The 19th annual Blue Jay Jazz Festival will open on Thursday, Aug. 27 with two great bands.
The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation’s mission is to pay tribute to this uniquely American art form and all its relatives: blues, R&B, traditional big bands, rock, funk, Latin jazz and pop.
The opening act on Aug. 27 will be 6 Beats Apart, made up up Ed Wynne, Andy Waddell, Mark Gasbarro, Bruce Lett and MB Gordy. They are some of the top studio musicians in Los Angeles. Their credits include numerous top-selling albums, feature films, television shows and live performances with jazz greats such as Freddie Hubbard, Red Garland, Eddie Harris and Nancy Wilson to name a few.
Then the Carl Verheyen Band will take the stage at Tavern Bay Beach Club. Verheyen is best known as a longtime member of Supertramp and leader of the band that carries his name.
Ranked among the world’s top guitarists, Verheyen has recorded 16 albums, played on hundreds of records, major film and TV soundtracks and toured globally. A sought‑after session musician and influential teacher, he is acclaimed for his virtuosity across rock, jazz, blues and country styles.
But that’s not all! On Aug. 27, the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation will present scholarships to this year’s Future Generation Jazz Scholars. Seven outstanding student musicians will be honored for their skills, talent and dedication to jazz.
Receiving scholarships this year are Vicente Ruvalcaba, tenor saxophone; Maya Anossov, vocal; Brenden Watson, alto sax; Jacob Heil, guitar; Kaydin Lowery, trombone; Colin Hobson, trumpet; and Jaden Martinez, baritone sax.
Proceeds from the Blue Jay Jazz Festival help provide instruments, equipment and music-making opportunities for local youth. The Festival also provides playing opportunities for the Scholars while bringing first-class jazz entertainment to the community.
Gates open at 5 p.m. with the opening act at 6 p.m. and the main show at 7 p.m.
Tickets and more information are available at bluejayjazz.org.
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