Common to lead stars into San Jose Summer Jazz Fest
Organizers have lined up an Oscar winner, a Grammy recipient and an Emmy holder to perform at this year’s San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.
And all of those titles apply to the same person: Common.
The multiple-award-winning hip-hop artist headlines the big summer party in downtown San Jose on Aug. 14.
Common will be supporting his latest album, “A Beautiful Revolution Part 1,” featuring a song — “A Place In This World” — that was used as part of Michelle Obama’s “When We All Vote” campaign for the 2020 election.
Common — whose many career highlights include winning the Academy Award for original song with co-writer/performer John Legend for “Glory” from the 2014 film “Selma” — is one of more than 45 acts appearing at the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, which runs Aug. 13-15.
Single-day tickets are $35-$190 and three-day passes run $105-$470; summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.
Other newly announced acts that will be performing across the festival’s seven stages include Goapele, James Francies, Kandace Springs, Christian Sands, Helen Sung Quartet, Jamie Baum Septet+, Sarah McKenzie, the Jazz Organ Fellowship in a tribute to Doug Carn, New West Guitar Trio with Leah Zeger, Mimi Fox B3 Trio, SJZ Collective, Tony Lindsay Ray
Charles Project, Claudia Villela and Roberto Lumbambo, the Futurelics, Idiot Fish, George Brooks and Arjun Verma.
They’ll be joining a number of already-announced acts, including Morris Day and the Time, Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra,
Kurt Elling featuring Charlie Hunter, Judith Hill, Ozomatli, The Motet, Butcher Brown, 7th Street Big Band, Bloco do Sol,
Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs, Sons of the Soul Revivers, Chris Cain Band, Junior Watson Band, Sonny Green & Tia Carroll with the Greaseland Allstars, Gary Smith and the House Rockers and Delgado Brothers.
It’s an impressive lineup for the festival, which is returns in 2021 after missing last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are happy that San Jose Jazz Summer Fest is returning events and music to our city,” says John LaFortune, president and CEO of Visit San Jose. “We welcome all visitors to support musicians, our community, and our local businesses across the festival weekend to experience downtown and all our unique neighborhoods that are always alive with music.”