JazzFest 2010 - Artist Line-Up
Headliners for the 2010 Pensacola JazzFest have been announced, and it's going to be a great program! We'll be adding full details about the performers as soon as we gather all the info.
Joining us for JazzFest will be:
"He may be the best of his generation," writes Owen Cordle in JazzTimes. George Kanzler of the Newark Star Ledger proclaims that he is "the most impressive and creative member of a new generation of jazz guitarists." And Chip Deffaa of the New York Post observes that he is "...one of the very finest young guitarists working today."
Howard Alden began playing at age ten, inspired by recordings of Armstrong, Basie and Goodman, as well as those by guitarists Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and George Van Eps. Soon he was working professionally around Los Angeles playing in groups ranging from traditional to mainstream to modern jazz. In 1979, Alden went east, for a summer in Atlantic City with Red Norvo, and continued to perform with him frequently for several years.
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Russ Kassoff returns to the Pensacola JazzFest after a well-received performance here at the 2006 JazzFest. Russ Kassoff is an accomplished jazz pianist, conductor, composer, orchestrator, and arranger, whose varied talents are much valued and on display in the music world. Russ Kassoff is one of the most highly regarded musicians in New York and was praised by the New York Times in 2004 as possessing a "precision and enthusiasm that is riveting." In the words of the Chairman of the Board, "You are the best." -Frank Sinatra, '87.
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Dennis Mackrel was born, April 3, 1962. A child prodigy, he began playing the drums when he was two. He became a professional musician at the age of ten when he performed in the Anchorage Community Theater's production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum".
Developing his craft in various playing situations, Dennis received numerous awards such as "Who's Who in Music", 1979; National Endowment For The Arts Grant for Composition in 1983; and in 1992; "Outstanding Alumni" from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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Grammy nominated saxophonist, flutist, pianist, vocalist, composer, and recording artist, Loren Pickford, has had a multifaceted career as his travels have led him through a virtual tour of American music ranging from modern jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, Brazilian music and New Orleans rhythm and blues.
Loren Pickford has performed in jazz festivals, special concerts, hotels and a host of other professional venues world-wide, and has wowed critics with his musical abilities.
He has composed and performed scores for movies (Warner Bros.), documentaries (PBS-Public Broadcasting Service), CBS, radio presentations (NPR-National Public Radio), Broadway, and modern classical impressionistic dance scores for world renowned dance troupes.
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Donald Vega's style and virtuosity on piano, along with his composing and arranging, mark this young artist as a unique and exciting presence in the world of jazz. His sound has been said to resonate with a touch of Oscar Peterson’s versatility and Bill Evans’ elegant lyricism.
Vega's first album as a leader, Tomorrows, was released July 2008 with rave reviews, featuring Lewis Nash on drums and David J. Grossman on bass.Tomorrows includes six original tunes, showing us that Vega has evolved into both a creative composer and arranger. Tomorrows adds to a growing discography with Vega's piano playing including Anthony Wilson's "The Power of Nine", Bennie Wallace's" Disorder at the Border", Jose Rizo's band "Jazz on the Latin Side's The Last Bull Fighter", and Al McKibbon's "Black Orchid", to name just a few.
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Named a “rising star violinist” by Downbeat Magazine, Aaron Weinstein is quickly earning a reputation as one of the finest jazz violinists of his generation.
As a featured soloist, Aaron has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wolftrap Center for the Performing Arts, Blue Note, Birdland, the Iridium, and abroad at festivals in England, France, Switzerland, Iceland, and Israel.
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Steve Gilmore’s musical experiences began at age twelve when he played in Pennsbury (Pennsylvania) High School's progressive music program. By age fourteen he was being hired to play at the local beer hall for eight or ten dollars a night. A few years later he expanded his playing to area symphony orchestras and local big bands. Living close to Philadelphia enabled him to hear such fine players as John Coltrane, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins and Wynton Kelly, integrating what he was hearing into his own music. After high school, Gilmore spent a short time in Toronto attending the Advanced School of Contemporary Music, then staffed by The Oscar Peterson Trio. Ray Brown was his teacher.
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Originally from Ralston, Nebraska, Kathy Lyon grew up in a large musical family, and was influenced by a variety of music as a young girl. Especially important was listening to her father’s piano renditions of Count Basie and Pine Top Smith, and exploring his collection of 78’s. She harmonized with her four sisters on traditional Czech and American folk songs, musical classics, and spirituals.
After moving to the Washington, D.C. area in the late 70’s, Kathy met Tom Lyon, her future husband, and they started performing as a duo in area clubs. “Two’s Company” and later the “Kat Lyon Band” toured extensively during the early 1980’s. They performed at ski resorts and small clubs around the U.S. They also were invited to perform in seven overseas tours for the U.S. Dept. of Defense, traveling worldwide entertaining U.S. military and diplomatic personnel.
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The Guffman Trio began performing together in 2003 and have been featured at numerous festivals and venues throughout the Southeast in recent years.
Coming from diverse musical backgrounds, their eclectic sound consists of a blend of straight ahead jazz with blues, funk, Latin and folk to produce a mix sure to satisfy the taste of any listener.
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Phillips Piano Competition Winner Trio
The Kathleen T. and Philip B. Phillips, M.D. Jazz Piano Competition is a nationally recognized jazz performance competition sponsored by the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida, and made possible by the generosity of the Phillips family.
The annual competition attracts outstanding young musicians and judges from around the country and is open to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, ages 17-35, at colleges and universities throughout the United States. The Judges will represent prominent musicians and educators in the field of jazz. The finals of the competition will be held as a free public performance and will take place at the Historic Saenger Theatre in Pensacola, Florida, Saturday, April 10, 2010.
This event will coincide with Pensacola’s JazzFest. The winner of the competition will then perform at the Pensacola JazzFest, on Sunday, April 11, 2010.
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Also in the line-up will be the following College and High School bands:
Abraham Baldwin College Jazz Band
Northwest Florida State College Jazz Band
Pensacola Jr. College Jazz Band
University of West Florida Jazz Band
Booker T. Washington High School Jazz Band
Navarre High School Jazz Band
Pine Forest High School Jazz Band
Tate High School Jazz Band
Ransom Middle School Jazz Band
Bailey Middle School Jazz Band
Of course, as soon as JazzFest ends, we start planning for next year! The 2011 Pensacola JazzFest is scheduled for Sat./Sun. April 2 and 3, 2011. Our JazzFest planners continually review artist’s CDs, promo packages, etc., in order to bring outstanding artists to our Festival.
Performers may send applications for future festivals to:
Crystal Joy Albert, Director of Music - Pensacola JazzFest
850-939-8678-H
850-217-5645-C
850-433-8382-JSOP
6511 Calle De Lago
Navarre, FL 32566
crstljoy1@aol.com
NOTE: all applications should include: CD, resume, photographs and press release
Mark your calendars for April 10-11, 2010, and we look forward to seeing you at the 27th Annual Pensacola JazzFest!