The San Jose Jazz Festival begins today and runs through Sunday. Jazz Superstars Nnenna Freelon, Jimmy Heath, Cubanismo, Nester Torres, Yellowjackets, Greg Osby, Ledisi, and Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca are among the hundreds of fascinating local and national jazz musicians who will appear at the world’s largest free jazz festival.
The JVC Jazz Festival will be held on Saturday, August 16 at the Chronicle Pavilion. The lineup includes The Crusaders featuring Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Ray Parker Jr. and special guest Randy Crawford, BWB featuring Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, and Norman Brown. Also Larry Carlton, Stanley Clarke, and Joyce Cooling.
Legendary saxman Pharoah Sanders is at Yoshi’s this week. Next week, saxophonist Greg Osby (8/11) and trumpeter Roy Hargrove (8/14-17) will be there.
Brenda Boykin and Folklorico 57 bring new traditions in jazz and blues to the Jazzschool stage this Friday at 8pm.
Jazz vocalist/pianist Diane Schuur has a new release on Concord Records entitled Midnight and it will be in stores on 08/12. It features special guests Karrin Allyson, Brian McKnight, and Barry Manilow. Also from Concord Records, Playboy Jazz presents Jazz After Dark, the ultimate 2-CD collection of late-night, mood-setting jazz featuring Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Patti Austin, Ella Fitzgerald, and many other greats.
Vocalist/songwriter/producer Marlon Saunders of Jazzhole has a new release entitled Enter My Mind. Vibe Magazine describes it as “…timeless music that can chill, ache and percolate yet never ever smell, feel, or sound neo“.