SAN JOSE, CA. (San Jose Jazz Society/ www.sanjosejazz.org) - San Jose Jazz Society:
- World's Largest Free Jazz Festival to Feature Hank Jones, Eliane Elias, Eddie Palmieri, Ernestine Anderson, Soulive,
Poncho Sanchez, the Bad Plus, Karrin Allyson, Jason Moran and More
- 165,000 People Expected to Attend Four-Day Festival in Downtown San Jose
The San Jose Jazz Society (www.sanjosejazz.org) today announced headliners for the 16th Annual Comcast San Jose Jazz Festival, presented by Southwest Airlines. The free Festival, August 11-14, 2005, will feature scores of premiere jazz artists on nine stages in downtown San Jose, Calif. With more than 165,000 people expected to attend the four-day event, the San Jose Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in the world.
"This year's Jazz Festival promises to have all of the traditional aspects people know and love, as well as some great new events," said Steve Saperstein, general director of the San Jose Jazz Society. "We have an amazing lineup of top jazz performers in all jazz styles. This year, we are very excited about the after-hours Jazz Beyond stage, guaranteed to keep people up with a new and unique fusion of music, visual art and technology."
Premiere jazz artists take the stage
The Festival features a diverse lineup of jazz luminaries, including top Latin pianist Eddie Palmieri, percussionist Poncho Sanchez and the Latin Band, the buzzworthy and innovative trio The Bad Plus, cutting-edge pianist Jason Moran, legendary vocalist Ernestine Anderson and much more.
This year's lineup also includes two NEA Jazz Masters, pianist Hank Jones and drummer Louie Bellson.
Jazz + Ideas = Jazz Beyond
This year marks the opening of a new attraction at the Jazz Festival, the "Jazz Beyond" stage, made possible by generous support from the James Irvine Foundation. Performances will be from 8:30 pm to 2:00 am on Friday, August 12, and Saturday, August 13. At Jazz Beyond, the frontiers of jazz will be explored by artists who push boundaries, using both traditional live instrumentation and electronic sampling, DJ turntables, looping and other effects.
"This dynamic new stage is an exciting opportunity for jazz music to reach across genres to electronic musicians and electronic music fans," said Michelle Amador, performer and artistic director of Jazz Beyond. "There's an important dialogue going on right now between jazz and electronic music, and by shining the spotlight on cutting-edge artists in both genres, we'll help pave the way for new developments in jazz. Jazz has always prized innovation and this stage put that idea to the test - it will be an experience that Festival patrons won't soon forget."
Thursday Night Gala at California Theater
Downtown's newly-renovated jewel, the California Theater, will be the venue for the 2005 Jazz Festival's Opening Night Gala and Concert. A sold-out event the past three years, the Gala is also a fundraiser for the San Jose Jazz Society's year-round education and performance programming. Artist and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
Performers include World-Famous Jazz Legends, Up-and-Coming Stars
She has been called one of the most soulful singers alive - Bettye LaVette kicks off the Friday night Festival activities at the Main Stage in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
Friday night will be the opening night of Jazz Beyond at the San Jose Repertory Theater. Three acts are scheduled to perform - Michelle Amador & the True Believers, The Bad Plus and Kosmik Renaissance, featuring the Vestax Fader Board. Music will resume Saturday night with headlining act Jason Moran.
Saturday's Main Stage lineup opens with NEA Jazz Master and drummer Louie Bellson, who Duke Ellington once called "the greatest musician alive." The Saturday Main Stage will also feature vocalist Ernestine Anderson, whose voice Quincy Jones likened to "honey at dusk." Funky trio Soulive will combine soul, jazz, rock, and hip-hop. Saturday's Main Stage performances will close with seven-time Grammy award-winner Eddie Palmieri, one of the foremost Latin pianists of the last half-century.
Sunday begins with hugely popular jazz masses at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Joseph.
Sunday artists include NEA Jazz Master and pianist Hank Jones performing with the San Jose Jazz Orchestra. Latin jazz conguero and band leader Poncho Sanchez will close the festival stage on Sunday evening with the lively, danceable sounds for which he is well-known.
"For the tenth year in a row, Comcast is proud to support the San Jose Jazz Society, an organization that shares our commitment to providing quality entertainment for the whole family, and educational programs that help enrich our local communities," said Navarra Williams, area vice president of Comcast, the San Jose Jazz Festival's title sponsor. "We're pleased that Comcast's sponsorship will help the San Jose Jazz Society host the much-anticipated annual festival, as well as offer a rich variety of music education classes and performances all year long."
Great Performers All Weekend Long
The wide-ranging, large-scale Jazz Festival features stages dedicated to blues, Latin, salsa, big band and two indoor stages, as well. Headlining other stages will be vocalist Rene Marie, pianist Eliane Elias, and vocalist Karrin Allyson.
For more complete information about the San Jose Jazz Festival and how to plan your weekend, visit www.sanjosejazz.org.
