San Jose Jazz Festival

Start saving up now. What was formerly billed as "the largest free jazz festival" is now $5 per day because some corporate sponsors dropped off from the 17th Annual San Jose Jazz Festival. That's okay. It's now "the world's largest jazz value at $15" because it's still three days long with over 80 performances from August 17-20th. Yeah, I know. That's actually four days. Thursday night's kickoff isn't free, either, and it isn't in downtown. It's at Santana Row.

This year's event will pay tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and have a strong New Orleans flavor. The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Sonny Landreth and saxophonist Bud Shank will be among the performers.

More Hot Picks:
SAT 3pm : Blues Stage : Corby Yates
SAT 3pm : Latin Stage : John Santos Quintet
SAT 6pm : Salsa Stage : Pete Escovedo w/Mambo Tropical
SUN 2pm : Smith Stage : John Mayer Trio

For the Festival, bring sunscreen, a hat, a chair, and stake out some territory early and get ready to spend your Jazz Bucks. They traditionally don't accept cash, except at the Jazz Bucks purchase booths. Here's Anne Smith's celly, festival publicist : 408-313-8089.

This year, there's some overlap with the Stern Grove Festival's presentation of Ozomatli in San Francisco at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday August 20th. All I know is the teleporter invention is severely under-funded. I'd love to be in both places at the same time, but since that's a non-option, go with your gut and make a plan.
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If you're outta town for the 17-20th weekend, wait a coupla months and drive north. With everything I have, I completely endorse this trumpeter: Sandoval is a premier trumpeter and you can expect him to mix in his piano and percussion skills to supplement the full band onstage.
Arturo Sandoval
Saturday, October 28, 8pm
Herbst Theatre
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If you're not on a first name basis with Latin Jazz, I totally endorse this percussionist as a superior introduction by a SF local/legend I first saw six years ago at the Concord Jazz Festival:
John Santos & the Machete Ensemble w/Jerry Medina, Ray Vega, & Maria Marquez
Sunday, November 12, 7pm
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

-and this- for Berkeley
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