This Sunday, May 3, the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation begins its festival season with Jazz Comes Home at the San Moritz Lodge. The fundraising concert is anchored by the Groovin’ Greg Solman Group. Crestline resident Greg and his quintet will bring the soulful sounds of Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Art Blakely and other hard-bop legends. They will be joined by the Rim High Jazz Band and the Ara Tokatlian Quintet.
Solman describes hard-bop as “infectiously rhythmic, harmonically interesting and melodically memorable.” A former entertainment journalist and film critic, Solman is also an accomplished musician. He began in a college rehearsal band, then progressed as a successful Los Angeles sideman and spent 13 years in the State Military Reserve band and its jazz combo. In 2021, during the stay-at-home era of Covid 19, he gathered fellow players to form the group.
He chose wisely. Accompanying Solman’s trumpet expertise, there’s sax player Steve Ragsdale, drummer Jessica Ragsdale, bassist Freddy Uyehara and pianist Serge Kasimoff. Each comes to the stage with years of experience and education.
Steve Ragsdale grew up in Crestline and graduated from Rim High. He earned a master’s degree in jazz performance and has played with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Bill Cunliffe’s BACHanalia Big Band. He is an adjunct professor of music at Riverside Community College.
Drummer Jessica Ragsdale, also a Rim High graduate, travels the world as manager of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and teaches percussion at RCC and Cal State Fullerton. She enjoys being an in-demand drummer.
Bass player Freddy Uyehara studied upright bass and earned a degree in Musical Performance with an emphasis in Jazz Studies. He plays everything from rock to jazz and still delights in inspiring student creativity through teaching private lessons.
Pianist Serge Kasimoff emerged into the family legacy of the Kasimoff Blüthner Piano Company, one of the oldest piano stores in Los Angeles. He studied music composition and developed a specialty in Latin jazz and salsa/Cuban jazz. He has performed with Buddy Rich, Terry Gibbs, Jimmy Witherspoon, Celia Cruz, Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente.
The concert will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Admission is $20 at the door and funds benefit Rim District school bands. This is a family-friendly event; students 18 and under are free. There will be food and beverages for purchase. There is plenty of seating and parking at the San Moritz Lodge, located at 24640 San Moritz Drive, Crestline.
Special thanks to local sponsors: Osorio Brothers Cafe, Spade & Spatula, Grocery Outlet, Twin Peaks Auto Service, Saddleback Inn, The Lake House, Lake Arrowhead Pine Rose Cabins and Farmers Insurance (Blue Jay office).
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