Embarking on the 30th Anniversary of their signature Summer Fest, the iconic Bay Area institution San Jose Jazz kicks off 2019 with dynamic arts programming honoring the jazz tradition and ever-expanding definitions of the genre with singular concerts curated for audiences within the heart of Silicon Valley. San Jose Jazz Winter Fest 2019 features some of today's most distinguished artists alongside leading-edge emerging musicians with an ambitious lineup of more than 20 concerts from February 14 - 27, 2019. The Jazz Beyond series, co-curated in partnership with San Jose Jazz and local production house Universal Grammar, presents buzzy young stars pushing the boundaries of jazz, soul and hip-hop and the Next Gen performances showcase top regional student jazz ensembles. Tickets to San Jose Jazz Winter Fest 2019 are now on sale ranging in price from $15 - $38; a Fest Pass is available for $260, and an array of shows at Cafe Stritch are free admission. For detailed ticket information as well as updates on the artists and performance schedule, please visit: sanjosejazz.org/winterfest.
San Jose Jazz Winter Fest 2019 encompasses the South First Street arts district in downtown San Jose as well as The Hammer Theatre and Art Boutiki. With premier performance venues, bars and restaurants joining many existing cultural institutions, Winter Fest 2019 showcases San Jose's vitality as an arts mecca.
"Winter Fest is a microcosm of our Summer Fest programming that truly represents the richness of the South Bay community," said SJZ Executive Director Brendan Rawson. "In addition to presenting jazz icons, international artists and some of today's great instrumentalists, we couldn't be more thrilled to have one of the world's most influential music tastemakers Gilles Peterson as the pinnacle artist of this year's Jazz Beyond programming, which explores how jazz is evolving in our time. Our efforts to program inspiring artists has a simple goal of bringing the community together through the power of music."
"This year's Winter Fest artist lineup is truly a cross section of internationally renowned legends such as Charles McPherson (who worked with Charles Mingus from 1960-74) and the Bay Area's brightest emerging acts Tiffany Austin and Bells Atlas," says Bruce Labadie, Artistic Director of San Jose Jazz. "Winter Fest always serves as a platform for marquee names (Gilles Peterson, Catherine Russell) and artistic gems moving the boundaries of jazz into more contemporary arenas (Anton Schwartz, Aaron Diehl). We're fortunate to have such great venues to partner with in San Jose, ones that anchor Silicon Valley's growing jazz scene. Winter Fest presents much of this year's programming at the intimate jazz club Cafe Stritch and the stellar Hammer Theatre."
San Jose Jazz proudly presents the following artists at Winter Fest 2019: Gilles Peterson (DJ Set); Catherine Russell With the SJSU Jazz Orchestra; Charles McPherson; Anton Schwartz and Kenny Washington; Aaron Diehl; Bells Atlas; La Dame Blanche; Tiffany Austin with Leon Joyce, Marcus Shelby and Adam Shulman; JC Smith Band All-Star Blues Blowout Featuring Fillmore Slim, Kid Anderson and Rick Estrin; The Rad Trads; Kathy Kosins; SJZ Collective plays Mingus; Chéjere; Richie Goods; and some of the Bay Area's foremost youth jazz ensembles.
Maintaining a focus on the future of jazz, San Jose Jazz Winter Fest 2019 offers its own Next Gen Stage at Cafe Stritch, featuring five of the finest regional youth jazz ensembles. Highlighted are the SJZ U19s led by GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist, composer and educator Dr. Aaron Lington. Other youth ensembles include: Kuumbwa Jazz Honor Band, Folsom High School Jazz Band, Berkeley High School Jazz Combo, Rio Americano and The Inner Circle.
Sponsors of San Jose Jazz Winter Fest 2019 include: KCSM, DownBeat, City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, Hammer Theatre, San José State University, and The National Endowment for the Arts.
San Jose Jazz Winter Fest 2019
When: Thursday, February 14 - Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Where: Downtown San Jose, CA
Admission: Concert tickets are $15(Advance)/$18(Door) - $35(Advance)/$38 (Door); All Concert Fest Pass: $260; Next Gen student ensemble shows are free.
More Info: sanjosejazz.org/winterfest; (408) 288-7557
Ticket Info: Cash and credit accepted at door
About San Jose Jazz
Founded in 1986, San Jose Jazz is a public benefit corporation celebrating jazz as a dynamic, evolving art form and is producer of the annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest and Winter Fest. With its singular music programming and innovative educational offerings, San Jose Jazz preserves the jazz tradition while actively supporting the next generation of performers within the genre and beyond. For more information, please visit sanjosejazz.org.
