If this year’s AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival is any indication, then music really does make the world go ‘round. Back for its 21st season from August 13-15, the South Bay’s biggest summer event promises to deliver a star-studded lineup featuring musicians from here and abroad covering all genres of jazz. This highly anticipated event, which draws crowds of more than 100,000 music lovers from around the country each year, has something for everyone, from diehard straight-ahead jazz fans to those who simply can’t resist the beats of a Latin drum.
Held at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park and various venues nearby, the festival features nine stages and a staggering lineup of world-class jazz greats and rising stars. While it would be impossible to cover them all in just a couple of pages, there are some highlights on the Main Stage, that shouldn’t be missed. See George Clinton, one of the most important innovators of funk music (Aug 13, 7:30pm); Maceo Parker, a world-famous funk and soul jazz saxophone player renowned for helping to define James Brown’s signature sound (Aug 14, 2pm); Marcus Miller, who revisits the music of Miles Davis, especially the Tutu Album, on which Marcus played and produced (Aug 14, 4pm); John Handy, best known for his soulful and fiery saxophone style (Aug 15, noon); and Tower of Power, renowned for its innovative urban soul music (Aug 15, 6pm).
Feeling kind of blue? Then catch the musical stylings of such acts as Grammy-nominated Ruthie Foster, whose voice echoes those of Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin (Aug 14, 9pm); and the Ford Blues Band with Robben Ford, who has been called one of the greatest guitarists of the 20th century (Aug 15, 7pm).
Spice things up with the festival’s impressive Latin music lineup, where you can find no shortage of music that will surely make you get up and dance. Must-sees include Grupo Falso Baiano, which offers a blend of traditional Brazilian choro music with jazz, flamenco, and samba (Aug 14, 4pm); Annette Aguilar, a San Francisco-based percussionist and composer (Aug 14, 8pm); and Orquesta Borinquen, one of San Francisco’s hottest salsa bands (Aug 14, 12pm).
Besides enjoying an array of talent on the stage, you can also participate in a salsa flash mob; enlighten your spirits at a gospel night or a jazz Mass; be in awe of some of the world’s best drummers during DRUM! Magazine Rhythm Night (Aug 13, 6pm); feed your body and musical soul at a jazz brunch; see Silicon Valley execs jam out with festival artists at the CEO Jam Session (Aug 13, 9pm); get to know your jazz heroes during “meet the artist” sessions; and bring the family to the Kids Area, where you’ll find rock climbing, rides, dune buggies and more to keep the young ones entertained.
Even long after the artists have left the stage, jazz lovers can keep the party going until the wee hours of morning with the 48-Hour Jazz Club, where you can take in an intimate, straight-ahead jazz performance until 1:30am; and the Club Crawl, where you can stop by downtown bars, lounges and restaurants to catch some incredible live music on Friday and Saturday nights. With so much going on during this jam-packed weekend, you’ll surely come away with a greater appreciation for the San Jose Jazz Festival’s immense power to draw people together—and secure the South Bay’s prominence in the jazz world.
When: August 13-15
Where: Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose
More info: 408/288-7557; www.jazzfest.sanjosejazz.org
Photo: Clockwise from top left: George Clinton; Marcus Miller; Irma Thomas; Gretchen Parlato; Ruthie Foster.
