For the past three decades, an array of jazz artists have converged on Clearwater’s scenic outdoor waterfront to deliver four days’ worth of free music. The national talent is supported by a solid bill of local and regional performers, the smooth-leaning fare balanced out by the odd eclectic acts that give the annual event its color and vitality. Headliners at the 31st annual event include high-spirited NOLA-style jazz, funk and hip hop fusionist Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue; composer and instrumentalist Brian Culbertson, whose contemporary sound is marked by an unexpectedly funky foundation; vet sax player Maceo Parker, who is well-versed on alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, has served as sideman for the likes of James Brown, Parliament and Prince, and also boasts his own extensive (15-album) repertoire; and classy jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves (pictured), her last release a collection of love songs, When You Know.
Thursday: Global Affect (5-6 p.m.), Kevin Eubanks (6:30-8p.m.), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (8:30-10 p.m.)
Friday: Valerie Gillespie Ensemble (4:30-5:30 p.m.), Gerald Clayton Trio (6-7:15 p.m.), Miss Tess & The Bon Ton Parade (7:45-9 p.m.), Brian Culbertson (9:30-11 p.m.)
Saturday: Jazz Juvenocracy (2-3:15 p.m.), Whitney James (3:45-5 p.m.), LaRue Nickelson Group (5:30-6:45 p.m.), Sammy Figueroa & The Latin Explosion (7:15-8:45 p.m.), Maceo Parker (9:15-10:45 p.m.), Fireworks Show (10:45 p.m.)
Sunday: Ruth Eckerd Hall / Clearwater Jazz Holiday Youth Jazz Band with Kym Purling (3-4 p.m.), Mike Markaverich Trio (4:30-5:45 p.m.), Christian McBride & Inside Straight (6:15-7:45 p.m.), Dianne Reeves (8:15-9:30 p.m.)
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2011.
