San Jose Jazz Summer Fest grows in stages this year
While the footprint of San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest will be smaller this year than in the past, it will still be bigger than organizers originally envisioned.
“We were just focused on the main stage, but then we decided to tie in with the Fountain Blues Festival, which didn’t happen this year,” says Artistic and Festival Director Bruce Labadie.
So, organizers added a second stage at the other end of Plaza de Cesar Chavez from the Sobrato Main Stage. The Fountain Blues Stage, booked by the Fountain Blues Foundation in collaboration with Poor House Bistro owner Jay Meduri, will feature blues and New Orleans acts, including the Chris Cain Band and Billy Iuso and Friends.
While Summer Fest usually sees acts on indoor stages in downtown San Jose, two of the usual festival venues — The Fairmont Hotel and Café Stritch — closed during the pandemic. Even so, Labadie says, organizers were driven by the desire to have more music at their first post-pandemic jazz festival, set for Aug. 13-15.
“We decided we needed straightahead and Latin jazz, so we added the Montgomery Theater. We decided we needed more, so we added the Hammer Theatre.”
Acts at the Hammer include pianists Helen Sung and James Francies and vocalists Kandace Springs and Quiana Lynell. At the Montgomery, guitarist Ray
Obiedo will play with Mambo Caribe, and multi-instrumentalist George Brooks will share the stage with Indian classical musician Arjun Verma.
The San Jose Jazz office on South First Street will house the SJZ Break Room, where small audiences can watch a live performance while larger crowds watch on outdoor screens.
“It only holds about 60 people,” Labadie says. “Some acts that are performing elsewhere are also performing there.”
Also on South First Street, the CEFCU Latin Tropical Stage will host seven Latin and salsa performances with no admission charge. Featured acts include Septeto Los Amigos, Latin Rhythm Boys, Cabanijazz Project, Las Chikas, Sitara Son, Rumbankete, Alberto Gonzalez and Orquesta Salsa Caliente.
Labadie says organizing a music festival on the heels of the pandemic has been challenging.
“We had it all booked for last year and had to cancel,” he says, adding that this year, “we tried to carry over acts, but not everyone moved.”
Some acts, Labadie says, bowed out once the state lifted its COVID-19 restrictions around large events.
“In May everyone was begging to play,” he adds. “On June 15 the price went up.”
Still, he says, “We have a very strong lineup, especially at the Main Stage. We were able to bring in some bigger acts.”
Headliners include L.A. band Ozomatli on Aug. 13, the Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra on Aug. 14 and Superblue, a quartet featuring guitarist Charlie Hunter and vocalist Kurt Elling on Aug. 15.
While he acknowledges that putting together this year’s Summer Fest took “a leap of faith,” Labadie says it’s important that the event happen.
“We’re helping San Jose recover,” he adds. “It’s a great weekend to come back. … I think there’ll be a nice energy downtown.”
The main goal of the festival, Labadie says, is “to build community in San Jose, because we’re all going to benefit from it.”
Tickets for the 2021 San Jose Jazz Summer Fest are $35-$190 per day and $105-$470 for threeday passes at summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.
Contact Anne Gelhaus at 408200-1051.