Displaying items by tag: Jazz

The Clearwater Jazz Holiday, one of the most prominent jazz festivals in the Southeast, celebrated its 30th anniversary with this year’s four days of free jazz in Coachman Park, October 15th through October 18th. The Clearwater Jazz Holiday brought an estimated 47,000 people to Coachman Park over the four days, and the park reached maximum capacity for the Saturday night show.

On Saturday, September 19th, the auditorium of Clearwater’s Ft. Harrison Hotel was transformed into a ritzy 1940’s jazz club, for the Harlem Nights Jazz Benefit Concert. Guests decked out in 1940’s costume were treated to delicious hors d’oeuvres, and a jazz concert emceed by George Rix, the voice of smooth jazz on WSJT.

Come enjoy a wonderful selection of tunes from Gershwin to Count Basie as well as contemporary big band hits in the great acoustics and cool surroundings of the Peace Church sanctuary.

A Big Band Concert featuring the sizzling sounds of the Helios Jazz Orchestra will take place at 3:00 pm on Sunday, October 11th. The Helios Jazz Orchestra is known for their swing, Latin and jazz tunes. Under the baton of trombonist David Manson of SPC, this 20 piece jazz orchestra includes some of the Tampa Bay Area’s most talented instrumentalists.  Band members have performed with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Henry Mancini, and Burt Bacharach.

The 30th Anniversary of Clearwater’s Jazz Holiday begins this September 25th in real jazz style with the Clearwater Downtown Partnership kicking it off at their popular 4th Friday Clearwater Party on Cleveland Street event. Performances none other than local jazz celebrities, Level 10 and Jose Valentino, will infuse the crowd with their jazz inspirations. Two city blocks will be closed down in the Cleveland Street District to cater to the expected 1500-plus party-goers in attendance. The party is FREE and the details are as follows:

The Clearwater Jazz Holiday has a thirty year reputation for bringing some of the best names in jazz music to Clearwater, Florida. This year is no different. The four day festival, which is completely free thanks to donations and volunteers, will take place in Coachman Park October 15th through 18th.

Al Jarreau will headline on the opening night, which is a Thursday. Jarreau is a seven time Grammy Award winner who holds the distinction of being the only vocalist to win in three separate categories: jazz, pop and R&B. Jarreau is known for his “innovative musical expressions”.  He has performed with Miles Davis and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his musical accomplishments. 

Spend your Friday night with one of People Magazine’s 50 most beautiful people, Chris Botti! The jazz trumpeter will be headlining the second night of the festival. Rising above the “Muzak” label he was branded with early on in his career, Botti has proven himself to be a versatile musician, excelling in both jazz and pop. He is one of the world’s top selling instrumental artists, and has performed with Sting, Josh Groban, Steven Tyler, Yo-Yo Ma and John Mayer to name a few.

Clearwater Jazz Holiday is proud to announce the Second Annual Clearwater Jazz ’N Art Walk in downtown Clearwater, October 17th and 18th from 10AM – 5PM.

Each year more than 60,000 visitors come to Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater to enjoy 4 days & nights of FREE Jazz by some of today’s greats. The visitor experience is complemented by the Clearwater area’s mild fall weather, miles of world-famous Gulf beaches, brilliant sunsets, nearby attractions, accommodations and dining to suit every taste and budget.

On Tuesday, June 23rd, the official poster for the 2009 Clearwater Jazz Holiday music festival was unveiled in Clearwater. The poster, a vivid and lively contemporary piece depicting a jazz band playing in front of a piano-key bridge reminiscent of Clearwater’s Memorial Causeway, was designed by John Brennan, a 20 year old USF junior music major, and an accomplished emerging artist. Brennan was the winner of this year’s contest.