Jazz singer Gage pens ode to hometown for San Jose festival
Jazz vocalist Jackie Gage performs for audiences in New York City these days, and when the Santa Clara University grad tells people she’s from San Jose, the same song always comes up: Dionne Warwick’s 1968 hit “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.”
But Gage doesn’t think that song — said to be based on lyricist Hal David’s fondness for the city when he was stationed nearby during World War II — captures everything she loves about her hometown. So when she returns for this weekend’s San Jose Jazz >Summer Fest, she hopes to change that by debuting a new song she’s written about San Jose.
The title is “A Secret Place,” and that certainly sums up San Jose for many people who believe the city rarely gets its due. Gage will perform the song during her set at the intimate Cafe Stritch on Saturday night. (It starts at 7:30 p.m., but people usually begin lining up for seats an hour earlier).
“It’s like a hidden beauty is everpresent here, ” Gage said, “kept alive by friends and family, in large community gatherings, in nature, in historical landmarks.”
Her song, she said, is about the feeling of being home, the joy of seeing familiar faces and the comfort of being surrounded by loved ones.
“I found much of my musical footing in San Jose and am so thankful to now use this musical platform to share the wonder of California, and beauty of San Jose,” she said.
With KCSM (91.1 FM) livestreaming the audio, Gage thought it would be a good opportunity to make a video to go with the song, an effort she is crowdfunding with an Indiegogo campaign. Backers who donate at least $10 are invited to a private, post-show meet-andgreet, and rewards go all the way up to a cameo in the video ($250). Check it out or contribute at www. indiegogo.com by searching for “Jackie Gage video shoot.”
Of course, Jackie Gage isn’t the only performer people are anticipating at Summer Fest, with a lineup that includes Kool & the Gang, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Booker T and ConFunkShun on a dozen downtown stages
Friday through Sunday at various stages. The full schedule, along with ticket and pass information, is available at summerfest. sanjosejazz.org, but here are a few acts with decidedly local connections you won’t want to miss:
• Sean O’Kane will narrate the history of San Jose set to the Big Band sounds of the Sons of Jubal at the Tabard Theatre in San Pedro Square. O’Kane, who works at Cadence Design Systems, has lent his stentorian voice to Sons of Jubal as a storyteller since 2013, and this story will journey from the Ohlone days, through the Valley of Hearts Delight era on up to Silicon Valley. Friday, 7 p.m. Swing Stage.
• Trumpeter Eddie Gale, proclaimed San Jose’s Ambassador of Jazz in 1974 by then-Mayor Norman Mineta, is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a recording artist with Blue Note Records. And what better venue for him to perform Friday night than the stylish Club Regent inside the Fairmont Hotel? Friday, 8:30 p.m. Adobe Silicon Valley Stage.
• Each year, saxophone player Aaron Lington — a San Jose State professor who also directs the SJZ High-School All-Stars Band — devotes a set to his interpretation of a different performer, composer or genre, like Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach or last year’s foray into B-side hits. This year it’s all about Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Saturday, 5 p.m., Adobe Silicon Valley Stage.
• ValLimar Jansen returns to take part in the popular Jazz Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica, held at the historic house of worship at 80 S. Market St. on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. No wristband required.
• Octobop, the band with a ’50s/’60s sound led by former San Jose Jazz Executive Director Geoff Roach, will celebrate the release of its seventh album, “Live at Savanna Jazz.” Saturday, 9 p.m., Adobe Silicon Valley Stage.