Press Release: Bakersfield Jazz Festival
May 9 & 10, 2008
The Bakersfield Jazz Festival has become a wonderful two-day celebration for the community that has been called Bakersfield's "Rite of Spring." The 22nd Annual Festival will be on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, at the CSUB Amphitheater, and this year's festival is brought to you by the CSUB Music Department and the presenting sponsor BMW of Bakersfield, whose five year commitment has certainly given the festival a solid boost.
As the gates open to the festival grounds at 6 pm on Friday, the audience will enter to Bakersfield's hottest swing band, Chesterfield King and the Sultans of Swing. Throughout the festival music will be heard on the Golden West Casino Stage near the entrance and in the vendor area after each group finishes on the main stage.
Starting at 7 pm on the main stage, the festival features the extraordinary trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who has won Grammy awards for both Best Instrumental Jazz Album and Best Latin Jazz Performance. From contemporary funk to straight ahead jazz, Roy Hargrove has established himself as one of the premier players on the scene. Following Hargrove will be Roberta Gambarini, who has been called "the true successor to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae." She is the winner of Swing Journal's Vocal Jazz Record of 2005 and has astounded audiences at jazz festivals around the world with her scintillating vocal improvisations and stunning beauty. The evening concludes with a return of the Yellowjackets, who have set the standard for creative contemporary jazz for more than two decades. In fact, the Yellowjackets were the headliner at the very first Bakersfield Jazz Festival, having just won their first Grammy award and being featured in a Star Trek movie that year. Twenty-two years later we are honored to have the Yellowjackets return to the festival to bring the first night to an exciting close.
The music begins at 1 pm on Saturday with the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop Orchestra playing on the entrance stage when the festival gates open. For those that are new to the Jazz Festival, there are a variety of food vendors serving everything from hamburgers and hot dogs to deep-pit barbeque and Cajun delights. There will be plenty to satisfy your sweet tooth as well. Beer and wine are available at the festival, but stand warned--Alcohol Beverage Control forbids the bringing of alcohol into a licensed site. However, many will bring their coolers with food and soft drinks onto the festival grounds and spread their blankets and lay claim to their turf for a day of jazz on the green. Did I mention sunscreen? Who can predict the weather, but be prepared. Also, know that all children under 12 are free, and the kids seem to love the wide-open (but fenced) spaces. Check out the jewelry, painting, ceramics, and photography in the artists pavilion area. Remember all proceeds from this event go toward student scholarships. Last year over $22,000 was awarded to 28 deserving students in eight academic disciplines in addition to music, and over the years the festival has created a scholarship endowment of over $80,000 from the proceeds. So enjoy yourself, check out the pavilion area, and know you are helping the cause.
Besides the fun and food, how about the music? Saturday begins on the main stage at 2 pm with the Kern County Honor Jazz Band, which contains the best high school players from our area. These young musicians were selected by audition and have been diligently rehearsing for their festival performance. Next will be The Jazz Messiahs with their artful and playful compositions taking center stage. Then up from L.A. will be Los Cuatro, the group with a strong contemporary Cuban flavor on bass and drums plus the Bakersfield native Dennis Hamm on piano. The afternoon should heat up to a fever pitch with such talent on stage. Next will be the phenomenal bassist/singer Kristin Korb with her all-star group. Korb simply must be heard to be believed, scatting with impeccable timing and intonation while she plays her string bass with effortless drive.
Saturday's evening groups will start with the Tom Harrell Quintet. Tom Harrell played in the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman bands and then with Horace Silver and Phil Woods groups while establishing himself as one of the most creative and lyric improvisers in jazz. He is the winner of numerous jazz awards as top composer and trumpeter, including "Jazz Album of the Year" and a 1999 Grammy for his big band album. Next, Conrad Herwig's Latin Side of Miles, Trane & Wayne is one of the strongest and unique statements of Latin jazz today. The three-horn frontline is surrounded by New York's hottest Latin rhythm section. Their performance will precede the spectacular close-proximity fireworks that lead to the closing festival headliner, the Houston-born sax man Everette Harp. With recording credits with Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, and Aretha Franklin as well as Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis, and Larry Carlton, the talents of Everette Harp have been heard by most Americans, especially since he performs the theme song to Entertainment Tonight, Soul Train, and Roger Ebert at the Movies. It was his work with legendary keyboardist George Duke that launched Harp's solo career with numerous chart-topping recordings, and he continues to tour with superstars Kenny Loggins and Anita Baker. Certainly, Everette Harp's soulful heart and funky grooves should bring the audience to their feet to close the festival. Spring has come to Bakersfield yet again, and the jazz festival knows it's time to celebrate.
Friday advance tickets are $23 for students and $32 for general admission. Saturday advance tickets are $25 for students and $35 for general admission. Tickets are available at all Vallitix outlets, Stockdale Music, California Keyboards, Russo's at the Marketplace, and Front Porch Music. Save when you buy two-day festival tickets, which are $35 for students and $55 for general admission. For reserved tables of 6, sold only for both days of the festival, you should call 322-5200. The tables have servers to bring you beverages plus free snacks both days of the festival. For general information also call 322-5200 and check out our website at www.bakersfieldjazz.com. Go and enjoy this community celebration on May 9th and 10th.