19th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival- Preview (August 11-13, 06)
What a great festival it turned out to be as I made it to see the great Friday night lineup of popular pianist David Benoit and his jazzy/classical oriented music. He played some new songs as well as popular recognizeable tunes such as the theme to "Charlie Brown" among others. The headliner that night were the Rendevous All Stars led by Bassist Wayman Tisdale, Singer Jonathon Butler, keyboardist Brian Simpson, & exceptional saxaphonist Kirk Whalum and his Uncle to play a few tunes. They started with some jazzy stuff and then got into some funky music that had the whole audience up and dancing. I missed Saturday night which had a great lineup itself but made it back Sunday.
The Al Williams Jazz Society featuring Barbara Morrison were a nice start to an incredible evening. Next up were my personal favorites "Guitars and Saxes" featuring Richard Elliot and Gerald Albright on Saxes and Peter White and Jeff Golub on Guitars. This act is one of a kind and a must see as they tour every so often mixing in solo/duo performances with the quartet together to create a sensational sound of jazz, funk and great listening music. Up next was fabulous vocalist Howard Hewett with his band. Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Ensemble rounded out the night and festival. Poncho on his congas and his diverse band played a mixture of latin jazz and salsa to give the audience an exciting way to end!
RAINBOW PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCES ITS LINEUP FOR THE 19TH ANNUAL LONG BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL
2006 THEME “ALL THAT JAZZ… AND MORE†HIGHLIGHTS STARS OF SMOOTH JAZZ
BRIAN CULBERTSON, EVERETTE HARP, PHIL PERRY,
GEORGE DUKE & STANLEY CLARKE, HOWARD HEWETT AND MANY OTHERS TO ENTERTAIN FANS WITH 3 DAYS OF GREAT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Long Beach, CA – Rainbow Promotions presents the 19th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival August 11, 12 and 13, 2006. The Festival again takes place at the breath-taking seaside setting of Rainbow Lagoon Park on Shoreline Drive in Long Beach, California. As with previous Long Beach Jazz Festivals, the 19th Annual 3-day music extravaganza has a special theme and focus—“All That Jazz… and Moreâ€â€”as the exciting and evolving genre of Smooth Jazz takes center stage with a lineup that is clearly the cream of the crop. Featured are Brian Culbertson, David Benoit, Phil Perry, Howard Hewett, the Rendezvous All-Stars, Poncho Sanchez, Kim Waters and the awesome twosome, George Duke & Stanley Clarke, to name just a few.
As one of the longest-running annual jazz festivals in Southern California, the Long Beach Jazz Festival offers something for everyone, from soulful party-vibe grooves to more traditional jazz improvisation. Veteran concert promoter Al Williams, head of Rainbow Promotions, will also perform on the 13th with his Al Williams Jazz Society, featuring vocalist Barbara Morrison. Williams says of the Festival’s Smooth Jazz focus: “I feel a special bond with the lineup that has been assembled this year. It is a true mix of all the elements that have sustained jazz’s popularity for decades; a touch of rhythm, soul, international flavor, innovation and future jazz stars. It all adds up to great music for all fans of jazz.â€
Rainbow Promotions believes in fostering upcoming jazz talent, so each year they sponsor the Long Beach Jazz Star Search Competition, produced by Steve Adams of Century City Records. The winner of the competition opens the Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Also this year, KJAZZ 88.1 FM sponsored a youth jazz band competition, and the winner, the Christian Hernandez Quintet, will open the Festival Friday night.
On Friday, August 11, the Rendezvous All-Stars, featuring Wayman Tisdale, Jonathan Butler, Kirk Whalum and Brian Simpson, headline the first day. They are joined by popular composer/pianist David Benoit and the Christian Hernandez Quintet. On Saturday, August 12, multi-talented Brian Culbertson performance is preceded by the legendary duo George Duke & Stanley Clarke, whose funky brand of jazz fusion helped to shape today’s Smooth Jazz sound. Saxophonist Everette Harp, vocalist Phil Perry, and soprano saxophonist Kim Waters round out what promises to be a day of electrifying music. And on Sunday, August 13, vocalist extraordinaire Howard Hewett headlines an outstanding 3rd day lineup that includes guitarists Peter White, the eclectic Jeff Golub and Nils, saxophonists Richard Elliot and Gerald Albright, percussionist Poncho Sanchez and his seven-piece Latin jazz ensemble, and the Al Williams Jazz Society, featuring Barbara Morrison.
Tickets are available through Rainbow Promotions at (562)-424-0013, or online at Ticketmaster.com. VIP tickets–$140 on Friday, and $165 per seat on Saturday and Sunday—include dinner, wine service and backstage access. Reserved box seat tickets are $55 on Friday and $70 per seat on Saturday and Sunday. General admission/lawn seating is $40 (prior to August 11) and $45 at the gate. Gates open at 5pm, with show time starting at 7pm. Friday and Saturday gates opens at 11:00am and show time starts at 12noon.
Presenting sponsors for the 19th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival are Charter Communications and BETJ. The festival is also sponsored in part by Cadillac. Other sponsors include Alize, Stone Garden Vineyards, Budweiser and Southwest Airlines. Media sponsors include Jazziz Magazine, KTWV-FM, KJAZZ-FM and KJLH-FM Los Angeles.
About Rainbow Promotions
Rainbow Promotions is the producer of the Long Beach Jazz Festival and concerts throughout the year. For 19 years, Rainbow Promotions has presented the Long Beach Jazz Festival, the city’s second-largest event behind the Long Beach Grand Prix, and averages 30,000 in attendance over the three-day event. For more information regarding the Long Beach Jazz Festival, go to: www.longbeachjazzfestival.com, or www.rainbowpromotions.com.
For more information contact: Jalila Larsuel, JL Media Relations, 626.398.5028 or email [email protected].
Friday, August 11, 2006
Jazz Search Winner 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
David Benoit 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Rendevous All-Stars 9:30 – 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Jazz Search Winner 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Kim Waters 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Phil Perry 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Everett Harp 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
George Duke / Stanley Clark 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Brian Culbertson 8:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Jazz Search Winner 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Nils 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Al Williams Jazz Society ft. Barbara Morrison 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Guitars & Saxes 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Howard Hewitt 7:00 – 8:15 p.m.
Poncho Sanchez 8:45 – 10:00 p.m.