GREAT LINEUP FOR THE STANFORD JAZZ FESTIVAL
Jim Nadel and his team have been busy, as usual, lining up a formidable schedule of jazz veterans and newcomers. The festival kicks off on June 16 with some solo piano from the venerable Dick Hyman and it runs until August 7, closing with the Taylor Eigsti Group, featuring vocalist Becca Stevens. If you want a tangy taste of jazz history, look at the Giants of Jazz gig on July 24: Charles McPherson, Junior Mance, and Tootie Heath. These folks have been there, but they can still light up a stage. If you’re looking for something farther out, try the Dave Douglas Quintet Plus (the plus includes Joshua Redman). Trumpeter Douglas of course has won several DownBeat critics’ polls, and he’s been much in evidence at Stanford this year. The Quintet Plus plays on August 1.
One young turk we’re looking forward to is Gerald Clayton, pianist son of bassist John, who can set a keyboard ablaze. His trio appears on July 20. And another don’t miss for us is “The Music of Dave Brubeck,” presented by Victor Lin (July 22). We’ve seen the talented Lin often at Stanford, and he never fails to provoke and delight. And. . . the Ella Fitzgerald tribute, with Mary Stallings and Kenny Washington, et al., promises to be a real winner (July 11).
But look at the whole lineup for yourself—Randy Weston, Mose Allison, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Dena DeRose, Nicholas Payton with Taylor Eigsti, George Cables, and many many more. Has Stanford ever hosted a more appealing roster of jazz frontliners? We think not. Fans in this area are extremely fortunate to have such easy access to a major jazz festival of this caliber, and the Palo Alto Jazz Alliance is pleased to be able to continue our longtime financial support of the Stanford Jazz Workshop/Festival and its educational efforts. Tickets for the festival went on sale May 10.
