By lunchtime, Stephanie Woodford had drawn an impressive crowd around her waist-high Casio keyboard, which she was playing with a serious, intense frown on her face, her eyes on her hands and her head bowed over the sheet music.
She hit the last notes and the crowd whooped--and the frown disappeared. Stephanie grinned and bowed, and then she took a break and thought about going to check out some of the other acts at the Fillmore Jazz Festival.
“So I can get some ideas," said Stephanie, 14.
She wasn't one of the official acts at the festival, but then, the spirit of the fair is something of a free-for-all anyway. With three stages and two more alcoves for less formal performances--plus a handful of industrious musicians like Stephanie doing their own thing in the street--the music was flowing constantly on Saturday.
100,000 fans expected
The Fillmore Jazz Festival, in its 26th year, is billed as the largest free music fair of its kind on the West Coast. Nearly 100,000 spectators are expected over the Fourth of July weekend--the festival continues today--and more than two dozen bands were lined up.
The music is mostly jazz, of course, plus gospel and rhythm and blues, and bands with Asian, Cajun, Latin and other ethnic influences. The festival shuts down all of Fillmore Street between Jackson and Eddy streets, and includes a wide variety of food and crafts vendors.
“It brings together a lot of different people, a lot of different music," said Gerald Reese, an Alameda guitarist who dragged himself to the city first thing in the morning for the festival, after playing his own show the night before. “I had to get over here."
She hit the last notes and the crowd whooped--and the frown disappeared. Stephanie grinned and bowed, and then she took a break and thought about going to check out some of the other acts at the Fillmore Jazz Festival.
“So I can get some ideas," said Stephanie, 14.
She wasn't one of the official acts at the festival, but then, the spirit of the fair is something of a free-for-all anyway. With three stages and two more alcoves for less formal performances--plus a handful of industrious musicians like Stephanie doing their own thing in the street--the music was flowing constantly on Saturday.
100,000 fans expected
The Fillmore Jazz Festival, in its 26th year, is billed as the largest free music fair of its kind on the West Coast. Nearly 100,000 spectators are expected over the Fourth of July weekend--the festival continues today--and more than two dozen bands were lined up.
The music is mostly jazz, of course, plus gospel and rhythm and blues, and bands with Asian, Cajun, Latin and other ethnic influences. The festival shuts down all of Fillmore Street between Jackson and Eddy streets, and includes a wide variety of food and crafts vendors.
“It brings together a lot of different people, a lot of different music," said Gerald Reese, an Alameda guitarist who dragged himself to the city first thing in the morning for the festival, after playing his own show the night before. “I had to get over here."
