAZZ BASH BY THE BAY FESTIVAL. (Monterey, Calif.) – March 2-5.
Born in 1980 at the Monterey County Fair, Dixieland Monterey was fathered by the founders of the Monterey Bay Hot Jazz Society (now the Monterey Hot Jazz Society). Encouraged by its initial presentation, the society staged the festival again in 1982, and it has been going great guns every year since. As it celebrates its 37th season, the Jazz Bash is headquartered at the Monterey Conference Center & Portola Hotel & Spa, about a block east of Fisherman’s Wharf, where diners can relax to the soothing rhythm of the ocean waves. Performances will also be staged at the Golden State Theatre. Festival founder John Keller appreciates this Pacific Coast location. “Who can resist the beauty of the Monterey waterfront?” he asks. “But the real reason people return each year is because they love the music. Dixieland Monterey offers them the opportunity to experience live jazz performed by some of the world’s most talented musicians.”
What began as a one-time supplement to the County Fair has evolved into an annual event with live acts in intimate venues, a talented selection of youth bands and a program that includes big band music along with traditional jazz, zydeco, swing, Gypsy swing, blues and ragtime. The featured Bands are: Blues Street Jazz Band, Big Mama Sue Trio, Crescent Katz, Ellis Island Boys, Tom Rigney and Flambeau, High Sierra Jazz Band, Ivory & Gold, Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, Carl Sonny Leyland Trio, Titan Hot Seven Jazz Band, and Yve Evans Trio. Guest Artists: Jeff Barnhart, Danny Coots, Bob Draga, Eddie Erickson, Brian Holland, and Gary Ryan. You can plan on several dual piano sets. Musician of the Year is Sherri Colby.
The 37th annual Jazz Bash by the Bay will begin with pre-festival events on Thursday night March 2nd with a We 3 concert ($30.00) or a dance party ($25.00) or combine them both for $50.00. The We 3 event is limited to space available so get your tickets early. The first Festival event will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday and continue until 10:00 p.m. The Conference Center is still not complete but festival organizers have rented the Golden State Theatre, which is a renovated 1900 theater with a thousand very comfortable seats, only a short block and a half from the hotel.
All-event badges cost $105; daily ticket prices range from $45 to $60 and tickets for individual events runs from $25 to $50. We also offer a Patron Package for all three days with reserved seating (first 10 minutes of each set) and a Saturday Brunch. High-school students and children are admitted free with an adult. Special rates for groups of 10 or more, active duty military and college students; info@jazzbashmonterey.com; (831) 647-4426; or (831) 754-8786; or (888) 349-6879. For the most up-to-date information or to order tickets please visit jazzbashmonterey.com.
TRIBUTE TO BIX FEST. (Racine, Wisc.) – March 9-12.
Legendary cornetist Bix Beiderbecke is remembered at this 28th annual fest staged at the Architect Conference Center & Hotel (formerly the Marriott), 7111 Washington Ave., Highway 20, in Racine. Known as the Invention City, Racine is located at the mouth of the Root River, halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. The brainchild of festival Director Phil Pospychala, the Tribute to Bix Fest offers several unique events including the Annual Bus Tour to Hell, rare films, historical fun lectures,_a 1920s Galaxie Girls chorus line, two days of new/used 78/LP/CD record sales with 50 dealer tables, all-night 78 spinning, late-night jam sessions and lobby cartwheels with the famous Schmooze Gals. “We’re proud to be out of tune with the times,” Phil says. “Good luck to all from Rexall!” Bands include Tuba Skinny featuring Erika Lewis and Shaye Cohn, the Honky Tonk Gang from Germany and Austria and Ralph Norton’s Varsity Ramblers with Tom Bartlett, Andy Schumm, and Steve Torrico.
Patron with bus tour plus all events, $100; patron minus bus tour, otherwise all-events, $85; bus tour only, $30; Saturday night concerts, $25; Sunday afternoon concerts, $20; lectures, films, record sales, $5/admission; free admission to after-hours jam sessions; bixfest.com; (847) 996-0246; bixguy@hotmail.com.
SOUTH COAST CLAMBAKE JAZZ FESTIVAL (North Bend, Ore.) – March 10-12.
Since 1988 jazz fans have flocked to southwestern Oregon to attend the annual South Coast Clambake Festival now staged at the Mill Casino, in North Bend. The bands play at four different venues – the Salmon Room, Hazel Room, Cedar Room and Saw Blade – within the hotel owned and operated by the Coquille Indian Tribe. Located on Highway 101, the venue overlooks lovely Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters the big bay. Volunteers from the Bay Area Traditional Society for Jazz (“B.A.T.S for Jazz”) continue to keep the flame burning for Dixieland jazz. This year’s clambake serves a hot mix of traditional jazz, swing, doo-wop, blues, big band and zydeco. Performers will include the Barn Door Slammers, guitarist Lisa Mann, Jacob Miller & The Bridge City Crooners, the Phat Cat Swingers, and others TBA.
All-event badges can be purchased for $75 before March 1, and $85 after that; prices for daily badges range from $16.42 to $53.34. For info, call (541) 267-7665; email clambakejazz@gmail.com; or write to P.O Box 374, North Bend, Ore. 97459; or visit clambakejazz.com.
CONGO SQUARE NEW WORLD RHYTHMS FESTIVAL. (New Orleans, La.) – March 18-19.
In the years before emancipation, slave owners in New Orleans granted their workers a day off on Sundays. The slaves would gather in a place known as Congo Square to sing, dance and play drums in keeping with their African heritage. From these hypnotic tribal rhythms and other strains of music that filtered into New Orleans in the late 1800s evolved the musical art form now known as jazz. The 10th annual Congo Square Festival will be staged for free from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, March 18-19, in Louis Armstrong Park, 701 N. Rampart St., in old New Orleans. Performers include the Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band, Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, the reunited Chocolate Milk, singer Erica Falls and DJ Soul Sister.* Admission is free, but donations will be accepted; (504) 558-6100; jazzandheritage.org/congo-square; (504) 410-4100.
MARDI GRAS INDIANS SUPER SUNDAY. (New Orleans, La.) – March 19.
To most Americans, “Super Sunday” connotates the day on which the NFL Super Bowl is played. In old New Orleans, however, Super Sunday has a different, totally unrelated meaning, a day for the city’s Mardi Gras Indian tribes to don their colorful suits and strut their stuff while marching through the streets of their neighborhoods. In keeping with traditions that date back to the 19th century, Super Sunday New Orleans-style takes place on the Sunday closest to St. Joseph’s Day (March 19). During their processions, the participating Mardi Gras Indian tribes led by their Big Chiefs try to outdo the others in a friendly competition of dances, chants and other rituals.
The largest and most popular of the Super Sunday festivities is the procession staged by the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council in the Central City neighborhood, originating at A.L. Davis Park (Washington Avenue and LaSalle Street). Also on that day, the Tambourine and Fan organization stages its traditional annual Super Sunday parade at Bayou St. John and Orleans Avenue in the Mid-City neighborhood, and there are related festivities at the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the Treme neighborhood.
All Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian outdoor gatherings and processions are free and open to the public; presented by The New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council founded by Bertrand Butler; (504) 248-0724 mardigrasneworleans.com/supersunday; mardigrasindiancouncil.org/.
DURANGO RAGTIME AND EARLY JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Durango, Colo.) – March 24-26.
What better place for a Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival than in the heart of the Old West where the cowboys still amble about, saloon girls melt hearts and the uplifting music can be heard playing out onto the streets of this old mining town—Durango, Colorado—known as one of the most scenic places in the world. For three days, the historic Strater Hotel will be filled with the sound of old ragtime tunes and early jazz by an assorted group of entertainers—from young to seasoned, from spirited to swanky, TBA. The 5th Annual Durango Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival also offers silent film comedies, dance lessons, after-hours parties and a Farewell Sunday Brunch in the_hotel’s Diamond Belle Saloon. Festival music director is pianist Alan Swanson.
Festival pass for two costs $185; festival pass for one costs $99; day tickets cost $45; individual concert ticket prices cost $20/afternoon, $25/evening; reduced rates for students; silent movie admission costs $8; prices remain subject to change prior to purchase; (970) 375-7160; durangoragtimefestival.com; Strater Hotel: (800) 247-4431.
RIVERSIDE JAZZ PARTY. (Boise, Idaho.) – March 24-26.
For the second year in a row, this classy jazz bash presented by the Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival will be staged at the amazing Sapphire Room at the Riverside Hotel, 2900 W. Chinden Blvd., in Boise, Idaho, from March 24 to 26, 2017. The hotel is on the riverwalk on the banks of the Boise River and minutes from Payette Brewing Company and close to Idaho State Capitol Building. This family-friendly hotel is near Kathryn Albertson Park and Ann Morrison Park. The party’s entertainment lineup includes Tom Hook, Bill Allred, Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erikson, Jason Wanner, Rob Verdi, Sam Rocha, Charlie Bertini, Ed Metz Jr., Greg Varlotta, Bobby Durham, Jim Lawlor, and Nate Ketner.
General admission tickets cost $125; event is limited to 170 seats; sunvalleyjazz.com/riverside-jazz-party/; (877) 478-5277.
THE PEE WEE RUSSELL MEMORIAL STOMP. (Whippany, N.J.) March 26.
The 48th annual day-long tribute to the Oklahoma-bred clarinetist (1906-1969) who spanned eras from Dixieland to swing to bebop is staged by the New Jersey Jazz Society at The Birchwood Manor, 111 N. Jefferson Road, located off Route 10 in Whippany, N.J. Stomp attendees will dance and dine at the Birchwood’s cash bar and buffet, from noon to 5 p.m. The hot and heavy quadruple bill features the Midiri Brothers Quintet, the Peter and Will Anderson Quintet, Dan Levinson’s Russell of Spring Band, and Professor Cunningham and His Old School.
Tickets cost $35 in advance, $40 at the door, $10 for students with ID; book a table of 10 to 14 and get one free admission; njjs.org; (800) 833-3006.
REDWOOD COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL. (Eureka, Calif.) – March 30-April 2.
The Northern California city of Eureka sits amid towering redwood forests south of Arcata Bay, 275 miles north of San Francisco. Eureka’s atmospheric Old Town waterfront district stands adjacent to this festival’s six venues – The Red Lion Hotel, The Adorni Center, the Eureka Theater, The Sequoia Center, Morris Graves Museum and Eureka Municipal Auditorium. The 27th annual Redwood Coast Music Festival presents four days of traditional jazz, swing, rockabilly and zydeco, and two nights of blues. 2017 performers include Bob Draga & Friends, Jacob Miller & The Bridge City Crooners, Mona’s Hot Four, The Au Brothers, Le Jazz Hot, the Grand Street Stompers with Molly Ryan, Jonathan Stout and His Campus Five, Dave Bennett & The Memphis Speed Kings, the Kris Tokarski Quintet with Chloe Feoranzo, Sonny Leyland & Friends, Stompy Jones, Nathan James & The Rhythm Scratchers, Gator Nation, Cocuzzi and Coots Courtet, Dave Stuckey & The Hot House Gang, Two Tone Steiny & The Cadillacs, Gino & The Lone Gunman, Tom Rigney & Flambeau, and Michael Doucet. Blues artists include Duke Robillard, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats and the James Harman Band.
Ticket prices are TBA, but in 2016 all-event tickets cost $75, $25 for youth; blues package $40; and daily ticket prices ranged from $25 to $50; 523 Fifth St., Eureka, CA 95501; (707) 445-3378; admin@redwoodjazz.org; rcmfest.org.
11th ANNUAL CHARLES TEMPLETON RAGTIME AND JAZZ MUSIC FESTIVAL. (Starkville, Miss.) – March 30-April 1.
This ragtime romp is named after the Starkville, Miss. businessman who donated his extensive collection of sheet music, instruments, record players and memorabilia to Mississippi State University in the late-1980s. Charles H. Templeton particularly appreciated ragtime music, a genre that enjoyed its peak popularity between 1895 and 1918, right around the time Machine Gun Kelly was attending Mississippi State during World War I. Although this decade-old festival has academic roots—it’s hosted by the University Library and the Charles Templeton Sr. Music Museum as a means of enhancing research of early jazz—it showcases some of the world’s best ragtime and stride piano players. For 2017, Festival Artistic Director Jeff Barnhart, himself a terrifically talented pianist, will perform along with keyboardist Brian Holland and Dan Levinson’s Roof Garden Jass Band from NYC. Daytime events take place in the Templeton Music Museum, while evening concerts are staged at McComas Hall Auditorium.
All-event tickets cost $50; Friday only $30; Saturday only $30; individual concerts $10; and seniors receive a 20 percent discount; P.O. Box 5408, Mississippi State, MS 39762; (662) 325-6634; Lynda Graham, 662-325-6634, email: lgraham@library.msstate.edu; library.msstate.edu/ragtimefestival.
PENSACOLA JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Pensacola, Fla.) – April 1-2.
Now in its 34rd year, this free festival is staged April 1 and 2, at the historic Seville Square Gazebo in downtown Pensacola, in Florida’s western panhandle. Nicknamed “The City of Five Flags,” Pensacola is a seaport city located on Pensacola Bay protected by the barrier island of Santa Rosa. This year West Coast super-trumpeter Wayne Bergeron performs with the Gulf Coast Collegiate All-Star Jazz Band Saturday, April 1, and the Don Snowden Big Band Sunday, April 2; other performers include the Greg Abate Quintet, and Annie Sellick & The Hot Club of Nashville; from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, guitarist and music therapist Mike Potters hosts a Kids Jazz Jam with kazoos and harmonicas.* Admission is free; jazzpensacola.com; (850) 433-8382.
FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL (New Orleans, La.) – April 6-9.
Started as a neighborhood gathering more than three decades ago, the French Quarter Festival has since grown into “The World’s Largest Block Party” where visitors join locals to enjoy the best of Louisiana music, food and culture, all for free. Featuring more than 800 musicians on 20 stages, more than five dozen food-and-beverage vendors (all dishes are priced in the $3-$5 range), kid-friendly attractions, free tours of hidden French Quarter patios and gardens, a Pirate’s Alley art show, the world’s largest praline, and fireworks exploding over the Mississippi River. The 33rd annual French Quarter Festival will be staged over a half dozen blocks between Bourbon Street and the Mississippi Riverfront, there is no admission and fences do not enclose the site. Performers for 2017 are TBA, but last year’s headliners included vocalist Meschiya Lake, trumpeter Wendell Brunious, Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias, and brass bands such as the Hot 8 Brass Band and The Original Pinettes Brass Band.
More than 60 food and beverage booths will be scattered throughout the historic French Quarter. Admission is free; (504) 522-5730; fqfi.org/frenchquarterfest/.
JAZZAFFAIR 2017. (Three Rivers, Calif.) – April 7-9.
Inspired by its longtime hosts—The High Sierra Jazz Band—the Jazzaffair takes place annually in the Central California town of Three Rivers, nestled in the Kaweah River canyon just above Lake Kaweah, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Festival venues include the Lions Club, the Veterans Memorial Building and the St. Anthony Retreat. Free shuttle buses transport festival-goers from place to place, according to festival director Rusty Crain. Along with the High Sierra combo, performers for the 44th annual Jazzaffair will be Bob Draga, Tom Rigney, Cornet Chop Suey, Grand Dominion, The Stardust Cowboys, Kylie Castro, High Street, Carl Sonny Leyland, Shelley, Bill & Eddie, Titan Hot Seven, Jerry Krahn Quartet, and the Flip Oakes Quartet.
All-event three-day badge costs $95 if purchased on or before March 15 or $100 after March 15; children ages 13-90 three-day ticket $50; children ages 12 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by parent or guardian; April 6 Lions Recognition Dinner-concert $15. For info, write Jazzaffair, Box 712, 42490 Kaweah River Drive, Three Rivers, CA 93271; call (559) 561-4549; email jbarc@thegrid.net; or visit sierratraditionaljazzclub.com/jazzaffair/index.php.
OAKHURST RAGTIME FESTIVAL. (Oakhurst, Calif.) April 21-23.
Before 1912, the Central California town of Oakhurst was known as Fresno Flats. Before 1912, jazz was known as ragtime. This humble celebration of ragtime piano playing is staged at the Oakhurst Community Center, 39800 Road 425-B, south of China Creek and just north of Oakhurst Mobile Home Estates. Oakhurst is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, 14 miles south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park. This year’s performers are Tom Brier, Larisa Migachyov, Jack and Chris Bradshaw, John Reed Torres, and 17-year-old prodigy Diego Bustamante, who plays an ice-cream social concert Saturday afternoon. A donation-only finale will be staged at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Oakhurst Lutheran Church, 39255 Black Road.
Weekend passes cost $40; individual concerts tickets range from $6 to $24; RVs can be parked at the Community Center for $15 nightly; facebook.com/oakhurstragtimefestival; (559) 683-7860 or (559) 683 6570;
ZEHNDER’S RAGTIME FESTIVAL. (Frankenmuth, Mich.) – April 26-29.
Zehnder’s 23rd Annual Ragtime Festival featuring the pride of Michigan, pianist Bob Milne, will be staged at Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, 730 S. Main St., in the colorful city nicknamed Little Bavaria. Also called “Muth” for short, the city is located in Saginaw County, in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, about 22 miles south of Lake Huron. Events include dinner concert on Wednesday, lunch concerts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Vaudeville Night Thursday, a Friday-night picnic and a grand finale dinner concert on Saturday. By the way, Zehnder’s serves a world-famous chicken dinners along with tantalizing breads and pastries. Performers for 2017 tentatively include homeboy Bob Milne along with Jeff Barnhart, Dave Majchrzak, Bob Seeley, Fred “Mickey” Finn, Cathy Reilly, and Dan Souvigny.
Ticket prices for individual events range from $25 to $55. Reservations are required for lunch, brunch and all dinner concerts. For more info or reservations call (800) 863-7999, ext. 450; or visit zehnders.com.
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL. (New Orleans, La.) – April 28 – May 7.
One of America’s singular celebrations, this multi-faceted festival presents music between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the last weekend of April and first weekend of May, at a dozen different stages all over the Fair Grounds Race Course, in the Crescent City’s historic Mid-City neighborhood. Each stage is dedicated to different style of music, and jazz fans pay particular attention to venues such as the Congo Square Stage, the Gospel Tent, the Blues Tent, and the Economy Hall Tent. Performers for the 48th annual festival are TBA.
Ticket prices for 2017 are also TBA, but last year when more than 425,000 fans attended, three-day passes cost $406; daily ticket prices ranged between $70 and $164; children ages 2 through 10 were admitted for $5 each; advance adult single-day tickets cost $58, or $70 at the gate. (504) 410-4100 or (504) 558-6100; nojazzfest.com.
CAPITAL CITY JAZZ FEST. (Fitchburg, Wisc.) – April 29-May
Jazz fans from all over the country will converge on Madison to hear non-stop jazz at the 29th annual Capital City Jazz Fest sponsored by the Madison Jazz Society at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 2969 Cahill Main, in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. More than 400 jazz fans are expected to attend four sessions over the three days of the fest: Friday, April 28, from 6:30 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, April 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, April 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Trumpeter/vocalist Bria Skonberg will arrive in Madison before the festival to present workshops for high-school and college students. The Vaché/Coots/Trick Trio will feature clarinetist Allan Vaché, drummer Danny Coots and stride pianist Stephanie Trick and her husband, pianist Paolo Alderighi. Returning to the festival again this year will be Bob Schulz’s Frisco Jazz Band. A jazz worship will be staged Sunday morning featuring Bob Schulz, and the Rev. Allan Townsend will conduct the service. The fest’s Jazz Mall will sell books, records, CDs, videos, jazz clothing, and souvenirs.
All-events passes cost $140; individual session tickets costing $35 per session are available by mail or can be purchased at the door 30 minutes before a session; Madison Jazz Society, P.O. Box 8866, Madison, WI 53708-8866; (608) 850-5400; madisonjazz.com.
BAYOU BOOGALOO. (Bayou St. John, New Orleans, La.) – May 17-21.
Since 2006 along this colorful revel has been presented free of charge by the MotherShip Foundation at Bayou Saint John at Orleans Avenue and North Jefferson Davis Parkway, in the City that Care Forgot. Performers for 2017 are TBA, but last year’s Boogaloo featured Buckwheat Zydeco, George Porter, Irma Thomas, the Soul Brass Band, Debbie Davis & The Mesmerizers, the Red Hot Brass Band, the Creole String Beans, and the Trombone Shorty Academy Band.
Admission is free; but don’t try to swim in the bayou (it’s populated by alligators); (504) 488-3865; thebayouboogaloo.com; info@MotherShipFoundation.org.
BUNNY BERIGAN JAZZ JUBILEE (Fox Lake, Wisc.) – May 19-21.
Roland “Bunny” Berigan was one of the most charismatic trumpeters of all time. Now his humble hometown of Fox Lake, Wisc., celebrates his short life with a three-day jubilee. In addition to more than 20 hours of jazz, swing and Dixieland favorites, the event includes presentations covering Berigan’s contributions to jazz and swing. The festival stages concerts throughout the quaint city of Fox Lake, located 55 miles north of Chicago, Ill. Venues include Moose’s Root Beer Stand, the Fox Lake Community Center, Mullin’s Drive-In and the American Legion Hall. Performers for 2017 are the Bob Schulz Mid-West All-Stars, St. Louis Stompers led by Steve Lilley, Jack’s Jubilee Band playing Bunny’s music, the Kaye Berigan 5-Tet, the Matt Miller Jazz Trio, and special guest trumpeter Duke Heitger. There will be a Dixieland Graveside Service at Bunny’s resting place at 10:30 a.m. at Annunciation Cemetery, with a sermonette delivered by the Rev. Al Townsend, and two Sunday-morning church services by the St. Louis Stompers at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Beaver Dam.
Weekend passes cost $105 in advance, and daily tickets cost $30. For info, contact jubilee chairperson Julie Fleming at_(920) 928-6094; via mail N10472 Chief Kuno Trail, Fox Lake, WI 53933; via email at julieflemming@yahoo.com; or visit bunnyberiganjazzjubilee.com.
38th ANNUAL SAN DIEGO JAZZ FEST. (San Diego, Calif.) – Nov. 22-26, 2017
Headquarters: Town & Country Resort and Convention Center. Invited Guest Artists: Stephanie Trick, Paolo Alderighi, Katie Cavera, Chloe Feoranzo, Carl Sonny Leyland. Invited Bands & Groups: High Sierra J.B., Dave Bennett Quartet, High Society J.B., Big Butter J.B., Kris Tokarski Quintet, Memphis Speed Kings, Night Blooming Jazzmen, Uptown Lowdown J.B., Sue Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra, Grand Dominion J.B., Titanic J.B., Euphoria Brass Band, Frederick Hodges & the Crown Syncopators, The World’s Finest Apples, Saturday Swing Dance, and more to be announced.
A-E Badges: 5-Days $115 each; 4-Days $110 each; 3-Days $105 each. Daily badges available at the door. Contact Info: AFCDJS, P.O. Box 880387, San Diego, CA 92168-0387. 619-297-5277. Email: jazzinfo@SDjazzfest.org; Website: http://www.sdjazzfest.org/; Lodging: Town & Country Resort and Convention Center, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA, 92108. 800-772-8527 or 619-291-7131. Ask for Jazz Festival reservations. Rates start at $109 per night, not including fees and taxes.
JAZZ CRUISES
JAZZDAGEN TOURS AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND. (Departs Sydney, Australia.) –March 14-26.
The MS Noordam of Holland America sets sail from Eastern Australia for a 14-day cruise with stops at Hobart and Port Arthur in Tasmania and Milford Sound, Fjordland, Port Chalmers, Akaroa, Wellington Napier, Tauranga and Auckland in New Zealand. Two hot bands – Cornet Chop Suey and the Pieter Meijers Quartet – will feature Ms. Brady McKay with Randy Morris and Australians James Clark, Jo Stevenson and Ian Smith.
Prices begin at $1,849 per person, double-occupancy; pre- and post-cruise packages available; (800) 433-0078; jazzdagen.com.
JAZZDAGEN TOURS JAZZ ALIVE 2017. (Departs Los Angeles, Calif.) – June 9-19.
The Crystal Serenity sails from L.A. to Vancouver, on this 10-day cruise co-hosted by Arbors Records. Stops are planned at Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Astoria, Seattle and Victoria. Performers include Antti Sarpila, Warren Vaché, Harry Allen, Butch Miles, Jacob Fischer, Ulf Johansson, Eddie Metz, Danny Coots, Bill Allred, John Allred, Rebecca Kilgore, Jason Wanner, Kristin Korb, Richard Simon, Pieter Meijers and the Titan Hot Seven.
Prices begin at $2,880 per person, double-occupancy; (800) 433-0078; jazzdagen.com.
ALASKA SAWYER GLACIER JAZZ CRUISE. (Departs Seattle, Wash.) – June 16-23.
MG Travel hosts a seven-day round-trip cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, ports of call include at Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, B.C. before_returning to Seattle._Live music will be performed onboard by the Black Swan Classic JB from Portland, Ore., vocalist Yves Evans and saxman Don Rice from the Desert and trombonist Paul Ingle from Australia.
Prices start at $887 plus taxes, gratuities and insurance; pricing is per person and based on double occupancy. After disembarking passengers will have the opportunity to attend America’s Classic Jazz Festival hosted by the Greater Olympia Dixieland Jazz Society in Lacey, Wash.; mgtravelsandiego.com; (760) 754-7081; sally@jazznuts.com.
JAZZFEST AT SEA. (Departs Miami, Fla.) (Departs from Miami, Fla.) – Jan. 3-14, 2018.
The MSC Divina will sail to exotic ports such as Puerto Rico, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts, Tortola and the Bahamas, before heading back to Miami. Performers include Howard Alden, Harry Allen, Banu Gibson, Allan Vaché, Warren Vaché, Houston Person, Duke Heitger, Danny Coots, Charlie Silva, Danny Coots, Mike Pittsley, Johnny Varro, Butch Miles, Chris Rottmayer, Frank Tate, Rebecca Kilgore., Rossano Sportiello and Yve Evans. The cruise also offers passengers the opportunity to participate in informal jam sessions.
Staterooms and suites range in price from $1,399 to $4,299 per person, based on double-occupancy, including free beverage package and up to $200 per person in onboard credit; $400 deposit required; jazzfestatsea.com; (800) 654-8090 or (407) 571-2252.
JAZZ CAMPS
NEW YORK HOT JAZZ YOUTH CAMP. (Greenwich Village, N.Y.) – April 10-14.
This camp for musicians age 13-17 will be conducted at the picturesque Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow St., in Manhattan. The faculty includes directors Bria Skonberg and Molly Ryan, and instructors Dan Levinson on reeds, Sean Cronin on bass, Jim Fryer -on trombone, Jesse Gelber on piano, Nick Russo on guitar and banjo, and Rob Garcia on drums. Classes_are scheduled from_9 a.m. to 3 p.m._Tuesday-Friday. Tuition costs $600 and includes catered lunches and transportation for group-scheduled field trips, as well as admission to Friday night’s_camper-and-faculty concert; info@nyhotjazzcamp.com; Greenwich House: (212) 242-4770; nyhotjazzcamp.com.
NEW YORK HOT JAZZ ADULT CAMP. (Greenwich Village, N.Y.) – May 15-21.
This camp for musicians age 18 and older will also take place at the Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow St., in Manhattan. The historic venue is not yet handicapped-accessible. The faculty includes directors Bria Skonberg and Molly Ryan, and instructors: trumpeter Randy Reinhart, trombonist Vincent Gardner, clarinetist Dan Levinson, guitarist Nick Russo, bassist Jared Engel, pianist Jesse Gelber, drummer Kevin Dorn, and vocalist Queen Esther. Classes are scheduled from_9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Tuition costs $900 and includes catered lunches, transportation to group events and admission to Sunday’s camper-and-faculty concert; info@nyhotjazzcamp.com; Greenwich House: (212) 242-4770; nyhotjazzcamp.com.
NEW ORLEANS TRADITIONAL JAZZ CAMP. (New Orleans, La.) June 10-16.
Adults will enjoy individual lessons and group classes, jam sessions, second line parades, a session at Preservation Hall; with an optional day to perform, June 16. There will only be one camp in 2017. Students younger than age 18 can register if accompanied by an adult and a letter of recommendation. The executive director is the talented vocalist and banjo player Banu Gibson, who founded the camp in 2010 along with singer Leslie Cooper and drummer Nita Hemeter. The 2017 faculty includes Banu Gibson, Dan Levinson, Katie Cavera, Tom Fischer, Leah Chase, Kris Tokarski, David Boeddinghaus, Gerald French and others. Tuition includes six nights’ housing (Saturday through Thursday) breakfast and lunch Sunday through Thursday, ensemble, sectional and private lessons, evening jam sessions, sit-ins at jazz clubs, play at Preservation Hall, march and play in a second line parade through the French Quarter and perform in a Thursday concert in the Ballroom of the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. Also available is an optional extra day to perform and jam at The Back Room at Buffa’s on Lagnaippe Day, Friday, June 16, 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. (extra night’s housing available at a discounted rate of $160.)
Tuition costs $2,100. Cancellation fees may be applied; notradjazzcamp@gmail.com; (504) 895-0037; neworleanstradjazzcamp.com.
CAZADERO MUSIC CAMP. (Cazadero, Calif.) – June 19-Aug. 5.
Located at 5000 Austin Creek Road in Cazadero, about 10 miles northwest of Santa Rosa, in Sonoma County, Calif., this camp’s students make music in the shade of majestic redwood trees. Cazadero’s core program consists of five hours each day of small and large group instruction in orchestra, jazz ensemble, or concert band. Camps designed for younger musicians start June 19; middle-school students arrive June 27; junior-high students July 11; and senior-high students July 25. Also offered: classical and jazz piano, and classical guitar, as well as an All-Camp Choir for young musicians. At night, students sleep outside on single-sex tent decks, beneath the star-filled sky. Three healthy meals cooked from scratch are served daily. Concert schedule and guest conductors TBA. A JumpStart in Music program for younger students is conducted during May.
Fees range in price from $775 to $1,720. Contact Executive Director Emily Wainacht at emily@cazadero.org; (510) 527-7500, ext.13.
