July 28, 2014
By: Brandon E. Roos
With Summer Fest only a few short weeks away, we’re bringing back our Fest Five series, where SJZ staff and community members share the five artists, events or activities they’re most excited to experience during Summer Fest. We re-introduce the series with Tom Flynn, CEO of Connect Address. Before his current tenure with Connect Address, Flynn co-founded a number of Silicon Valley start-ups, among them Lavante Inc. and AuditSolutions Inc. When he’s not hard at …
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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 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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July 30, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
Growing up in Prunedale, a small town near Monterey just north of Salinas, Livia Slingerland was exposed to classic rock at an early age. At 13, she began learning guitar at the San Jose’s School of the Blues. Taught by John Garcia, a former John Lee Hooker band mate, her burgeoning skills led her to hone her skills at jams at Poor House Bistro. “I remember every time I had a solo thrown my way, …
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July 26, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
Up-and-coming trombonist and singer Natalie Cressman has been hard at work. She just finished another year at the Manhattan School of Music and completed Turn the Sea, her follow-up to 2012 debut, Unfolding. While she wasn’t expecting to make a record so soon, she couldn’t stop the songwriting bursts she encountered. She’s even staying busy over the summer — we caught her during some off time while serving as a counselor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
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July 15, 2013
By: Brandon E. Roos
Jackie joined the San Jose Jazz marketing team roughly a year and a half ago. This year as marketing assistant, she’s helping us prepare for Summer Fest with a few interns of her own! A recent grad of Santa Clara University, she’s also a jazz singer and leader of the jazz/funk group the JurassiC, who close out our Metro Gordon Biersch Stage Sunday evening. Just last week, Ms. Gage was one of three recipients of the new …
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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 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 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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