33rd SAN JOSE JAZZ SUMMER FEST

33rd SAN JOSE JAZZ SUMMER FEST
Friday, August 11 – Sunday, August 13, 2023
Plaza de César Chavez Park, Downtown San Jose, Calif.
Event Info: summerfest.sanjosejazz.org

Silicon Valley’s Premier Music Event Returns to Downtown San Jose with An Electrifying Lineup of Major Artist Headliners For One of the Summer’s Top SF Bay Area Music Festivals

NEW MAIN STAGE HEADLINERS:
Afro-Cuban Rockstar Cimafunk Legendary Hip-Hop Producer Pete Rock & The Soul Brothers

Second Round — SJZ Summer Fest 2023 — Artist Lineup Additions:
Connie Han Trio, Blaque Dynamite, MAE.SUN, Bee Taylor, DK Harrell, Telmary & Friends, VibraSon, Chika Di, Óskar Ly & Rumbalú, Gabriel Gonzalez Y La Verdad, Club Mambi, San Miguel, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88’s, The Blues Defenders with Mz. Dee & Willy Jordan, Noah & The Arkiteks, Marcel Smith, Chicken Bone Slim & The Biscuits featuring Laura Chavez, Maxx Cabello Jr., Billy Iuso, Yvonne Flores, Malachi Whitson, and Much More!

“Advance Price” Tickets On Sale Now (Tickets: $30 – $250/Day; $105 – $680/3-Day Passes)

Silicon Valley’s premier annual music event, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023 returns for its 33rd festival season from Friday, August 11 through Sunday, August 13 in and around Plaza de César Chavez Park in downtown San Jose, Calif. Renowned as one of North America’s foremost music events with its dynamic three-day programming, San Jose Jazz presents a thrilling artist lineup for one of the summer’s major San Francisco Bay Area outdoor music festivals.

SJZ Summer Fest 2023 features 100 acts across eight indoor and outdoor stages with acclaimed headliners on The Sobrato Organization Main Stage including just announced acts the Afro-Cuban Rockstar Cimafunk and his nine-person Havana-based band La Tribu and legendary ’90s conscious hip-hop super producer Pete Rock & The Soul Brothers.

Cimafunk and Pete Rock join a star-studded Sobrato Organization Main Stage roster featuring multi-GRAMMY Award-winner and Blue Note Records recording jazz artist Gregory Porter, renowned funk/jazz bassist and a UNESCO Artist for Peace Marcus Miller, GRAMMY-winner and platinum-selling Anthony Hamilton Featuring The Ton3s, buzzy rock-inspired traditional African music group W.I.T.C.H., and eight-member NOLA brass sensationThe Soul Rebels.

Grammy Award-nominated Afro-Cuban rockstar Cimafunk (Erik Iglesias Rodriguez) takes the funk of James Brown, George Clinton and Prince, the soul of Al Green and Bill Withers, and incorporates his native Cuban “Trova” and “Songo” to present one of the best live performances currently touring at SJZ Summer Fest 2023 on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 4pm. The name Cimafunk refers to his heritage as a “cimarrón,” a Cuban of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery.

Along with his nine-person band La Tribu, Cimafunk celebrates with a dynamic live performance overflowing with grooves that’s redefine contemporary Cuban music, Afro-Latin identity and the fusion of black cultures. Following years in bands such as Los Boys and the Hermanos Saiz Association, Cimafunk began an illustrious solo career with his latest album, El Alimento, receiving a nomination at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards for “Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.”

Widely recognized as one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, Pete Rock headlines the Sobrato Organization Main Stage on Friday night (Aug. 11 @ 9:30pm) with his group The Soul Brothers for a raucous throwback to the conscious ’90s hip-hop scene. Rock’s Midas touch as a super producer has garnered a whopping 25 million in global album sales and billions of streams for tracks and albums he’s produced.

In the early ’90s, Rock rose to prominence as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Rolling Stone ranks their 1991 hit, “They Reminisce Over You,” among its 500 greatest songs. Along with groups such as Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots, Rock played a major role in the merging of jazz into hip-hop music. Rock is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, RZA, and Q-Tip as one of the mainstays of ’90s East Coast hip-hop production.
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023 also officially announces today its second round of artists including Latin Tropical Stage artists Telmary & Friends, VibraSon, Chika Di, Óskar Ly & Rumbalú, Gabriel Gonzalez Y La Verdad, Club Mambi, San Miguel, as well as other festival performers on various stages: Connie Han Trio, Blaque Dynamite, MAE.SUN, Bee Taylor, DK Harrell, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88’s, The Blues Defenders with Mz. Dee & Willy Jordan, Noah & The Arkiteks, Marcel Smith, Chicken Bone Slim & The Biscuits featuring Laura Chavez, Maxx Cabello Jr., Billy Iuso, Yvonne Flores, and Malachi Whitson.

Artists appearing on the SJMA Next Gen Stage and Tabard Theatre Swing Stage are listed below.

The latest announced artists at SJZ Summer Fest 2023 are additions to its stellar lineup featuring acts such as The Bad Plus, Grace Kelly, Veronica Swift, Marcus Shelby New Orchestra Featuring Tiffany Austin, Shayna Steele, Sunny War, Vanessa Collier, Patrice Rushen, Billy Childs, Vocal Gents of Jazz with Kenny Washington, Nicolas Bearde & Jamie Davis, Luca Stricagnoli, Halie Loren, Ronit Widmann-Levy & Angel Romero, Benny Benack III, Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few, Soul Message Band, Orquesta La Moderna Tradición & Orlando “Maraca” Valle, Lalin St. Juste, Basi Vibe, Ian Santillano, Ensemble Contratiemple Afrovenezuelan Jazz, Mr. Clifford’s Young Jazz All Stars, among other exciting artists.

SJZ Summer Fest 2023 serves as a platform honoring the vibrancy of the jazz art form. For over three decades, the beloved festival has been celebrated for presenting marquee performances by lauded artists, as well as musicians on the verge of breaking into the mainstream, international artists from across the globe, regional gems including SJZ Jazz Aid Fund artists (SJZ has commissioned local musicians for singular new works with over $100,000 being granted over the last three years), and influential trendsetters pushing the genre into new territories. SJZ Summer Fest 2023 has something for everyone with its unbelievable value for a low-ticket price.

Three-day festival passes are now on sale at Advance Purchase prices at summerfest.sanjosejazz.org at four levels of access. The Priority Access level offers special seating with comfortable folding chairs at the front of the Main Stage with an exclusive attached bar, access to skipping lines at indoor venues and access to special events to be announced. VIP experiences are better than ever with up-close seating, exceptional food and drinks, shady viewing areas, exclusive bar and entrance gate, and “first-in” venue access. More info is available at summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/ticket-levels.

Free Community Latin Tropical Stage @ San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023
Latin jazz remains a pillar of San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023 with Latin and salsa music lovers traveling to downtown San Jose from the far stretches of the West Coast for a chance to dance to many of today’s most distinguished acts. For 2023, the Latin Tropical Stage is once again in the hands of curator and radio journalist Betto Arcos — who can be heard on NPR, BBC Radio 3, KCRW’s Global Beat Mexico and through his book, Music Stories from the Cosmic Barrio (Fogra Editorial). Whether it’s the traditional sounds of San Miguel’s Cuban son quintet; the modern timba stylings of Club Mambí or the forward-thinking, infectious music of Telmary & Friends, Arcos has San Jose Jazz Summer Fest patrons covered for the most-anticipated epic Latin dance party of the year. And, it’s free for the community to enjoy!

A woman led-band opens the Latin Tropical Stage and a woman-powered band will close out the stage on Sunday. On Saturday, SJZ Summer Fest presents the debut of singer Chika Di, whose innovative blend of Cumbia, electronic, Afro, pop and Colombian flavors will get people movin’ and groovin’ on Saturday afternoon. SJZ Summer Fest sees the return of beloved Bay Area group VibraSon (who also performs a separate Latin jazz set at Montgomery Theater Stage on Saturday) as well as the premiere of popular Bay Area salsa band Oskar Li & Rumbalú. Bringing down the house on Saturday night is one of Los Angeles’ top salsa bands, Gabriel Gonzalez & La Verdad.

Sunday is exclusively showcasing an array of Cuban music with three smokin’ bands: Club Mambí, San Miguel, and Telmary & Friends. Club Mambí is led by trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Onier Bacallaowho ignites the stage with blistering Cuban timba sounds. One of Cuba’s top Tres players (tres is the Cuban lead guitar played in traditional music), San Miguel performs Cuban dance music from all over the island. To close out Sunday night, Telmary & Friends returns to SJZ Summer Fest with a nine-piece band powered by five women, shares their modern, eclectic mix of Cuban dance music.

Highlights of Newly Confirmed Acts @ San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023

Connie Han Trio
Pianist Connie Han has created an edgy blend of modern and traditional jazz with her incendiary Mack Avenue Records debut Crime Zone. According to Downbeat magazine, Han at 27 has “already absorbed the post-bop piano masters” with “all the technical mastery she’ll ever need.” The New York Times describes her as “the rare musician with fearsome technical chops, a breadth of historical knowledge and enough originality to write tunes that absorb your ear easily.” Influenced by post-bop masters Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner and Kenny Kirkland, Han brings a fire and maturity that belies her youth. All About Jazz states, “With Secrets of Inanna (2022) she’s booking a place as a star in the jazz firmament of tomorrow. Watch out for Connie Han, the face (and shape) of jazz to come.”

Blaque Dynamite
Stanley Clarke’s drummer Mike Mitchell (aka “Blaque Dynamite”) is a mind-blowing performer who’s toured with the likes of Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington, Christian Scott, and Derrick Hodge. GRAMMY Award-nominated Blaque Dynamite has toured across five continents and he’s released three albums, including WiFi, Killing Bugs, and Time Out. The Dallas Observer says Blaque Dynamite is “…a jazz drumming prodigy…he is a powerhouse behind the kit!” Blaque Dynamite has received 14 DownBeat Music Awards.

MAE.SUN
SJZ Summer Fest patrons will remember alto and soprano saxophonist Hailey Niswanger from 2015, when she performed in an all-star organ combo with veteran drummer Mike Clark and locally based keyboard hero Wil Blades. The Portland, Oregon native returns with MAE.SUN featuring Niswanger’s original compositions as realized by her sextet. Alternating in tone between blissed out mood music and pulsating funk, MAE.SUN’s debut album, Vol. 1: Inter-be, was released in November 2017; followed by Vol. 2: Into The Flow in 2019 — Vol. 3 is set to be released in 2023. Niswanger herself is no stranger to playing in disparate musical settings with collaborations as diverse as McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Esperanza Spalding. She’s appeared on late night TV shows with Demi Lovato (Saturday Night Live) and indie rockers Sleigh Bells (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), and plays flute on Beyoncé’s “Black Parade.”

Bee Taylor
Bee Taylor’s style conjures up memories of New Orleans and with her impressive vocal range, she’s able to hit high and low notes with a soulful and evocative inflection. Growing up on a cattle ranch in East Texas, Bee is no stranger to working for what you want. She fell in love with the New Orleans style of piano playing, and she took her last $100 to buy her first piano. On the way home that same day, she got a call that her musical hero, Dr. John, had passed away. She vowed to teach herself how to play in the “NOLA style” and ever since has been touring the U.S. with her band, continuing the tradition.

D.K. Harrell
A 24-year-old emerging blues artist from Ruston, Louisiana, D.K. Harrell hit the international blues scene in 2019 when he performed at the B.B. King Symposium and was given the honor of playing one of B.B. King’s signature Lucille guitars. He competed in the 2022 International Blues Challenge and finished in 3rd place out of over 200+ blues acts. D.K. has shared the stage with some of the blues’ most recognizable contemporary artists: Gary Clark Jr., Mr. Sipp, Kenny Neal, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. He is the Jus’ Blues 2022 B.B. King, King of the Blues award recipient. D.K. Harrell is dedicated to the preservation of the blues as created and performed by B.B. King and the great blues artists.

Eight Stages of Live Music @ San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023
San Jose Jazz’s cultural collaborations with many longstanding partners of the festival continue in full force this year with The Sobrato Organization Main Stage presenting GRAMMY Award-winning artists and the Blues/Big Easy Stage in partnership with Jay Meduri of the Poor House Bistro featuring blues and New Orleans acts in the South portion of Plaza de César Chavez Park. Blues/Big Easy Stage artists include D.K. Harrell, Bee Taylor, Noah & The Arkiteks, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88’s, The Blues Defenders with Mz. Dee & Willy Jordan, Vanessa Collier, Maxx Cabello Jr., Marcel Smith, Chicken Bone Slim & The Biscuits featuring Laura Chavez, and Billy Iuso.

SJMA Next Gen Stage puts the spotlight on emerging youth talent performing free shows on Saturday, Aug. 12 and Sunday, Aug. 13. SJMA Next Gen Stage acts include MJF Regional All Star Vocal Ensemble, MJF Regional All Star Big Band Ensemble, Jazz Education Ensemble, Youth Jazz Jam, Mr. Clifford’s Young Jazz All Stars, Berkeley High School Combo, Mariachi Mexico, and Savannah Martinez Band. The Tabard Theatre Swing Stage features the best SF Bay Area swing bands including Los Gatos-Saratoga Band, The Serenaders, Synchronicity, Top Shelf, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Los Tacoyos, Full Spectrum Big Band, SOJ Band, Footnotes, Ames Jazz Band, and Swing Solution.

The historic 1936 venue Montgomery Theater brings its elegant décor and great acoustics to SJZ Summer Fest as one of four premier indoor concert spaces for national and regional artists. Additional indoor venues include the Hammer Theatre and SJZ Break Room. Local curatorial and performance partners also include Mosaic America and others.

Housed on South 1st Street inside San Jose Jazz’s downtown office with a multi-media digital video wall featuring the latest in HD technology, The SJZ Break Room hosts three days of indoor shows with all live performances projection-mapped with Ultra-Short Throw Projectors onto high-end projection fabric. The immersive experience allows for attendees to see immensely talented artists on stage while also simultaneously witnessing creative details of the performance on screen.

Sponsors @ San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023
Sponsors for the SJZ Summer Fest 2023 include The Sobrato Organization, Hunger at Home, Full Circle Catering & Events, DownBeat Magazine, Google, PG&E, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Republic Services, Dave’s Bread, Urban Catalyst (sponsoring District 3 Opening Night Happy Hour), CEFCU (Club Crawl Sponsor), Visit San Jose, Gordon Biersch Brewery, City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs, and Castellano Family Foundation.

ACT NOW, some hotels are already sold out! Exclusive hotel deals close to the festival grounds are now available. Check out these great rates at Signia by Hilton San Jose, AC Hotel by Marriott, DoubleTree by Hilton, Four Points by Sheraton, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Hotel Clariana, Hotel De Anza, Hyatt Place, San Jose Marriott, and Westin. Book your reservations now at this LINK.

33rd Annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023
When: August 11 – 13, 2023
Where: Plaza de César Chavez Park, San Jose, CA
Admission: summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/buy-now
More info: summerfest.sanjosejazz.org; Call 408.288.7557

Artist Lineup (Friday, August 11 – Sunday, August 13)
Gregory Porter, Marcus Miller, Anthony Hamilton Featuring The Ton3s, The Soul Rebels, W.I.T.C.H., Cimafunk, Pete Rock & The Soul Brothers, The Bad Plus, Grace Kelly, Veronica Swift, Marcus Shelby New Orchestra Featuring Tiffany Austin, Shayna Steele, Sunny War, Vanessa Collier, Patrice Rushen, Telmary & Friends, Connie Han Trio, Blaque Dynamite, MAE.SUN, Billy Childs, Vocal Gents of Jazz with Kenny Washington, Lalin St. Juste, Nicolas Bearde & Jamie Davis, Luca Stricagnoli, Halie Loren, Ronit Widmann-Levy & Angel Romero, Benny Benack III, Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few, Bee Taylor, DK Harrell, VibraSon, Chika Di, Óskar Ly & Rumbalú, Gabriel Gonzalez Y La Verdad, Club Mambi, San Miguel, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88’s, The Blues Defenders with Mz. Dee & Willy Jordan, Noah & The Arkiteks, Marcel Smith, Chicken Bone Slim & The Biscuits featuring Laura Chavez, Maxx Cabello Jr., Billy Iuso, Yvonne Flores, Malachi Whitson, Soul Message Band, Maraca & Orquesta La Moderna Tradición, Basivibe, Stimulator Jones, Ian Santillano, Ensemble Contratiemple Afrovenezuelan Jazz, Mr. Clifford’s Young Jazz All Stars, MJF Regional All Star Vocal Ensemble, MJF Regional All Star Big Band Ensemble, Jazz Education Ensemble, Youth Jazz Jam, Mr. Clifford’s Young Jazz All Stars, Berkeley High School Combo, Mariachi Mexico, Savannah Martinez Band, Los Gatos-Saratoga Band, The Serenaders, Synchronicity, Top Shelf, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Los Tacoyos, Full Spectrum Big Band, SOJ Band, Footnotes, Ames Jazz Band, and Swing Solution.

San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2023 – Ticket Information

3-Day Pass Adult VIP ($610 advance; $680 gate)
Includes access to all stages, Fri-Sun, Aug 11-13 and access to VIP seating Area at the Sobrato Organization Main Stage on Fri–Sun. Also, unlimited access to the VIP Pavilion near the Main Stage with two drink tickets, snacks and one meal each day; as well as “first-in” access to indoor stages, 15 minutes before downbeat. If the venue is full, you’ll be the first to get in when seats become available.

3-Day Pass Adult PRIORITY ACCESS ($310 advance; $340 gate)
Access to all stages, Fri-Sun, Aug 11-13 and to Priority Seating area in front of the Main Stage with an exclusive attached bar plus Priority, “first-in” access to indoor stages, 15 minutes before downbeat. If the venue is full when you arrive, you’ll be the first to get in when seats are available. Also, an exclusive no-host bar.

3-Day Pass Adult ALL STAGES ($190 advance; $205 gate)
Basic access to all stages, Fri-Sun, Aug 11-13. Access to indoor stages after Priority Access and VIP ticket holders are seated.

3-Day Pass Adult GENERAL ADMISSION (GA) ($115 advance; $130 gate)
Basic access all outdoor stages, including the Main Stage, Aug 11-13

3-Day Pass Child ($30)
Admission to SJZ Summer Fest, Fri-Sun, Aug 11-13 for children aged 5-12. Children must be accompanied by a ticketed adult, and access will match that of the adult.

About San Jose Jazz Founded in 1986, San Jose Jazz is a public benefit organization celebrating jazz as a dynamic, evolving art form and is producer of the annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest and Winter Fest. San Jose Jazz innovates trend-setting initiatives to foster artistic ingenuity and preserve the jazz tradition as a forward-thinking movement. Through diverse music and educational programming, San Jose Jazz offers singular content and events by investing in the SF Bay Area ecosystem of exceptional talent for local and national audiences to enjoy.

For more information, please visit sanjosejazz.org.