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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August 7, 2015
By: Gabriela Hill
Imagine locking yourself in a room with the friends you grew up with for 16 hours a day, every day, over the course of an entire month so each of you can contribute to one another’s work. Jazz saxophonist, composer, producer, and bandleader Kamasi Washington did just that in December 2011, when he and a number of his close musician friends cleared their schedules to focus solely on creating and capturing their own music rather than …
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August 4, 2014
By: Brandon E. Roos
As our premiere event of the year, Summer Fest provides us with the opportunity to highlight our year-round education efforts. We look forward to Summer Fest 25 putting a greater spotlight on our initiatives than ever before! Here we highlight the many ways education and youth will be celebrated as part of our full weekend of festivities, and shine a light on the musical director behind a long-standing Next Gen act at Summer Fest, the …
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July 23, 2014
By: Brandon E. Roos
After a Winter Fest 2013 performance in José James’s band that found him making up for lost time on stage (more on that below), Kris Bowers steps forward to showcase material from his recent debut, Heroes + Misfits, at Summer Fest 2014 when he closes our Jazz Beyond Stage Fri Aug 8. Thanks to technology, we asked Bowers a few questions via Skype while he was on tour with James in Finland. He let us …
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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 9, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
This is our second Summer Fest with Executive Director Brendan Rawson at the helm. When we approached him to offer his Summer Fest take, he was excited to join in and provided a fun spin on all the new changes we’re delivering to Summer Fest this year. Brendan used our Fest Five format to help highlight some Summer Fest 2013 hallmarks. Here, in his words, he provides us with his five exciting festival changes 1. A …
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August 8, 2013
By: Laura G. Thorne, Ten Ton Troll
Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot – these four saxophonists have each had extraordinary careers, their resumes impressively gilded with gold and platinum-selling CD’s and numerous awards. An ingenious concept then for all four stars to come together on Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart and has become the feel-good smooth jazz release of the season. For its identity, the Summer Horns project …
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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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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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