Jazz88.3 and the Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association will
make waves with its newly expanded Jazz88 Ocean Beach Music & Art Festival,
Saturday, September 11, beginning at 10am on Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach
featuring 28 bands on seven stages.
"We're
excited to bring back the festival in full force, expanding it to include more
jazz and blues acts than ever before," said Jazz88.3 station manager Mark
DeBoskey.
Jazz88.3, San
Diego's original jazz station broadcasting from San Diego City College, will
bring an impressive lineup of 26 jazz artists and bands to perform on seven
stages throughout the day, including saxophonist Maceo Parker, New Orleans
brass band Bonerama, Charlie Hunter Trio, saxophonist Justo Almario, Geoffrey
Keezer Trio, Ernie Watts Quintet, Holly Hofmann/Mike Wofford Trio, and the Four
Queens of Boogie Woogie featuring Sue Palmer. In addition to nationally
acclaimed acts, local student bands, including San Diego State University All
Star Big Band, Mission Bay High School Dixieland Band, and San Diego School for
the Creative and Performing Arts Jazz Ensemble will strut their musical talent.
"Expanding
the festival allowed us to present more music styles, including Latin jazz,
funk, blues, swing...many different elements," said Claudia Russell, Jazz88.3
program director and festival advisor. "The newly designed festival will offer
three all-ages stages, as well as student musicians. After all, part of the jazz
tradition is sharing and passing down the sound."
Music
stages will be located at various Ocean Beach bars and venues, including
Winstons, Gallaghers, the Harp, and Hodad's parking lot, plus the Main Stage at
the foot of the Ocean Beach Pier, a Community Stage in the grassy area near
lifeguard Tower 2, and a private Patron's Stage in the courtyard of the Ocean
Beach Hotel. Also along Newport Avenue, between Bacon and Cable streets, 60
fine artists will display and sell their work.
In
commemoration of 9/11, there will also be a musical tribute to the U.S.
military.
Tickets are
$30 general admission (plus $2 service charge) and $200 for VIP Patron
tickets/seats, which include hosted food and beverage, complimentary valet
parking, and a commemorative festival gift bag. Children age 12 and under are
free. Tickets are available online: www.obmusicfest.org.
Being a
huge fan of the event, and extremely happy about it being in Ocean Beach, I was
sad to see the event sit out last year. I kept thinking, "How did THAT happen?"
Alas, it looks like the folks at Jazz88.3 performed a serious review of their
prior few years while exploiting the potential of the integrated Ocean Beach
music scene hardware. Attendees will be able to cover all the stages in a short
walk and wrist-band, while taking in the very best of the surf-ish Ocean Beach
atmosphere.
The San
Diego Troubadour had the opportunity to ask Jazz88.3 program director and jazz
host, Claudia Russell, about their view of the festival in general as well as
the specifics about how they've updated the event.
San Diego Troubadour: The Big Change. In years past, the event utilized
only one stage. You went bigger this year, to include more venues and stages as
well as other elements such as fine art. Please tell me about the changes.
Claudia Russell:
There are several big changes. The first is the expansion of the festival in
size. We wanted to add more stages and open up the festival area so more people
could come out and enjoy the day. Also, it gives us an opportunity to show the
wide range of styles Jazz88.3 offers to listeners and concert-goers in southern
California. This also fosters more of a relationship with the great businesses
in Ocean Beach. The new Ocean Beach Restaurant and Entertainment Group (OBREG) has
stepped forward to ensure our musicians, VIPs, and guests have a variety of
delicious food to enjoy, we're including some major music venues in OB. Plus,
we've got a craft beer garden. It's a real celebration of the good vibe OB has
to offer. I'm also very happy that we've been able to add all-ages venues this
year and offer free admission to kids under 12. Kids dig music and a lot of
times, they miss out on great artists because those people are playing 21 and
up clubs or more expensive festivals or theaters.
The fine
art is a real plus, I think because our guests can not only check out a great
art show just by walking through Art Row, but can also take home some unique
pieces. It's a nice break between music sets, or to have a show in the parking
lot at Hodad's, for example, as the backdrop to a nice shopping experience.
SDT: You seem to like Ocean Beach for this event. I'm very happy about
that. Please, why Ocean Beach?
CR: First of all,
OB is a very cool place. It has a certain reputation for being almost too
funky, but it's that and a lot more. There are amazing antique shops, great
clothing and jewelry shops, really good locally owned restaurants, and one of
the best views of the sunset you could ask for. Also, the OB Mainstreet
Association and the OB Hotel have been big supporters of this idea from the
start and have worked very hard alongside Jazz88.3 to make this happen for the
community of San Diego as a whole.
SDT: I didn't see anything on the subject in your press materials
regarding broadcasting.... will there be any sort of broadcast of the event?
Internet?
CR: At this
point, we have no plans for broadcasting. That's a goal I absolutely have my
eye on for the future. Part of it is funding, and part of it is that we want to
make sure we get this festival as right as we can. This is a re-birth of a
festival in a way, so we want all our musicians, artists, and music fans to
have the best experience possible.
SDT: I feel the same. Please call me anytime regarding the advancement
of this mission statement, if you think I can help. For now, can you embellish
on the 9/11 aspect of the event?
CR: As we were
looking at possible dates for the festival, making sure we didn't conflict with
other community festivals, we realized our best date would fall on September
11th. After a few glances around the table, we tackled it head on and decided
this gave us an opportunity to note the significance. It just seemed right that
the best way was to acknowledge the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.
San Diego is an important military town and we feel it's important to note
that. These people are still fighting a war triggered by the events of 9/11 and
we respect what they do. It has nothing to do with anyone's politics, it's
simply about honoring the human beings currently doing the job as well as the
ones who have done the job in the past.
SDT: Who's participating in the music tribute?
CR: We're still
settling the details, but I can tell you, I'm aiming for a military big band.
Nothing like seeing all those dress uniforms on the bandstand!
SDT: Will there be any "officials" speaking on the topic?
CR: At this time,
we're determining who will be speaking.
SDT: Please explain in general how the mission statement of this event
embraces its own future. Are there plans to grow further from here?
CR: The mission
statement of this event is three-fold: to make more people aware of the public
radio music source that is Jazz88.3 and that we're a non-profit organization
sustained primarily through individual and local business contributions; to
give our community an affordable opportunity to hear a variety of music in a
welcoming environment; and to act as outreach for San Diego City College, which
offers courses that relate directly to the presentation of live jazz, as well
as radio and video production. So, by offering something for almost everyone,
making it a reasonable ticket price, and working with the local community,
we're inviting people to come participate in the success of a musical, visual,
and sensory experience that is very unique in San Diego.
SDT: Dig that! I notice the roster becoming significantly more robust.
Can you offer any insight and/or comment on how the artists feel about the
event?
CR: We've had
nothing but enthusiasm from everyone we've invited. Some artists are even
excited to see others perform! I love that. They appreciate a festival that
focuses on jazz and blues, with the various flavors of those being
well-represented. Many of these artists are friends of Jazz88.3; they've played
our previous festivals, or appeared at Jazz Live, or just live up the road in
some cases. We all know we're in this together: the business of presenting jazz
to appreciative audiences.
SDT: What does jazz mean to you, personally?
CR: Wow. Tough question.
It means so many things because it's brought me so many things. I grew up in a
household with all styles of music imaginable: rock and pop, country, show
tunes, blues, jazz, classical…everything from Sesame Street to America's top 40
to the jazz musicians we saw on TV sometimes. Jazz has brought me wonderful
things. I've made friends through this music who are more precious than gold to
me, real friendships that go beyond the stage introductions and on-air
interviews. I'll never forget moments with people who were real musical heroes
to me: sitting in a sound check next to Joe Williams and chatting backstage
later before the gig is one that I treasure. But, also realizing the level of
musicianship that's out there. I never really appreciated music the way I do
now until I heard jazz. It's made me a better listener. Emotionally, jazz has
given the world some of the most poignant music moments in history. Billie
Holiday's "Strange Fruit," Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," Ellington's sacred
music, and many others. It helps us define our history.
SDT: How are you involved with this event?
CR: I'm the
talent advisor and have helped select all the bands for the festival, as well
as worked out the stage and performance schedule. I also coordinate the stage hosts
(on-air personalities from Jazz88.3) and will be hosting stages the day of the
festival. That's what it says on paper. Aside from that, I'm one of the ones
who wakes up in the middle of the night worrying about the whole event.
SDT: With the station?
CR: I'm the
program director and also host the "Jazz Ride Home" from 4-6pm Monday through
Friday. I've been here since 2001 and love the individuality of Jazz88.3 in the
San Diego radio market.
SDT: What is your favorite aspect of the event?
CR: When I'll
look out at the audience and see everyone on their feet having a fantastic
time! But, I'm also really jazzed about kids being able to see some of these
artists.