Jazz Monthly: And this is the sixth annual outing Stephanie?
SL: This is the sixth annual and again it starts June 2nd. We have just a great line up. It’s starting with Jose Rizo’s Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars. That group really came out of KJazz. Jose is our music director and our host for Jazz on the Latin Side. He formed the group a number of years ago and it really spawned out of the show with what he was doing at the radio station. Which really just speaks to how great and how important it is to support a station like KJazz.
Jazz Monthly: You know being the romantic that I am, I love the way it’s billed. You know it’s described as “Wine, Jazz, and Moonlight.” I mean it can’t get any better…
SL: It really is. It’s fantastic! There are food and cheese parings that are available every week for a small donation towards a benefits project, Angel Food – which has been associated, I believe every year, but certainly the last three years since our company has been involved with KJazz. They’re a great organization and we are really proud to work with them.
Then we get different sponsors. Hollywood and Highland have different sponsors who are also associated with the event. I’d like to tell you about some of the other events that will be going on this summer. We’re really delighted to work with L.A. Phil on the Hollywood Bowl season. There are also wonderful performances at Grand Performances downtown, so we are downtown throughout the summer. Then at Lacma, we’re really excited. It actually started in April but we have every Friday night, “The free Jazz series at Lacma in the courtyard,” and that’s Friday night – and goes all the way through until November.
Then on Saturday nights, in about a month, we are going to be starting Latin Sounds – which is a free series on Saturday nights at Lacma. That’s just a great, great, event! There’s just a ton of events going on and we try to keep people updated. In e-mail blogs, on the web site, and on the air, there will be a lot more to announce as well.
Jazz Monthly: Sure and of course your web site is www.jazzandblues.org.
SL: That is correct
Jazz Monthly: And as I said before, make your computer be your radio. Listen to KJazz.
Stephanie let’s talk a little bit about the Long beach Blues Festival.
SL: This will be our 30th year – just like the anniversary of the radio station. It is a fantastic Blues Festival. It is one of the biggest on the West Coast. It is something that people have been coming to since the very beginning. Everyone looks forward to it. it’s an event you just know that right after labor day weekend is over, your planning for the next one the following year. It’s Labor Day weekend this year as it is every year. That’s September 5th and 6th. We have moved the location last year to the Rainbow Lagoon in downtown Long Beach. It’s just an incredible location. You’ve got the water next to you and your on a grassy area. We are there into the late evening, which means we get to watch the sun set. Absolutely beautiful! Couldn’t pick a better setting.
We have just a fantastic line up. We have our full line up now for the Blues Festival up on the main stage who is what we are really excited about. We’ve got Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Funky Meters and Johnny Winter, Bettye Lavette, Homemade Jamz Blues Band and Hill Country Review on Saturday. On Sunday we have Bobby Womack, Mavis Staples, Blind Boys of Alabama, Sonny Landreth, Diunna Greenleaf and the Andy Walo Trio. It’s just going to be fantastic. We still have our second stage, which is right next-door, and it allows people to have nonstop great Blues music all day long. It’s just a party! People plan on this event. They are excited about it. We have people who have signed up since Labor Day weekend last year, planning on coming back this year. So, we can’t wait for it. Great food, drinks, the vendor village… a lot of fun!
Jazz Monthly: You know Stephanie I have friends, some colleagues and Jazz musicians, and friends who live in Seattle and they make the trip. They made the trip last year and they’re going again this year. That’s how much they loved it.
SL: Well I am really happy to hear that. It really is such a fun event. It’s family oriented; you can bring your kids. We let kids who are under 12 get in for free. You see a lot of families there together and you see people who have become family to each other because they have friends who have been coming for so long. It’s like a big reunion every year and that’s really neat to see.
Jazz Monthly: How can you get tickets?
SL: We are going to have an early bird special on tickets. Tickets will go on sale May 28th through Ticket Master. They will also be available locally through a wonderful store in Long Beach called World of Strings. Then, as far as the VIP packages, they really are just incredible. They do so much to support the radio station. Those are available through our web site: www.JazzandBlues.org.. They are also available by calling 310-478-5061. We will also be talking about it, of course, during our upcoming pledge drive. We will be offering some “specials” to go along with it, but I highly recommend getting a VIP package. There’s a Level for everyone. It really depends on what your comfort zone is… as far as what you can spend on it… but a lot of money goes back to the station, and it's really crucial that we keep this festival going and we keep the station going by supporting the blues festival – with the VIP packages.
Jazz Monthly: You mentioned it’s at the Rainbow Lagoon, as it was last year. My friends told me that it was right on campus. Right on the athletic field and even THAT was a success. That it was well received. I hear that at the Rainbow Lagoon the setting is just magnificent.
SL: It really was a wonderful setting at the campus. There is no question. It had been there for I think 27 out of the 28 prior years. One year it had been moved off. Again, this was before our company was actually involved with the station. That’s my understanding. We reached that decision with Cal State Long Beach. Cal State Long Beach, the foundation, is actually the license holder of KJazz. We have a wonderful relationship and work very closely with them as the licensee. We made a joint decision that it was time to move to a different location to take advantage of certain things – which the downtown Long Beach area is just so wonderful as well. You’ve got that beautiful setting that you can’t beat. It’s cooler because it’s right on the water, and especially because it’s Labor Day weekend… that has historically on campus been a hot weekend. So, we are really excited to have the cooler temperatures when we’re able to go into the evening without bothering neighbors. You have the sunset… it’s really remarkable.
Jazz Monthly: I can hear the excitement in your voice you know?
SL: I’m excited! I look forward to it every year.
Jazz Monthly: You know Stephanie you mentioned a few of them and we can’t mention all of the artists. It’s an incredible line up…
SL: It is an incredible line up. I ran through everything just cause I’m so excited. I can’t wait to see each and every one of these artists.
