Recently in Art & Soul Oakland Category

One of the things I love about the Bay Area is that the music festivals and local events are jumping from now through end of September. If I have missed any, please let me know. :-)

This is the final weekend of the Stanford Jazz Festival with the Stanford Jazz Workshop All-Star Jam on Friday and Dena DeRose and Steve Davis on Saturday.

The East Bay Express Best of the East Bay 2009 Party is Friday evening from 5pm to midnight at Oakland Museum of California.

The 20th AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival is this weekend from Friday through Sunday in Downtown San Jose. Only $15 per day for three days of great music featuring Allen Toussaint, Sharon Jones, Wayne Wallace, Tierney Sutton, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Bill Henderson, Sony Holland, Bettye Lavette, Jon Santo, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Buster Williams, Patrice Rushen, and many more.

The 9th Annual Art & Soul Oakland Festival is August 15 and 16. New weekend but the same great fun and entertainment for everyone. The lineup includes Shawn Colvin, Will Downing, Bobby Caldwell, and Walter and Edwin Hawkins.

Friends of the Golden Gate Public Library presents Jazz on Sunday Series every Sunday at 3pm at the Golden Gate Public Library, 5606 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, California.

Don't forget the AfroSolo Arts Festival 16 and the Yerba Buena Art Festival are running now through October.

Oakland City Center Concert Series - Concerts every Wednesday at noon at the Oakland Center in Downtown Oakland.

Kaiser Rooftop Garden Concert Series - Concerts every Friday at noon through September.

Sunnyvale Jazz Series

Aug. 15 - Tony Lindsay w/Tom Politzer (r&b & contemporary jazz)
Aug. 22 - Ed Johnson & ; Novo Tempo Quintet (contemporary Brazilian jazz)
Aug. 29 - Chester Smith Ensemble (organ straight ahead jazz)

This FREE event is open to the public and is located on Murphy Avenue (between Washington & Evelyn). For more information call 408-516-7217 or visit www.DowntownSunnyvale.com

SFJAZZ Summer Concert Series is underway and tickets for the SFJAZZ Fall Festival Season are now on sale.

Mt. Diablo Jazz Festival

Northern California's largest jazz festival returns to the Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord on August 22nd with a new lineup and a new name. Previously the JVC Jazz Festival, now called the Mt. Diablo Jazz Festival, this year brings Anita Baker, Boney James, Fourplay, Jazz Attack and local group Times 4 to Concord. Tickets for the Mt. Diablo Jazz Festival are on sale now at Livenation.com.

Downtown Berkeley MusicFest - August 27-29

Dancing in the streets, drumming in the avenues, and singing on the boulevards: all of these and more are yours this week as Berkeley's arts and entertainment hub springs into action for the Downtown Berkeley MusicFest! Highlighting the amazing diversity of Berkeley's downtown scene, the festival features a rich array of musical performances at venues throughout the downtown area.

Jazz at Filoli

Celebrate our 19th Season and Filoli's 100th Jazz Concert

Filoli Jazz lovers, please join us as we once again showcase six delightful Sunday afternoon jazz concerts held outdoors on the beautiful grounds of Filoli. Let us pamper you with great entertainment. Tables and chairs are set up on the tennis court surrounded by glorious oak trees. Parking is free, as well as snacks and drinks, including beer and white wine. Gourmet boxed lunches are available for purchase in advance. This year's program features an incredibly strong lineup of world class jazz musicians. After reading the descriptions below, I think you will agree that this year might just be our best ever. Concerts are from 1:30 pm -4:00 pm.

Next up at Filoli The Bobby Hutcherson Quartet - August 30

33rd Russian River Jazz and Blues Festival

The 33rd Russian River Jazz and Blues Festival has combined two great festivals into one weekend on September 12 and 13 at Johnson Beach Resort in Guerneville. The jazz lineup (September 12) includes Al Jarreau, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliott, Jazz Attack, and Rick Braun with more acts to be announced. The blues lineup (September 13) includes The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Tommy Castro Band, and Bernard Allison with more acts to be announced.

Montclair Village Jazz and Wine Festival

The lineup for the Montclair Village Jazz and Wine Festival on Sunday, September 13 includes Kitty Margolis, Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet, Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, Mo'Rockin Project, and Taylor Eigsti.

52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival

The 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival will be held September 18-20 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, Ca. Three days of great music. Performers include Lizz Wright, Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Soulive, Dave Brubeck, Esperanza Spalding, Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, and many others throughout the festival grounds.

Rockridge Out & About Street Festival

On Sunday, September 27th, College Avenue in North Oakland's famed Rockridge neighborhood becomes the stage for musicians, street performers, fashion shows, lifestyle expos, wellness activities, and picnicking.

Sponsored by the Rockridge District Association, "Rockridge Out & About " features food, fun, education, health forums, live music, and dancing at this popular annual event. College Avenue becomes a culinary and shopping extravaganza as chefs fire up the grills and serve tasty delights and unique vendor booths and large tents showcasing the districts unique mix of locally owned retail shops businesses line over half a mile of
College Avenue. Take BART to Rockridge on September 27th to stroll, shop, wine and dine, dance, play and experience Rockridge Out & About.

Photo Credit: James Knox

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BAY AREA'S COOLEST SUMMER FESTIVAL COMES EARLY THIS YEAR

SHAWN COLVIN, THE BODEANS, WILL DOWNING, BOBBY CALDWELL, MO'FONE, RAMANA VIEIRA, WALTER HAWKINS AND MORE

9th Annual Art & Soul Features a Packed Two-Day Schedule of Top Flight Entertainment

OAKLAND, California (July 24, 2009)--The City of Oakland announced headliners and featured performers for this year's 9th Annual Art & Soul Oakland Festival. Thanks to guaranteed stellar lineups, abundant parking, easy BART access and the bargain price of just $10 per day, Art & Soul Oakland has been named the Bay Area's "best annual cultural event" by Oakland Magazine and Best Festival by East Bay Express. The SF Weekly added, "Art & Soul is dialed in to practically everything that makes Oakland great." Held in beautiful, re-energized downtown Oakland three weeks earlier on Saturday August 15, and Sunday, August 16, 2009, the festival delivers four concert stages offering simultaneous talent and diversity featuring an eclectic all-star lineup of 40 national recording artists and hot Bay Area bands sure to please every musical taste. While stage lineups are still being finalized, the acts continue the diverse and wonderful variety that has made Art & Soul the region's most popular music festival.

Saturday is anchored by headliner and multiple Grammy winner Shawn Colvin on the Art & Soul Main Stage (in association with KFOG 104.5 FM/97.7 FM) Colvin's tender, crystal clear voice sings of poignantly vivid images of relationships and life with great insight. Her performances are all at once astonishing and haunting, provocative and seductive. Sharing the stage are the BoDeans, the danceable, lean and scrappy folk/rock band once named best new band by Rolling Stone magazine. Now, 20 years later, their romantic sensibility and passionate harmonies linked to simple but potent guitar based rock and roll still excite.

The new Yoshi's Jazz Stage is newsworthy in and of itself. The lineup was selected through collaboration with the booking agents for both the Oakland and San Francisco Yoshi's Jazz Club. Headlining on Saturday are the funky brass sounds of Mo'Fone. Jazz Weekly says Mo'Fone, "Snaps and crackles like James Brown's Famous Flames with a New Orleans second line." Jazziz sums it up with, "Mo'Fone brings the grease." The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music under the direction of famed jazz trombonist Angela Wellman opens the day at 12:30 P.M. The smoky saxophone sound of Dayna Stevens follows and then the cool Latin/Soul of Sepia leads into the roaring Mo'Fone close.

Headlining the Plaza Stage's Local Voices programming on Saturday is world renowned Fado singer Ramana Vieira. Called "A rising star in World Music," by the San Francisco Examiner, Ramana has solidified her place as an artist who understands the tradition of Fado singing, but constantly combines new musical textures and original compositions. Berkeley-based Indie Rock singer/songwriter Jesse Strickland (aka Dear Indugu) brings an intensely passionate presence and personal lyrics to open the segment, followed by the Afro-Venezuelan sounds of Oakland 's Rosa los Santos .

Abby and the Pipsqueaks and Jump Street open the Plaza Stage with humorous children's music and family entertainment.

In addition, Saturday features the wildly popular Gospel Stage with Edwin Hawkins and Bishop Walter L. Hawkins and the Community in Praise Mass Choir. An entire afternoon of uplifting, roof-raising Gospel music will abound including Terence Kelly & Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the Love Center Choir, Kevin Moore, Carl Wheeler & Men of Endurance and Derrick Hall & Company.

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INDIGO GIRLS, STEPHANIE MILLS, THE MATCHES, BOBBY HUTCHERSON, ROSE ROYCE AND WALTER HAWKINS

THE BAY AREA’S BEST SUMMER FESTIVAL
8th ANNUAL COMCAST ART & SOUL OAKLAND
LABOR DAY WEEKEND

OAKLAND, California (July 2, 2008)—The City of Oakland announced headliners and featured performers for this year’s 8th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland. Thanks to guaranteed stellar lineups, abundant parking, easy BART access and the bargain price of just $10 per day, Comcast Art & Soul Oakland has been named the Bay Area’s “best annual cultural event” by Oakland Magazine. The SF Weekly added, “Art & Soul is dialed in to practically everything that makes Oakland great.” Held in beautiful, re-energized downtown Oakland over Labor Day weekend August 30, 31 and September 1, 2008, this eighth annual celebration features an eclectic all-star lineup of 60 national recording artists and hot Bay Area bands sure to please every musical taste.

Comcast Art & Soul Oakland gets off to a running start on Saturday with Oakland’s own fast-rising pop-punk band, The Matches (in association with LIVE 105). The band is known for incendiary live shows mixing pop, rock and punk styles. The sure to-be-well attended Indigo Girls headline Sunday (in association with KFOG 104.5 FM/97.7 FM.) The Grammy award winning Indigo Girls have used their tight harmonies and impeccable musicianship to become one of America’s most popular folk/rocks acts. R&B powerhouse and Grammy winner Stephanie Mills headlines Monday’s show (in association with KBLX 102.9 FM.). Mills shot to fame on Broadway in the Tony award winning smash musical The Wiz.

Just as the summer winds down, the Bay Area music festivals are in full swing. There will be a lot of great talent coming our way so get out and enjoy some live music.

Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival - August 22-26
Art & Soul Oakland - September 1-3
Russian River Jazz Festival - September 8 & 9
Montclair Jazz & Wine Festival - September 16
Monterey Jazz Festival - September 21-23

See you there!

Photo Credit: James Knox

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LUCINDA WILLIAMS, AGAINST ME!, TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS, JEFFREY OSBORNE, PIECES OF A DREAM WITH REGINA BELLE

THE BAY AREA’S BEST SUMMER FESTIVAL

COMCAST ART & SOUL OAKLAND LABOR DAY WEEKEND

OAKLAND, California (July 27, 2007)—The City of Oakland announced headliners and featured performers for this year’s 7th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland . Thanks to guaranteed stellar lineups, abundant parking, easy BART accessibility and the bargain price of just $10 per day, Comcast Art & Soul Oakland has been named the Bay Area’s “best annual cultural event” by Oakland Magazine. The SF Weekly added, “Art & Soul is dialed in to practically everything that makes Oakland great.” Held in beautiful, re-energized downtown Oakland over Labor Day weekend September 1–3, 2007, this seventh annual celebration features an eclectic all-star lineup of 60 national recording artists and hot Bay Area bands sure to please every musical taste.

Comcast Art & Soul Oakland gets off to a running start on Saturday with the catchy punk-folk sounds of Against Me! (in association with LIVE 105). Lucinda Williams has top billing Sunday (in association with KFOG 104.5 FM/97.7 FM.) Soulful funk/R&B star Jeffrey Osborne, former lead singer of L.T.D. whose solo career boasts five platinum and gold albums, headlines Monday’s show (in association with KBLX 102.9 FM.). Osborne has scored several top 40 hits including “On the Wings of Love,” Don’t You Get So Mad,” Stay With Me Tonight” and “Love Power” which he performed with Dionne Warwick.

Against Me! anchors the main stage on opening day. Renowned for energetic live shows, their unique brand of punk-folk and country creates socially conscious impassioned anthems. Sharing the main stage on Saturday are Ted Leo and the Pharmacists whose punk-soul bristles with energy and conviction, and Army of Me whose super polished hooks retain a down to earth quality. Oakland ’s own The Lovemakers bring their wild, passionate, borderline-out-of-control live show for the home town crowd.

Triple Grammy Award winner Lucinda Williams is a modern musical cult-heroine whose relentless exploration of her art makes for utterly compelling and riveting music. The st ron g Sunday lineup also includes Bay Area indie favorites Luce and the get-up-and-dance bi-lingual Latin rock of deSol.

Capping Comcast Art & Soul Oakland on Monday, in addition to headliner Jeffrey Osborne the ever-popular KBLX 102.9 FM stage features powerhouse contemporary jazz from Pieces of a Dream featuring Regina Belle and the smooth sounds of keyboardist Peter Horvath. Keeping with Art & Soul tradition international gospel sensation Edwin Hawkins commands the gospel stage. This year it will be a family affair with Walter and Tramaine Hawkins in the house.

Willie G, originally uploaded by in2jazz.

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RICKIE LEE JONES, NEW FOUND GLORY, WAYMAN TISDALE, ANGIE STONE
AND EDWIN HAWKINS

THE BAY AREA’S BEST SUMMER FESTIVAL COMCAST ART & SOUL OAKLAND
LABOR DAY WEEKEND

OAKLAND, California (July 27, 2006)—The City of Oakland announced headliners and featured performers for this year’s 6th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland. Thanks to guaranteed stellar lineups, abundant parking, easy BART accessibility and the bargain price of just $5 per day, Comcast Art & Soul Oakland has been named the Bay Area’s “best annual cultural event” by Oakland Magazine. Held in beautiful, re-energized downtown Oakland over Labor Day weekend September 2–4, 2006, this sixth annual celebration features an eclectic all-star lineup of 50 bands sure to please every musical taste. Comcast Art & Soul Oakland gets off to a running start on Saturday with the catchy punk-pop of New Found Glory (in association with LIVE 105). Rickie Lee Jones and the subdudes share top billing Sunday (in association with KFOG 104.5 FM/97.7 FM.) Fiery, soulful R&B star Angie Stone headlines Monday’s show (in association with KBLX 102.9 FM.) which also features jazz great Wayman Tisdale.

New Found Glory anchors the main stage on opening day. Renowned for energetic live shows, their unique brand of punk-pop is influenced by everything from hardcore and thrash to new wave. Sharing the main stage on Saturday are Lostprophets, the Welsh band with their sonic guitar-driven splendor, and Plain White T’s whose music is less punk than power pop and always pleasing. The Silversun Pickups bring their textured melodies and indie-rock stylings.

Grammy Award winner Rickie Lee Jones is a modern musical cult-heroine whose relentless exploration of her art makes for utterly compelling and riveting music. Her rare live performance at Art & Soul promises to be a highlight. The strong Sunday lineup also includes the New Orleans funk, R&B and gospel sounds of the subdudes; the Latin jazz, mariachi trumpet, pedal steel guitar delights of Calexico; and Oakland-based rising stars The Bittersweets introducing music from their full-length debut album The Life You Always Wanted.

Capping Comcast Art & Soul Oakland on Monday, the ever-popular KBLX 102.9 FM stage features the sassy, fiery and soulful R&B singer Angie Stone plus the dynamic funk drenched sounds of NBA star-turned-jazz-bassist Wayman Tisdale. Rounding out this exciting lineup are the legendary smooth jazz super group Fattburger and Oakland-based R&B duo Christión.

Art and Soul Oakland Festival, originally uploaded by in2jazz.

BLUES TRAVELER ON THEIR WAY TO
5TH ANNUAL COMCAST ART & SOUL FESTIVAL OAKLAND

GEORGE DUKE, ROY AYERS, EDWIN HAWKINS AND MARIA MULDAUR
ALSO ON BOARD FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND FESTIVAL

OAKLAND, California (June 16, 2005)—The City of Oakland is pleased to announce headliners for the 5th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland. Blues Traveler, led by the inspired singing and harmonica playing of John Popper, is back in top form. As evidenced by their latest Live on the Rocks CD, Blues Traveler plays with plenty of fire, loads of solid improvisation and tons of funky blues jamming. They continue in their tradition as a glorious jam band, but have become more focused, exuding tremendous musicianship. This fall Blues Traveler will release their 8th studio effort ¡Bastardos! on Vanguard Records. Blues Traveler headlines Sunday’s show sponsored by KFOG 104.5 FM/97.7 FM.

The legendary George Duke headlines Monday’s show in association with KBLX 102.9 FM. Duke is an extraordinary musician of tremendous range. He has played with artists as diverse as Al Jarreau, Cannonball Adderley, Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. In addition to having recorded 30 albums of his own, Duke has been a Grammy Award-winning producer working with Dianne Reeves, Jeffrey Osborne, Anita Baker and Smokey Robinson. As an in-demand session musician, Duke has played with everyone from Sarah Vaughn to Quincy Jones to Aretha Franklin. Also on Monday, Roy Ayers brings his prodigious talents as a vibraphonist to the festival. A longtime classic jazz player, Ayers pioneered “acid jazz” and has been championed by hip-hop artists who have frequently sampled his music. The hugely popular Gospel Monday stage culminates with Edwin Hawkins, a trailblazing force behind the contemporary Gospel sound. Hawkins, a native of Oakland, is a multiple Grammy winner best known for his classic “Oh Happy Day.”

The 5th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland is Northern California’s most accessible festival offering direct service from BART and free parking for thousands of cars. Last year 60,000 people enjoyed three sensational days of music, food, fun and art in beautiful downtown Oakland. This year, in addition to the KBLX stage on Monday, the festival is adding an all-jazz stage on Saturday with Frankye Kelly, Michael O'Neill featuring Kenny Washington and Babatunde Lea, whose soulful African inspired jazz has made him one of the hottest acts on the national and international touring circuit. The Bay Area Blues Society’s ever popular three-day Blues Stage will expand to include Cajun Zydeco on Saturday, featuring Platinum selling artist Maria Muldaur & Her Louisiana Hot Band in addition to Tom Rigney & Flambeau (A Bay Area native, Tom is the son of baseball great Bill Rigney). Also new this year is an LGBT stage on Sunday featuring Latin jazz group Orquesta d’Soul, the nationally-recognized all-female African American rock group Sistas in the Pit, and other great local artists.