BIG SUR ARTS INITIATIVE PRESENTS THE SEVENTH ANNUAL BIG SUR JAZZFEST
The non-profit Big Sur Arts Initiative announces the strongest lineup yet for the Seventh Annual Big Sur JazzFest, May 3, 4 & 5, 2002. Internationally recognized stars Brad Mehldau Trio, Russell Malone Quartet and Omar Sosa Septet top a diverse roster of talent set to perform throughout the Big Sur area, known for its stunning natural beauty. Proceeds from the event fund arts enrichment programs for Big Sur youth and adults.
Wide-ranging styles of jazz with an appeal to all ages will be showcased in intimate indoor and outdoor venues Friday night and all day Saturday, with the weekend's big outdoor festival-style event to be held Sunday at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Set in an open field near the Big Sur River, surrounded by majestic mountains and framed by towering redwoods, Sunday's Main Stage will host what may be imagined as a piano summit with the potential to set the tone for 21st Century jazz.
The Brad Mehldau Trio precedes the Omar Sosa Septet in the latter portion of the program, the two pianist-led groups presenting jazz as different as night and day. Mehldau is known for explorations of the keyboard that border on the sublime, his intuitive interplay with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy extraordinarily fluid. Drawing on his European classical music training and jazz tradition to build intricate harmonic webs around melody and to peel away layers of a song to its core essence, Mehldau is a master pianist who is recognized as a leading light of a new generation of jazz artists. He is equally at home deconstructing and rearranging jazz standards, modern alternative rock songs and his own perceptive compositions.
Cuban-born Omar Sosa, on the other hand, is an uninhibited innovator who can caress the keyboard one moment and the next, ride it like a roller coaster. Latin rhythms are combined with world music elements, hip-hop beats and outside the box arrangements. While not as widely recognized in America as Mehldau, Sosa is taking the world by storm with his visionary approach to music. Anyone who has heard him will not soon forget his fiery Latin-based fusion jazz. He brings an international group of instrumentalists and singers with him for his second appearance at the Big Sur JazzFest. Sosa, leading a quartet, will also perform at a gala fundraiser for the Big Sur Fire Brigade Friday evening.
Also on the Main Stage Sunday is the Kitty Margolis Quintet, Eric Person and Meta-Four, and the Scott Amendola Band. Each of these bands also perform in the small venue portion of the festival. New this year is a second stage where, in-between sets on the Main Stage, the audience will be treated to entertainment by the Big Sur Natives and music by Bruce Forman's Jazz Masters ensemble.
Traditionally in the past, most artists appeared once in the small venues Friday and Saturday, and then also on Sunday. This year, Big Sur JazzFest has diversified and offers name artists in unique presentations. Mehldau appears only on Sunday, and Malone appears only on Saturday at the Henry Miller Memorial Library.
Recognized as among the best of the young generation of jazz guitarists,Russell Malone's harmonic sophistication, soulful melodies, and sense of humor do more than just accentuate his prodigious technique. They indicate a high level of artistry and an element of fun that communicates well to an audience. Malone's sound is unmistakably clean and expressive, with a compatible tone that works well in many settings. His work can be heard on a multitude of recordings besides his own.
The Georgia-born guitarist came to prominence through two high-profile sideman jobs with Diana Krall and Harry Connick, Jr. The This and That Quartet, a group of talented young local musicians, will open the show.
Henry Miller Memorial Library's gorgeous front lawn area will serve as a sort of mini-festival site for Saturday's programming. Eric Person and Meta-Four will open the two presentation series. Tickets are available separately for Person and Malone, although a package price for the two shows is also available.
Person, like Malone, made his mark as a sideman and then decided he had something to say as a leader and formed his group Meta-Four. The saxophonist's associations with Chico Hamilton, Dave Holland and World Saxophone Quartet, among many others, helped to shape the forward thinking sound he has today. The festival is offering two prime opportunities to hear this talented instrumentalist, composer and arranger. Don't miss this rising star!
The San Francisco Bay Area is fertile ground for exceptional musicianship that covers the spectrum of jazz styles. Vocalist Kitty Margolis celebrates the diverse musical landscape of the Bay Area with her music. The show at Sierra Mar at Post Ranch will literally hang on the edge of the West Coast. She'll have a pared down trio setting for this gig that has traditionally been one of the hot tickets at Big Sur.
Michael Zilber and Steve Smith co-lead a band that “re-imagines" standards with unusual arrangements as well as performing an interesting array of original music. Zilber's saxophone and composing skills blend well with fusion drummer Smith who is known for his long-time association in the past with rock band Journey and currently with the fusion jazz group Vital Information. Pianist Michael Bluestein and bassist John Schifflet round out the group with their prodigious talent. The stunning views from the deck of Nepenthe will combine with the music for a magical moment, one that has usually been a highlight of the weekend.
Scott Amendola is the drummer for all reasons in the Bay Area, his name connected to creative music in many forms. He first came to prominence working with guitarist Charlie Hunter and the group T.J. Kirk. His five-piece band features electric guitarist Nels Cline, violinist Jenny Scheinman, saxophonist Eric Crystal and bassist Todd Sickafoose, their sound out on the edge of jazz, creating a unique and exciting experience. The River Inn's rustic interior provides a space conducive to absorbing all the nuances of Amendola's music.
Wild Mango and Bitches Brew are also out of the Bay Area and represent two flavors of fusion jazz. Wild Mango, who plays at the awe inspiring Hawthorne Gallery for a sunset-on-the-coast party, has a ten-year history of presenting world beat fusion jazz that inspires dance.
Bitches Brew, named after the classic Miles Davis album that brought rock, funk and jazz together in a potent mix, bases its jams on repertoire from Davis' electric period and members' original compositions. They'll play the funky roadside tavern at Fernwood, a place where locals like to come dance and party till late.
Hydeus Kiatta, although based in the Bay Area now, was born in the Monterey/Salinas area and began singing as child with her sister and father. Her soulfully smooth voice crosses over to many styles, jazz, R&B, folk, Middle Eastern and world music. She'll be performing with violin and guitar accompaniment at Saturday's first concert at an intimate outdoor setting connected to Ripplewood Resort, a great place for breakfast and a sunny sort of space to get the day rolling.
Guitarist Bruce Forman, saxophonist Roger Eddy and soul/blues singer John “Broadway" Tucker all call the Monterey Peninsula home, although Forman has for many years been a part of the Bay Area's jazz community. The internationally traveled bebop guitarist will be featured with a group of young guitarists he has taught over the years as part of the Monterey Jazz Festival clinicians program and who are now involved with his exciting Jazz Masters project, a program Forman piloted in Carmel which has expanded to include workshops in the greater San Francisco/Monterey Bay Areas.
Eddy and Tucker are Monterey Bay Area institutions, both well-known and respected for their long history of making great music and contributing to the artistic community of the area. The Big Sur JazzFest is proud to present what are considered two of the top groups in both jazz and blues. Present at the inaugural Big Sur JazzFest to usher in the festivities, the Big Sur Natives are back to provide a taste of the adventurous Big Sur spirit that draws creative people to the wild and beautiful coastal community. They will host the new Second Stage on Sunday and provide exotic entertainment using a plethora of percussion and colorfully costumed dancers. Forman and his prot
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