The 30th Anniversary of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday took place from October 15th through October 18th, with the four day free Clearwater Jazz Holiday in Coachman Park.
Saturday night’s Jazz featured the Extreme tribute to the 30 years of Free Jazz in Clearwater. It was only fitting that thirty Clearwater Jazz Holiday Alumni - all Tampa
Bay Home Grown - warmed up the audience with a variety of sax, clarinet, trumpet, keyboards, classical piano and vocals.
Most impressive was 17 year old BK Jackson on saxophone who literally brought the crowd to their feet in a standing ovation. The Tampa native, who has been playing since he was 11, has recently graduated Blake High School with a 5.1 GPA. At last year’s Clearwater Jazz Holiday, he opened for Tony Bennett.
"It may be a little cool in the air but the Jazz is still hot", praised Mayor Hibbard.
By the end of the evening some 17,000 jazz hunger fans were satiated by smooth jazz saxophonist Boney James a two-time Grammy nominee and a Soul Train Award winner.
The festival featured concerts from headliners Al Jarreau, Chris Botti, Boney James and The Neville Brothers throughout the four days.
For more coverage and pictures, stay tuned for the November 2009 Tampa Bay Informer.
For more information on the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, go to http://www.clearwaterjazz.com/