"One of the world's great urban jazz festivals" (DownBeat Magazine), San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, presents its most acclaimed artists to date with piano/keyboard legend Herbie Hancock set to perform on the Jay Paul Company Main Stage and newly confirmed West African superstar Angélique Kidjo joining the Saturday, August 10 megastar lineup in Plaza de César Chávez in downtown San Jose, Calif. San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2024 returns with 80 artists appearing in nine indoor and outdoor venues including just-announced acts Incognito, Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Las Cafeteras, Kiefer, David Benoit Trio, Benny Green -- Solo Piano, The John Santos Sextet, Agostini featuring JC Smith, Pascal Le Boeuf's "Ritual Being," Ayo Brame, Terrence Brewer & Mason Razavi: The Magic of Monk, Daniel Ho Quintet, SJZ High School All Stars, Tia Carroll Band, Greg Rahn & The Fat Tuesday Horns, Grace & The Grit, Kid & Lisa with the Little Village All Stars, Andre Thierry Accordion Soul, AC Myles Band, and many more. San Jose Jazz Summer Fest is renowned for annually presenting the best in jazz, R&B, Latin jazz, salsa, soul, funk, blues, and a myriad of other idioms the 2nd weekend of August with this year's Fest happening from Friday, August 9 - Sunday, August 11, 2024.
The electrifying sounds of the African diaspora will fill the streets of downtown San Jose with multi-GRAMMY Award-winning Angélique Kidjo hitting the Jay Paul Company Main Stage at 4pm right before Herbie Hancock's set at 6pm (Sat., Aug. 10). With 16 albums to her name (w/ five GRAMMY wins and 14 nominations), Kidjo was named by TIME Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2021. Her latest album, Mother Nature, which won a GRAMMY Award in the "Best Global Music" category, includes an array of the most captivating young creators of West African music, Afrobeat, Afro-pop, dancehall, hip-hop and alt-R&B. Over the course of her illustrious career, Kidjo has collaborated with the likes of Bono, John Legend, Peter Gabriel, Alicia Keys, Carlos Santana, Sting, Ziggy Marley, among others, and she travels the globe advocating on behalf of children in her capacity as a UNICEF and OXFAM goodwill ambassador. Kidjo brings her heart-stopping live show to SJZ Summer Fest 2024 for a beautiful outdoor Main Stage festival set.
Internationally-celebrated as the cradle of digital culture, San Jose is the nation's 12th largest city and its role as an arts catalyst is evolving into national notoriety, fronted by the efforts of San Jose Jazz. San Jose is leading an impressive recovery from the pandemic, earning a reputation as the rare SF Bay Area city with empowering civic leadership successfully tackling many of today's biggest challenges while prioritizing the arts. SJZ Summer Fest exemplifies how San Jose knows the way to a sustainable future infused with public art for the people. And what could be better than a summer weekend in the sun filled with live music by Herbie Hancock, Angélique Kidjo, Incognito, Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly, Cory Henry, The Family Stone, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Shamar Allen, Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton, New Breed Brass Band, John Santos Sextet, Jahari Stampley Trio, and so many others!
"San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2024 is gearing up to be an incredible time for SF Bay Area music fans," says San Jose Jazz's Executive Director Brendan Rawson. "While people are still getting back on their feet after several years of setbacks with rising inflation and a myriad of other challenges, we've closely looked at how we can provide an unrivaled experience at a price point that best meets our community. This year, we have an additional price tier that helps support attendees who purchase tickets early, and our 3-Day ticket packages are amongst the best value for any festival out there. We're greatly looking forward to Summer Fest exhibiting the breadth of the jazz tradition as it moves into the future, and providing an inclusive atmosphere where all people are celebrated."
Artistic Director Bruce Labadie, one of the event's founders, programs the artists for SJZ Summer Fest with the help of locally based co-curators.
Labadie comments, "It's been a dream of ours to present the acclaimed jazz visionary Herbie Hancock, and we couldn't be more excited to see him and his all-star band headlining on Saturday night on the Main Stage. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly's performance will be a historic moment with longtime SJZ Summer Fest performer and SJZ Board Member Tony Lindsay taking the reins of Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. Many fantastic live performers will take the Summer Fest stage like Angélique Kidjo, Cory Henry, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, The Family Stone, Lisa Fischer, and others. We have unbelievable emerging talent like piano prodigy Jahari Stampley -- who won first place in the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute International Competition. With the global music community always on our minds, we are presenting artists from Africa, Korea, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, and the United Kingdom."
Ensuring SJZ Summer Fest's accessibility to the widest audience possible, San Jose Jazz has lowered 3-Day Pass prices on most access levels this year. The region's best entertainment value accompanies a major upgrade of Plaza de César Chávez, which unveils a complete refresh of the park this month including a re-sodding of the green spaces (with special events in mind), planting colorful mixes of flowers, and the addition of Adirondack chairs, corn hole, ping pong tables, and large orange California poppy-style umbrellas. The park is the center of fun at SJZ Summer Fest 2024 with live concerts throughout Plaza de César Chavez alongside artisanal vendors offering delicious foods and beverages, and creative crafts.
Activating the city scene, SJZ Summer Fest's profusion of music transforms a major metropolitan downtown into a huge street party closer to NOLA Jazz Fest and Detroit Jazz Festival than to anything else on tap in the SF Bay Area. It's a highlight of the Bay Area's summer season, and a not-to-be-missed celebration.
