Members Mr. Botch Posted August 29, 2005 Members Share Posted August 29, 2005 The Sweetie and I went to the Park City Jazz Festival this Saturday, what a great relaxer! It was held at the Deer Valley Ski Resort; they've built a beautiful ampitheatre up there facing the ski slopes, and the audience sits in the built-in bowl shape. Utah has its faults but the scenery at this locale can't be topped, I don't think. They even divided the crowd in two, people sitting on blankets on one side, with folding chairs on the other, so no one's view was blocked. Another great thing about Park City is they don't buckle under to the demands of "the church" here in Utah. You could bring anything you wanted to drink, plus they were selling wine and beer in concessions, with no ID checks, special wristbands or "beer gardens" (roped-off areas where you had to drink, to "protect the families" ). This all sounds quite ordinary in the rest of the US and the world, its kinda rare in Utah (I call Park City "a little bit of the US in Utah!" ). The Sweetie had packed iced champagne, fried chicken, grapes, two kinds of cheeses and artisan bread. Kenny Garrett was first off on sax, he's played with Miles, Sting, and Peter Gabriel; both he and his band were smokin'! I'll have to find some of his CDs. Sam Cardon was up next, a Smoove Jazz pianist originally from Utah, had a three-piece horn section, very nice! George Benson was the headliner, I've never seen him live before. He's taken a class or two from the "Celine Dion/Michael Bolton School of Vocal Acrobatics", but his guitar playing was tasty, tasty, tasty! Killer band, including Donnie Hathaway's daughter on percussion and killer vocals. Coulda done without his "special guest", the other Utah native, Donny Osmond, but he only sang one song so that wasn't too bad. We got the package deal and stayed in a rustic lodge after the show, jetted hot tub, balcony overlooking the mountains, sweet! This'll be a yearly event from now on for us, I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TimOBrien Posted August 29, 2005 Members Share Posted August 29, 2005 Sounds excellent. Been a couple of years since I was over that way but loved the area. Personally, I'm waiting on JazzOnTheGreen.com this Oct.15th in Ft.Meyers FL. They've got pianist Brian Culbertson, guitarist Craig Chaquico, saxman Michael Lington and SlimMan with BonaFide scheduled. Gonna be a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members forceman Posted August 29, 2005 Members Share Posted August 29, 2005 You guys sure are lucky! The Labor Day weekend Detroit Jazz festival only offers: (2005 Artist List) Ada Rovatti Alberta Adams with R.J.'s Rhythm Rockers Barbara Ware Quartet/Quintet Bettye LaVette Bill O'Connell Quartet Bon Temps Roulle Bop Culture Brothers Groove Carl Cafagna & North Star Jazz Charles McPherson Quartet Coupe and Her Groovemobile David 'Fathead' Newman - Tribute to Ray Charles Don Swindell Quintet Donald Walden & the Detroit Jazz Orchestra Dr. John and The Lower 911 Gerald Wilson Big Band Gerard Gibbs & Re-ORGAN'yz Geri Allen with Mary Stallings Ilona Knopfler James Tatum Trio Plus James Wendell Robinson Quintet Janet Tenaj Sextet Jean 'Toots' Thielemans & KOA Jeremy Kittel Quintet Joan Crawford Sextet Joey DeFrancesco Trio - Tribute to Jimmy Smith John Sinclair and The Blues Scholars Johnnie Bassett Long Tall Marcia Ball Louis Smith Motor City R & B Pioneers Nancy Davis w/spg Sautee Nathaniel Mayer NOD Odessa Harris Big Band Oscar Castro-Neves Randy Brecker/Bill Evans Soulbop Band Randy Weston's African Rhythms Trio Rapa House Too Renaissance HS Jazz Ensemble Roderick Harper Ron Blake Band Scholastic Sean Jones Sir Mack Rice Steelheads T.S. Monk Tad Weed Trio The Blind Boys of Alabama The Dave Brubeck Quartet The Funk Brothers The McCoy Tyner Trio The Regal Brass Band of New Orleans The Soul Survivors The Strange Thornetta Davis Tom Allport Big Band Tribute to Larry Nozero Tumbao Urban Transport Zawinul Syndicate Last, but not least: Medeski Martin & Wood Detroit Jazz Festival Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Perfessor Posted August 30, 2005 Members Share Posted August 30, 2005 There's one here in Cleveland that lasts over a week in April. It's called the Tri C jazz fest after Cuyahoga Community College. Someone from our area went up to Detroit to jump start the jazz fest there as it was touch and go in spring as to whether they'd have afestival this year. they got backing from a Detroit production company and togethre saved the fest. I just missed the first ever Trotwood jazz fest in Dayton two weeks ago. Didn't find out until it was too late. And we were only an hour north of there all weekend. A jazz fest in the Rockies sounds awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members forceman Posted August 30, 2005 Members Share Posted August 30, 2005 Here, Perfessor, is an article for you. Corroborates your post (not that it needed it, of course..) WORKING IT IN DETROIT: Her family owns the Carhartt clothing company; now Gretchen Valade is keeping the jazz festival on the payroll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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