2018 Lineup / Up and Coming

One of the joys of attending a music festival is hearing new discoveries. 2016 Winter Fest audiences got to experience the Northern California debut of trumpeter Marquis Hill’s Blacktet. Now 2018 Summer Fest fans will have a chance to catch the personal project of Makaya McCraven, its bleeding edge drummer, producer and visionary sonic collagist.

Veteran Summer Fest audiences will remember saxophonist Hailey Niswanger from 2015, when she performed with veteran drummer Mike Clark and locally based organ hero Wil Blades. The Portland, Oregon native returns with MAE.SUN, her exciting new project that expands her musical palate and sonic aesthetic.

Thanks to Hammond B-3 evangelist Pete Fallico’s world-renowned commitment to the instrument, organ concerts have been a San Jose Jazz staple. 2018 Summer Fest is no exception, with the 10th Annual Organ Fellowship featuring Matthew Whitaker and Brian Charette, a pair of contrasting yet brilliant players.

Trumpeter Theo Croker has family and stylistic ties to jazz’s grand history. Combining this deep understanding of jazz tradition with funk, hip-hop and avant-garde approaches, he creates a potent brew of traditional and contemporary sounds.

The Oakland-based Meernaa have a gift for balancing intimate songs with immersive psychedelic arrangements. Most notable is Carly Bond’s transfixing voice which emits an elastic melody and tone that are perfectly suited to tackle the complexities of the group’s songs.

Like juggling while riding a unicycle, singing and accompanying oneself on double bass is a challenging undertaking. Katie Thiroux does both with such a seemingly effortless joy that her innate sense of swing and buoyant stage presence can belie countless hours of sacrifice and study.

Bassist Christian McBride and drummer Herlin Riley both snatched up Emmet Cohen for their respective bands, recognizing the Florida native’s deep knowledge of jazz history and awe-inspiring playing. Now the pianist leads his own trio as a quickly rising star on the straight-ahead scene.