Articles by Gregory Savage
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2019
by Gregory Savage
Hot fun in the summertime is what the 30th San Jose Jazz Summer Fest was all about. With stages titled Swing, Blues / Big Easy, Salsa, Jazz Beyond and Gospel, you get a sense of what sounds were in the air. The festival was held August 9th through the 11th in beautiful downtown San Jose, California. From high school bands to rising stars like Aneesa Strings and Amy D., mix in jazz talents Dianne Reeves, Gregory Porter, Sons Of Kemet, ...
Continue ReadingCGI Rochester International Jazz Festival 2019
by Gregory Savage
The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival, held June 21st thru the 29th, was a huge success. The streets of downtown Rochester, New York, are the perfect venue to host nine straight days (and nights) of jazz. The eighteenth annual festival had a little something for everyone, including perfect weather. From high school bands, to rising stars, to NEA Jazz Masters; every level of jazz was heard and seen. The lineup included jazz greats George Benson, Eddie Henderson, Steve Gadd, Harold ...
Continue ReadingSan Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2018
by Gregory Savage
Hot fun in the summertime is what the city of San Jose is all about! The 29th edition of the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, held August 10th-12th, included something for every music lover. As the large crowd flooded the downtown area, they had a choice of music coming from 12 different stages. Straight-ahead jazz, Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban, R&B and a few artists who defy genre categorization. No question, Jazz is alive and well in San Jose, California! ...
Continue ReadingXerox Rochester International Jazz Festival 2018
by Gregory Savage
The 17th edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival--held June 22nd to the 30th--was another success. The festival, held annually in downtown Rochester, New York, has quickly become one of the nation's most popular and most respected music events. We're talking about 1500+ artists, 20 venues; each within walking distance of each other, 320 concerts; including 94 free shows and events. The festival's European style makes it the place to meet! With many streets closed to traffic, the lively ...
Continue ReadingMonterey Jazz Festival 2017
by Gregory Savage
Beautiful sunshine and perfect temperatures, were the backdrop for the 60th Monterey Jazz Festival. Coupled with good food and jazz lovers everywhere, the setting for an incredible weekend. But, this was only the icing. The “cake" was 500 musicians showing up for work, including some of the greatest jazz artists of all time. Headlining the hit list was Herbie Hancock. Add the ingredients of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Chick Corea, Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Joe Lovano, John Beasley, and you have ...
Continue ReadingBrubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony 2017
by Gregory Savage
The Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony is hosted by the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. This year's program ran from August 6th to August 11th. In keeping with the global vision Dave and Iola Brubeck brought to the art form, the Colony features five international students attending through the Brubeck Institute's continuing partnership with the UK's National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra. Along with these international youth come high school ...
Continue ReadingSan Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2017
by Gregory Savage
August 11th to 13th turned out to be a great weekend of jazz at this year's San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. Whether you enjoyed the lawn-chair, open air atmosphere or the traditional jazz club scene, it was your choice. The power lineup included Chris Botti, Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez, Jimmy Cobb, Dr. Lonnie Smith, George Cables, Cyrille Aimee and more. One of the festival highlights was Dr. Lonnie Smith. How he works the Hammond B3 is known worldwide, but thumbing ...
Continue ReadingXerox Rochester International Jazz Festival 2017
by Gregory Savage
The phrase, “the festival will go on come rain or shine," never rang more true than at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. Even with on and off showers, the streets were packed with jazz lovers every night. The lineup, from top to bottom, was impressive. There was a great mixture of seasoned and emerging artists. With over 300 events including several free shows, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival has built a strong reputation as a world class jazz ...
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