Imagine being able to leave your mountain home and drive just a few miles to hear outstanding, world-famous jazz musicians.
Imagine no longer! This year’s Blue Jay Jazz Festival features the music of four Grammy-award winning artists – right here in your backyard.
With 17 years of exceptional concerts under its belt, the Blue Jay Jazz Festival announces its biggest and boldest lineup yet.
The three-day immersive experience kicks off on Aug. 22 at the Tavern Bay Beach Club with Poncho Sanchez, the “King of Latin Jazz.” The Grammy winner returns with his fiery stew of jazz, gritty soul and infectious Latin rhythms.
That night guests will also get to meet the 10 Future Generation Jazz scholars – Colin Hobson, Vincent Felix, Dylan Witter, Brenden Watson, Hazel Perez, Martina Urrutia, Katharine Bouchard, Evangeline De Leon, Sophia Wheeler and Christopher Whitty. From vocals to trumpet, clarinet to drums, sax to flute, guitar to piano, these up-and-coming musicians will dazzle both the audience and the professional musicians they will share the stage with.
Lee Ritenour
Friday, Aug. 23 brings the extraordinary jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour to the Festival stage at Tavern Bay. Ritenour is a Grammy Award winner with 19 Grammy nominations. He has been called l’enfant terrible of ’70s fusion, a crossover star of the ’80s pop chart, an honorary exponent of Brazilian jazz and the fingers behind ’90s supergroup, Fourplay.
His five-decade career has produced 45 albums and collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Dave Grusin, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Pink Floyd. One of Ritenour’s best sellers, his Grammy-nominated album Wes Bound, a tribute to the great jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, reached #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart. Ritenour is a Los Angeles Jazz Society honoree and recipient of the prestigious USC “Alumnus of The Year” award. Lee Ritenour & Friends will feature special guest George Whitty, a Grammy-winning pianist and local resident.
John Proulx and Val Geason
On Saturday, Aug. 24, the Jazz Salon, in a more intimate setting at the Lake Arrowhead Resort, presents John Proulx, a Grammy-winning singer, pianist, composer and music educator. His smooth and velvety style is reminiscent of bebop sensation Chet Baker.
Proulx will be joined by Val Geason, a former Raylette who toured for years with the extraordinary Ray Charles. “MzVal,” as she’s known, is a golden-voiced southern siren whose smoldering vocals bring to mind Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn and Nina Simone.
The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. Through the Festival and its programs, the foundation promotes music education, inspires performance excellence and develops audience appreciation for America’s unique musical culture.
“The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation is proud to support the Festival’s mission of spreading joy, inspiration and community through music,” said Chris Levister, Foundation president. “We partner with our respected artists, committed sponsors and die-hard jazz fans to help create memories that will last a lifetime, while boosting the dreams of emerging young artists.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bluejayjazz.org.
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