September 4, 2012
By: Brandon Roos
Past festival attendees know that come the second weekend in August, the streets of downtown San Jose are full of sounds from around the world, with stages blaring anything from straight ahead and Latin jazz to swing, blues and more. Yet what they may not know is that this annual extravaganza only happens through the dedication of hundreds of staff and volunteers who return every year to the welcome faces they’ve worked with in the …
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August 23, 2012
By: Brandon Roos
Musical ideals run deep for Sonnymoon. Originally conceived as a duo, producer Dane Orr and vocalist Anna Wise recently added drummer Joe Welch and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Randall to their permanent line-up, a change that has not only invigorated their live show but brought a new excitement to their entire creative process. With more control over specifics, the group is now able to expand and contract songs in the moment, instilling a jazz sensibility to their …
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August 16, 2012
By: Brandon Roos
Sunday finally rolled around and the festival mood seemed engaging, relaxing and bittersweet. After two days of great programming, the end of Summer Fest was now near. Eager to catch new highlights, I eased my way into the day, and here’s what I encountered: Terence Blanchard‘s 2pm Main Stage performance had the crowd enthralled. As I walked down the Tech Museum side of Market Street, the scene was mesmerizing. A near silence seemed to sit over …
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August 12, 2012
By: Brandon Roos
What a full day of great performances yesterday! I enjoyed some great food between some wonderful performances. A little sampling: On my way to see local singer Laila Smith on the Silicon Valley Stage, I stopped to hear a bit of Amanda Shaw’s performance on the Main Stage. The crowd was getting energized by her performance — a great way to get the crowd ready for the rest of the day! Smith’s performance was nothing …
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August 7, 2012
By: Brandon E. Roos
Whether it’s grabbing a drink, picking up a new healthy recipe or entering to win the trip of a lifetime, our outstanding sponsors will definitely be adding to the Summer Fest experience this year. San Jose-based brewery Gordon Biersch will even be premiering a brand new stage! Read on to find out about some of the wonderful booths and services available from some of our festival sponsors. Gordon Biersch Gordon Biersch, now the largest …
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August 7, 2012
By: Brandon E. Roos
When the last notes die down at the Main Stage, it’s time to discover just what the festival has going on after dark. These more intimate gatherings will showcase the breadth of the festival’s line-up. They’re also sure to bring inspirational, free-form moments that have long happened at our late-night events. Drum! Night For the fourth straight year, Drum! Magazine will team up with San Jose Jazz for Drum! Night. Kenny Aronoff, Tim Yeung …
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August 7, 2012
By: Laura G. Thorne
If you were anywhere next to a radio in the 1970’s, you know the music of the Spinners, one of the greatest soul/R&B/pop groups the decade had to offer and one that came to define the “Philly Sound.” Their hits, including “It’s a Shame,” “I’ll Be Around,” “Could it be I’m Falling in Love,” “The Rubberband Man,” “Games People Play,” “Working My Way Back to You” and “Then Came You” (with Dionne Warwick) brought …
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August 6, 2012
By: Brandon E. Roos
Genres won’t be the only things colliding at Summer Fest this year. In addition to a number of genre-busting acts, the festival is also hosting two acts that will be merging art forms on stage. Lula Washington Dance Theater, performing with Marcus L. Miller and Freedom Jazz Movement, will be coupling modern dance with jazz, and Avotcja and Modupue will be adding poetry atop a world music backdrop. Just as Summer Fest is a …
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August 6, 2012
By: Brandon E. Roos
Following a competitive audition process, over 20 performances, including 13 performances in the last six months, the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars, under the direction of Dr. Aaron Lington, will open the Cisco Bella Mia Stage Saturday and the Next Gen Stage Sunday. They are sure to wow with their accomplished chops. A lesser known fact may be that these All Stars are at the core of San Jose Jazz’s greater mission. …
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August 5, 2012
By: Brandon E. Roos
Most musicians don’t start by learning jazz in preschool, but then again, most musicians aren’t Laila Smith. Thanks to an early music teacher, Smith discovered her passion for jazz at the age of four and debuted on the Summer Fest stage accompanying a jazz choir when she was only six. Thirteen years later, she’s about as decorated as a singer her age can be. Her latest award may be her most notable – she …
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