36th ANNUAL JAZZ BASH BY THE BAY FESTIVAL. (Monterey, Calif.) – March 3-6.
While the Monterey Convention Center is undergoing a $40-million upgrade, the 36th edition of the popular Jazz Bash by the Bay will be staged at a pavilion adjacent to the Portola Hotel & Spa. Dancers will be glad the pavilion features two large dance floors, and according to Festival Executive Producer Allan Pedersen, the semi-permanent enclosed building is considered superior to comparable structures. The Portola ballroom and Bonsai and Portola Rooms will be venues as in the past. Artists for 2016 include pianist Jeff Barnhart, drummer Danny Coots, pianist Brian Holland and clarinetist Bob Draga.
The Bash’s featured bands span a spectrum, from the dapper Royal Society Jazz Orchestra to Carl Sonny Leyland’s rockabilly trio. Other acts are Uptown Lowdown, Titan Hot Seven, Ivory&Gold, High Sierra, Blue Street, Bye Bye Blues Band, Yve Evans Trio, Crescent City Katz, and Tom Rigney & Flambeau.
Tributes to Firehouse 5 & 2 are scheduled both Friday and Saturday. Kick off Jazz Bash by the Bay on Thursday, March 3, with a big band dance party featuring Clicktrax Jazz orchestra._Admission is $25._ Also, in a Special One-Night-Only appearance, the hit trio We3 featuring Bob Draga, Jeff Barnhart and Danny Coots will hold forth in the Bonsai Room.
All-event badges cost $105; daily ticket prices range from $45 to $60 and tickets for individual events run from $25 to $50. High-school students and children are admitted free with an adult; (888) 349-6879 or (831) 754-8789; Jazzbashmonterey.com.
26TH ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO BIX FESTIVAL. (Racine, Wisc.) – March 5-8.
During the summer of 1925, cornetist Bix Beiderbecke and his pals, clarinetist Don Murray and banjoman Howdy Quicksell, played a seasonal gig at a lake resort on Lake Michigan not far from Racine, a city of some 78,000 located north of Chicago and south of Milwaukee. There Bix met C-melody saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer, forging a musical collaboration that would significantly impact the future of jazz. The 26th annual Tribute to Bix Fest will be staged March 5-8, at Racine Marriott Hotel, 7111 Washington Ave., on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The four-day festival includes a 12-hour bus tour, concerts, jam sessions, lectures, rare films and a colossal cake celebrating Bix’s birthday, March 10, 1903.
Featured performers are Marla Dixon’s Shotgun Jazz Band, Tuba Skinny with Erika Lewis, Steve Torrico’s Lakeshore Syncopators and Nicolle Wood’s Galaxy Girls Chorus Line. Lectures include Sue Fischer speaking about Don Murray, Phuntoon discussing drummer Gene Krupa, a Festival Director Phil Pospychala expounding on Ferd Morton.
Tickets cost $80 and $95. Send checks to Phil Pospychala, 15745 W. Birchwood Lane, Libertyville,_IL_ 60048; (847) 996-0246; bixguy@hotmail.com; Bixfest.com.
SOUTH COAST CLAMBAKE JAZZ FESTIVAL. (North Bend, Oregon) – March 12-14.
Southwestern Oregon swings to at the annual South Coast Clambake Festival 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 by the Coquille Indian Tribe. Located on Highway 101, the venue overlooks lovely Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet 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 25th anniversary clambake serves a hot mix of traditional jazz, swing, doo-wop, blues, big band and zydeco. Performers will include Dave Bennett & The Memphis Speed Kings, Gator Nation, Red Skunk, the Young Bucs, Stompy Jones, High Street, the Midnight Serenaders, Blue Skies Big Band, Twice as Good, It’s About Time Big Band and Evolution.
All-event badges cost $83; prices for daily badges range from $23 to $33. For info, call (541) 267-7665; email clambakejazz@gmail.com; or write to P.O Box 374, North Bend, Or 97459; or visit clambakejazz.com.
THIRD ANNUAL DURANGO RAGTIME AND EARLY JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Durango, Colo.) – March 18 -20.
The syncopated sounds of ragtime pour from the saloons into the streets of this old mining town in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado’s southwest corner. Early jazz, boogie woogie, ragtime and rockabilly seem right at home in the heart of the Old West where the cowboys still amble about, dancing girls melt hearts and carefree pianists gladly provide the soundtrack. The action’s hottest at the historic Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. They say that novelist Louis L’Amour always asked for the room directly above the Diamond Belle Saloon because the honky-tonk music helped set the mood for his western adventure tales. Performers include Danny Coots, Will Perkins, Kylan DeGhetaldi, Andrew Greene, Brian Holland, Max Keenlyside, Frank LiVolsi, Adam Swanson, Tom Brier, Frederick Hodges, Carl Sonny Leyland and Bob Seeley. For the first time, the festival will feature a full band, Durango’s own Bar-D Wranglers playing ragtime tunes and Western Swing.
Festival pass for two costs $185; for one $99; daily tickets cost $45; afternoon concert tickets cost $20, and evening concerts cost $25. Tickets: (970) 375-7160, henrystratertheatre.com; Hotel: (800) 247-4431; durangoragtimefestival.com.
TENTH ANNUAL CHARLES TEMPLETON RAGTIME AND JAZZ MUSIC FESTIVAL. (Starkville, Miss.) – March 31 – April 2, 2016.
Named after the Starkville, Miss. businessman who donated his extensive collection of sheet music, and memorabilia to Mississippi State University in the late-1980s, this ragtime romp is one of the most respected affairs in the Old South. Charles H. Templeton particularly appreciated ragtime tunes.
This decade-old festival is hosted by the University Library and the Charles Templeton Sr. Music Museum as a means of enhancing research in the area of early jazz, and it showcases some of the world’s best ragtime and stride piano players. This year, Festival Artistic Director Jeff Barnhart, himself a talented pianist, has booked Paolo Alderighi, Tom Hook, Reginald Robinson, Rosa Sebba and Stephanie Trick. All daytime events take place in the Templeton Music Museum, while evening concerts are staged at McComas Hall.
All-event badges cost $50; daily badge prices range from $8 to $30, seniors receive 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/ragtime/festival/.
26th ANNUAL REDWOOD COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL. (Eureka, Calif.) – March 31-April 3:
The 26th annual Redwood Coast Music Festival presents four days of traditional jazz, blues, swing, and zydeco. 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 the festival’s five venues – The Red Lion Hotel, The Adorni Center, the Eureka Theater, Morris Graves Museum, and Eureka Municipal Auditorium. This year’s performers include Bob Draga & Friends, High Sierra JB, Dave Bennett’s Swing Quintet, The Au Brothers, the Grand Street Stompers with Tamar Korn, Jonathan Stout and His Campus Five, Dave Bennett & The Memphis Speed Kings, the Red Skunk Band, Stompy Jones, Gator Nation, Cocuzzi and Coots Courtet, The Zydeco Flames, Gino & The Lone Gunmen, Twice as Good. Special guests include blues guitarists Coco Montoya and Sonny Landreth, reedman Bob Draga, drummer Danny Coots, swing fiddler Jason Roberts, trumpeter Brian “Big B” Casserly and vibist John Cocuzzi. Local groups include the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir, the Hall Honkers and the Dixie Gators.
All-event tickets cost $75, or $25 for youth; blues package $40; daily ticket prices range from $25 to $50; 523 Fifth St., Eureka, CA _95501; (707) 445-3378; admin@redwoodjazz.org; Rcmfest.org
PENSACOLA JAZZ FESTIVAL (Pensacola, FL) – April 1-3, 2016
The Pensacola JazzFest, now in its 33rd year, is a FREE all-jazz festival held in downtown, historic Seville Square. The Jazz Society of Pensacola produces this event with assistance from a variety of corporate sponsors and community organizations. JSOP volunteers work all year to present this festival as their annual gift to the community.
With its beautiful live oaks and historic surroundings, Seville Square Park and its gazebo stage offers a perfect springtime setting for the Pensacola JazzFest. In addition to the great music lineup, food, drinks, arts and crafts, jazz merchandise and JazzFest posters are available, the sales of which help support the festival and keep it free for its loyal fans.
The Fesival opens Friday evening with a student jazz competition, with Immerson, a Christian big band performing at intermission. The lineup for Saurday and Sunday includes Jones & Company, Guffman Trio, Village Brass Band, Roman Street, Terry Doc Handy Sextet, Joe Occhipinti Big Band, Kathy & Greg Lyon Group, Gino Rosaria Groove Symphony, college bands from Northwest Florida State,
University of West Florida and Pensacola State; and jazz bands from Ransom and Bailey Middle Schools. “Jazz Jam for Kids” will be held at 2pm both days, with youngsters receiving complimentary kazoos and harmonicas.
Website: www.jazzpensacola.com/jazzfest
FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL (New Orleans, La.) – April 7-10.
The French Quarter Festival in New Orleans began as a neighborhood gathering more than 30 years ago, but it has since grown into “The World’s Largest Block Party” where visitors can join locals to enjoy the best of Louisiana music, food and culture, all for free. Featuring more than 1.700 musicians on 20 stages, 65 food-and-beverage vendors, works by New Orleans’ top artists and kid-friendly attractions, the 33rd annual French Quarter Festival is set for April 7 through 10. Staged over a half dozen blocks between Bourbon Street and the Mississippi Riverfront, there is no admission charge for the festival and fences do not enclose the site. Festivalgoers are free to come and go as they would at any block party.
Performers for 2016 will be announced on Feb. 17, but they routinely include the best and brightest of Crescent City talent, including such familiar names as Irma Thomas, Irvin Mayfield, the Rebirth Brass Band, Monk Boudreaux & The Golden Eagles, Spirit of New Orleans Brass Band and LeRoy Jones and His Original Hurricane Brass Band; (504) 522-5730; fqfi.org/frenchquarterfest/.
JAZZAFFAIR (Three Rivers, Calif.) – April 8-10
Inspired by its longtime performance host – 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 busses transport festival goers from place to place, according to festival director Rusty Crain. Performers for the 43rd annual Jazzaffair will be Tom Rigney, Cornet Chop Suey, Grand Dominion, the Au Brothers, Blue Street, Bob Draga, High Street, Night Blooming Jazzmen, pianist Carl Sonny Leyland, Titan Hot Seven, the Jerry Krahn Quartet and the Flip Oakes Quartet.
All-event three-day badge costs $90 if purchased on or before March 15 or $95 after March 15; daily ticket prices range between $25 and $45; children pay half price, and kids age 11 and younger are free with their parents. For info, write Jazzaffair, Box 712, 42490 Kaweah River Drive, Three Rivers, CA 93271; call (559) 561-4549; email jbarc@thegrid.net; or visit jazzaffair.info/.
THE ATLANTA JAZZ PARTY. (Roswell, Ga.) – April 22 – 24.
Presented by the Atlanta Jazz Preservation Society, the Atlanta Jazz Party was founded in 1990 by Phil and Lee Carroll. It’s staged at the Grand Ballroom of the DoubleTree by Hilton, 1075 Holcomb Bridge Road, in Roswell, Georgia. The ballroom is transformed into a cabaret jazz hall featuring swingin’ classic improvisational jazz. All-star combos play eight sets on Friday night, seven sets on Saturday afternoon, eight sets on Saturday night, and seven sets on Sunday. All performers are featured in each session. The 2016 lineup includes AJP first-timer from New York City, Molly Ryan; New Orleans trumpeter Duke Heitger along with Ed Polcer; Dan Barrett and John Allred on trombone; Ed Metz and Danny Coots on drums. Returning to Roswell this year are clarinetists Evan Christopher and Tom Fischer; guitarists Chris Flory and Bucky Pizzarelli; bassists Jim Ferguson and Paul Keller; pianist Rossano Sportiello; vibist John Cocuzzi; and the Joe Gransden’s 16-Piece Big Band.
$365/guarantor; $280/patron; Friday night only $67.50; Saturday afternoon only $62; Saturday night only $67.50; Sunday afternoon only $62; (770-645-6844); atlantajazzparty.com; email: Pualani_Chapman@att.netatlantajazzparty.com.
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL. (New Orleans, La.) – April 22-May 1.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage 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 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 46th annual festival include headliners Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Steely Dan, Beck, Van Morrison, Nick Jonas, Julio Iglesias, Elvis Costello and Flo Rida. Some of New Orleans’ best-known performers will include Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Rebirth Brass Band, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Kermit Ruffins and the Allen Toussaint Band
Three-day passes cost $406; daily ticket prices range between $70 and $164; children ages 2 through 10 $5 each; $58 for advance adult single day tickets, $70 at the gate. (504) 410-4100; nojazzfest.com .
OAKHURST RAGTIME FESTIVAL. (Oakhurst, Calif.) – April 29 – May 1
Before 1912, 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 Central California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. 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 concert tickets range from $6 to $20; RVs can be parked at the Community Center for $15 nightly; oakhurstragtimefestival.com; (559) 683-7860.
BUNNY BERIGAN JAZZ JUBILEE (Fox Lake, Wisc.) – May 13-15.
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 about 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._Headliners are the Bob Schulz Mid-West All-Stars, the St. Louis Stompers, the Kaye Berigan 5-Tet, the Monday Morning Dixie Band and the Matt Miller Jazz Trio. There will be a Dixieland Graveside Service at Bunny’s gravesite at Annunciation Cemetery.
If purchased in advance, weekend passes cost $105 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.
COON-SANDERS NIGHTHAWKS FAN BASH. (Huntington, W.Va.) May 13-14.
Celebrating the music of the legendary Coon Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra, these free-wheeling jam sessions – which have a proud 48-year history – are staged at the Grand Salon of the Pullman Plaza Hotel, in Huntington, West Virginia, at the confluence of the Guyanotte and Ohio rivers. Admission is free! Assembled in 1919 in Kansas City by Carleton Coon and Joe Sanders, the 10-piece combo reached its peak between 1926 and 1932. Live performances at the Muehlebach Hotel in K.C. were broadcast over WDAF, a radio station which could be received throughout the United States. In later years, the orchestra held forth at the Blackhawk restaurant in Chicago, performances that were aired on WGN. The orchestra’s top Victor recordings included “Nighthawk Blues” and “Flamin’ Mamie.” The bash’s jam-session format allows musicians to move on and off the stage as they desire, reports President Dale Jones. Musicians for 2016 TBA.
The Pullman Plaza Hotel is located in Huntington at 1001 Third Ave., (304) 525-1001. The entertainment is free and open to the public and will likely run from 6 until 11 p.m. both nights. “Last year, the hotel treated us very well and we were able to order food from the menu,” Jones noted; (304) 633-5241; Coonsander@msn.com.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OLD-TIME PIANO PLAYING CONTEST. (Oxford, Miss.) – May 26-30.
Since its inception as a fundraiser for the Monticello Railway Museum in 1975, the World Championship Old-time Piano Playing Contest and Festival sought to educate the general public about Ragtime melodies and other popular music written prior to 1930. It recently relocated from Illinois to Mississippi and all competitions, workshops and concerts take place at Nutt Auditorium in the Music Building on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Ole Miss is located in the north-central hills of Mississippi. The Silent Movie Box Lunch and Grand Old Flag Brunch are in the Band Hall. The Tune–Ups, Bus Tour Luncheon, Dinner with the Champion and Ring of Ragtime are located around the Lafayette County Courthouse square. Featured pianists include last year’s winner, Adam Swanson, plus Paul Asaro, Jeff Barnhart, Mimi Blais, Bill Edwards, Brian Holland, Sue Keller, Marty Sammon and Bryan Wright, among others. California-born Multi-instrumentalist “Blind Boy” Paxton will conclude the weekend’s events with a concert at 7 p.m. concert playing guitar, banjo, piano and violin to cleverly recreate the blues idiom of the 1920s and ’30s.
All-events badges cost $70 in advance, or $105 after May 1; admission prices for individual events range from $10 to $35. For contest info, contact eballard@illinois.edu; Festival Board President Ted Lemen: (815) 922-3827.
SACRAMENTO MUSIC FESTIVAL. (Sacramento, Calif.) – May 27-30.
Every Memorial Day Weekend since 1974, Old Sacramento and more than a dozen other downtown venues have hosted one of the area’s biggest parties of the year. Originally known as the Old Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee, the festival has expanded into other styles of music in addition to classic jazz and swing. This will be the 43rd edition of what many fans consider the granddaddy of jazz festivals hosted by the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society which supports the preservation of traditional jazz through STJS Jazz Education Programs. The event’s three dozen performers include all-stars Bill Allred, Banu Gibson, Paolo Alderighi and Greg Varlotta along with bands such as Beaufunk with Michael Jeffries, Clint Baker’s Hot Five, Cornet Chop Suey, Crescent Katz, Dave Bennett and the Memphis Speed Kings, High Sierra JB, Fulton Street JB, High Street Blue, Lisa Haley & the Zydekats, Mick Martin & the Blues Rockers,
Midnight Rose Jazz Band, Mumbo Gumbo, stride pianist Stephanie Trick, The Rhythm Vandals, Todd Morgan & the Emblems, Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Latin Touch and from Poland, Dixie Company Jazz Band. The parade has been moved to 10 a.m. Saturday.
$116.49 all-event pass; $315.99/VIP; daily passes range from $41.94 to $48.24; sacmusicfest.com/; (916) 444-2004.
GRAND INTERNATIONAL RAGTIME FESTIVAL SPRING FLING (Alexandria Bay, N.Y.) – May 27-29.
Located in the heart of the Thousand Islands, on the lovely St. Lawrence River in Upstate New York, the Grand International Ragtime Jazz Festival Spring Fling blooms toward the end of May every year, at Alexandria Bay’s Bonnie Castle Resort. Festival directors are husband-and-wife Wayne and Nancy Pauli, who are affiliated with the Kitchener-Waterloo Dixieland Jazz Club, in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. This year’s Spring Fling acts include the JazzHappensBand from Cortland, N.Y., the Jon Seiger Trio from Rochester, N.Y. and the Mardi Gras Spirit Brass Band from Alex Bay, N.Y. Piano soloists will be Prof. Don Burns, Jack Hutton, Jon Seiger and British stride pianist Neville Dicky. This year’s themes are “Back to the Rags” and “Fats Meets Satch.” Trumpeter Jon Seiger, who is internationally known for his perfect imitations of Satchmo’s vocals and horn playing, will present a special program called “Songs & Stories about Louis Armstrong You May Not Know.”
Festival admission costs $120 before March 31, $135 after; (519) 744-2665; wnpauli@rogers.com._For room reservations, contact the resort at 1-800-955-4511 or 1-315-482-4511. For festival info, visit alexbayjazz.wordpress.com/.
SCOTT JOPLIN RAGTIME FESTIVAL. (Sedalia, Mo.) – June 1 – 4.
More than 6,000 people attend the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival each June, turning downtown Sedalia into a turn-of-the-20th century party. The weeklong celebration of Scott Joplin’s music takes place at the historic Hotel Bothwell, which opened in 1926. The Katy Depot Historic Site, one of the largest train depots between Kansas City and St. Louis, is only a mile away. The festival stages several free concerts, while some are ticketed. You can take lessons to learn the steps to the dances such as the Grizzly Bear, Turkey Trot, Bunny Hug and Camel Walk. Audience members are also invited to show off their skills tickling the ivories. This year’s featured pianists are Tom Brier, Phillip Dyson, Frank LiVolsi and Sue Keller.
Individual concert ticket prices range from $20 to $32; (660) 826-2271; scottjoplin.org.
RIVERSIDE JAZZ PARTY. (Boise, Idaho) June 3-5.
Jeff and Carol Loehr, directors of the Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival, host this late-spring jazz bash at The Riverside Hotel in Boise, Idaho. The hotel’s Sapphire Room will sparkle with 21 hours of music beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing until 3 p.m. Sunday. Artists will be mixed and matched as they effortlessly float across wide spectrum of American music styles. This year’s performers include trumpeter Charlie Bertini, singer SherriLynn Colby, bassists Bobby Durham and Sam Rocha, pianists Yve Evans, Jason Wanner and Tom Hook, trombonists Jim Fryer and Greg Varlotta, drummers Paul Johnson and Ed Metz Jr., reedmen Nate Ketner and Terry Myers and guitarist/banjoman Bob Leary.
Table seating is available at prices ranging from $239 to $339; sunvalleyjazz.com/riverside-jazz-party/; (877) 478-5277.
AMERICA’S CLASSIC JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Lacey, Wash.) June 23-26.
The 26th annual festival at the Marcus Pavilion at Saint Martin’s University, 5300 Pacific Avenue SE, is hosted by the Greater Olympia Dixieland Jazz Society. Lacey is a suburb of O-Town, in the western part of state of Washington, at the southern end of Puget Sound._ The music is staged at four Marcus Pavilion venues – three for dancing, one for listening – and dance lessons will demonstrate the Balboa, Foxtrot and Charleston. Special features include nearby lodging, on-site RV parking, shuttle service, parasol parades, a swing set, and After Glow Party.
Pacific Northwest favorites such as Uptown Lowdown from Bellevue will be featured along with jazz greats such as Grand Dominion, Yerba Buena Stompers, St. Louis Rivermen, Jeff Barnhart & Charlotte’s Boys, Bob Schulz Frisco Jazz Band, The Black Swan Classic JB, Tom Hook and His Terriers, Fat Babies, High Sierra, and the Graystone Monarchs. Tom Rigney and Flambeau will cover the Cajun and zydeco two steps, and jazz singer Joep Peeters from Breda, Holland, will also entertain.
All-event badge prices range from cost $90 to $150; individual event ticket prices range from $15 to $50. Lodging is available at two dozen hotsl in the Olympia-Lacey area, and RV parking is available; olyjazz.com; (360) 705 3024.
ELKHART JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Elkhart, Ind.) – June 24-26.
Since 1988, jazz legends and fans have gathered each summer at the Elkhart Jazz Festival which combines warm, intimate, small-town hospitality with the excitement of big-city jazz. Known as the Band Instrument Capital of the World, Elkhart companies employ nearly 2,000 skilled craftsmen in the production of musical instruments. Headliners for 2016 have yet to be announced, but the festival will continue its educational component. Students ages 5 to 25 are welcome at “Hoagy’s Workshop.”_Two days of sessions at Elkhart Central High School will culminate in a performance with the pros at the free EJF All-Stars Jam on the unofficial opening night of the festival on Thursday, June 23. The 2016 All-Stars will include trumpeter Randy Reinhart, reed player Terry Myers, trombonist John Allred, pianist Terry Lower, guitarist Howard Alden, drummer Butch Miles, bassist Frank Tate and singer Edye Evans-Hyde. Ticket prices TBA; elkhartjazzfestival.com; (574) 529-1455.
ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Rochester, N.Y.) – June 24-July 2.
Organizers for the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival announced Tuesday that this year’s concert headliners will be Grace Potter, Erykah Badu, Chris Botti and Chick Corea. All four concerts will take place at the Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre over the nine-day event. Potter, a blues-rock singer-songwriter, will play opening night on Friday, June 24 at 8 p.m. Badu, R&B’s “First Lady of Neo Soul,” will follow on Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. Corea will share the stage with 12-year-old jazz piano prodigy Joey Alexander on Tuesday, June 28 at 8 p.m. And Botti, a Grammy-winning trumpeter, will take the stage Thursday, June 30 at 8 p.m. The complete lineup will be announced in March.
Prices range from $55-95 for Potter, $70-105 for Badu, $40-75 for Corea and Alexander, and $55-105 for Botti. According to the Democrat & Chronicle, passes for multiple days are also available through rochesterjazz.com. A three-day Club Pass costs $154 and a nine-day Club Pass costs $204, plus service fees; rochesterjazz.com; (585) 454-2060.
SARATOGA JAZZ FESTIVAL. (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) – June 25-26.
For more than 30 years, the Saratoga Jazz Festival has presented some of the best jazz musicians in the world at its gorgeous performance space in the foothill of the Adirondacks. In addition to the music performed on both the main stage and at the gazebo, guests enjoy fine arts vendors, barbecue, children’s events and a lawn party over the course of two days. This year’s headliners are Smokey Robinson, Chick Corea, and Joey Alexander who will perform there on his 13th birthday. Also featured will be Pieces of a Dream, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah and the Steps Ahead Reunion. Other 2016 performers include Elaine Elias, Shemekia Copeland, Eric Lindell, Karrin Allyson, Lizz Wright, Pat Martino, John Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, the Bria Skonberg Quinte and Vincent Herring & The Kings of Swing.
Amphitheater seating prices range from $75 to $105 per day; lawn tickets $65 per day; Ticket info: ebrower@spac.org; (518) 584-9330; spac.org/events/2016/06/26/freihofers-saratoga-jazz-festival
