July 30, 2018
By: SJZ Staff
This year, Summer Fest provides listeners two chances to not only hear great music but learn some music history as well. Saturday on the Sobrato Organization Main Stage, music legend Booker T. Jones revisits the Stax Records catalog with a musical revue that highlights hits and forgotten gems key to the label’s success in the 1960s and ‘70s. On Sunday, saxophonist Vincent Herring leads an all-star ensemble through “The Story of Jazz: 100 years,” his …
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August 7, 2015
By: Gabriela Hill
A legendary drummer and founding member of the 1960s funk group The Meters, Zigaboo Modeliste is considered one of the most creative and critically acclaimed drummers in music. Studied by aspiring drummers, beloved by funk and rock devotees alike, and revered by musicians the world over, Modeliste has written over 400 songs individually and as part of The Meters, with his music found across 36 national and international albums. While some music lovers may know …
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July 16, 2014
By: Brandon E. Roos
During the second weekend of August, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest turns downtown San Jose into a vibrant celebration of live music. You’ll hear jazz, salsa, R&B, swing, New Orleans and much more on 12 stages over three days. With performances stretching from morning to late night, why not turn your experience into an extended stay? Whether you’re arriving from out of town, out of state or just outside the neighborhood, there are plenty of …
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August 28, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
After presenting over 120 acts on 11 stages over a three day period, it took us a bit of time to sort through the many stories we heard post Fest. From what we saw and heard, there were plenty of highlights to choose from.
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August 8, 2013
By: Laura G. Thorne (Ten Ton Troll)
Dr Lonnie Smith is not a medical doctor, but his music has been found to be good for one’s health. A bona fide star on his signature instrument, the Hammond B-3 organ, Smith’s performances are filled with joie de vivre and energy – Dr. Lonnie loves to play! – and he’s been playing for a remarkable 50 years and counting. From upstate New York, Dr Lonnie was born into a musical family and manifested a …
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August 6, 2013
By: Laura G. Thorne, Ten Ton Troll
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band: it’s not jazz for your momma anymore. Rather, the group is broaching a new frontier, built upon the very roots of what jazz is and what this country stands for, but energized and re-imagined for who and what we are today. The history of jazz traces its roots back to New Orleans, a place of extraordinary romance recognized both for its beauty and tragic injustice. Yet jazz’s great artistic achievements …
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August 6, 2013
By: Mandee Banga
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest is offering hundreds of artists on 11 stages throughout Downtown San Jose in a festival atmosphere, but what if you wanted to watch your favorite artist in a more intimate setting? For the first time ever, San Jose Jazz will be presenting a series of special Jazz+ Concerts. With Jazz+, you have the opportunity to watch a handful of artists in a more intimate, relaxed setting. All Jazz+ events can …
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August 6, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
Earlier in her life, Kathryn Diamond, who joined our Board of Directors in 2009, was a founding member and regular on-air broadcaster at KCBX, a not-for-profit jazz radio station in San Luis Obispo. A person with a passionate life-long commitment to jazz, Diamond is currently on the Board’s Education Committee, where she works to support and promote the organization’s many jazz education programs for San Jose’s youth. “Jazz is both one of America’s great inventions and …
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July 26, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
Award-winning, nationally-recognized jazz DJ Brad Stone (KCSM, KSJS) is one of the biggest jazz voices in the region, and we’re pleased to have him back as our resident Summer Fest “Jazz Doctor”! Stone is not only a jazz fanatic but a long-time Fest attendee. Fun fact: his many jazz accolades are just part of his hobby — he’s actually a chemistry professor (he really is a doctor!)
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July 26, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
To help shed some light on this year’s Latin offerings at Summer Fest, we consulted the source himself: Arturo Riera, the San Jose Jazz board member otherwise known as “Mister Latin Jazz.” In this blog post, he walks us through the top-notch Latin jazz and salsa acts you’ll encounter throughout downtown San Jose August 9-11.
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