Our Countdown Concludes with Sunday, June 12

Everyone needs a time of reflection, whether a pilgrimage to a peaceful place or a respite from the highs of the night before. Join us for Sunday Morning Spirituals, with vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd, sax player Bennie Maupin, and conductor James Newton in a program of praise and glory, no matter what your faith. Then sit down for an Intimate Evening with Charlie Haden, where we take our shoes off and watch a movie with the Ramblin’ Boy himself.

June 12 – 11:00 am
“Sunday Morning Spirituals“
Raven Theater

Ruth Naomi Floyd can make a believer out of you. She brings her lush mezzo-soprano to sacred music that has sustained African-American communities through the hardest of times. Her CDs such as “Root to the Fruit” (2006) are filled with praise and glory, demonstrating the connection between the origin of African American faith and jazz.

Her voice is supported by a soulful and spiritual band, many of them seen on other stages during this 10-day festival, and featuring reeds legend Bennie Maupin. This is a guy who’s played bass clarinet with Miles Davis on “Bitches Brew” and hunted heads with Herbie Hancock, so you know we can learn a thing or two from him. James Newton is on hand to lend his experience and wisdom to the project, conducting us on a soulful journey.

Past Sunday Morning Spirituals concerts have proven a revelation and an inspiration to our audiences, no matter their faith. You may see many memorable concerts this week at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, but this is one you won’t forget. Tickets available here.

June 12 – 7:30 pm
“An Intimate Evening with Charlie Haden“
Raven Theater

What needs to be said about Charlie Haden? That he’s one of the premiere jazz bassists, and has been since his days with Ornette Coleman? Keith Jarrett? The Liberation Music Orchestra? Or that his roots as Iowa family country musician set him apart from the norm?

Either way, we’ll get to hear what the man himself says in this informal evening — part film screening (Reto Cadiff’s documentary “Ramblin’ Boy”), part conversational inquiry, part musical improvisation with pianist Alan Broadbent. It’s sure to be a unique way to end the Healdsburg Jazz Festival for this year. Tickets available here.

Tickets are on sale for all Festival events by walk-up or online, or just go to the 2011 Festival Schedule page to find links to each concert with tickets. (Some events are free.)

REMEMBER: Many if not most of the artists appearing at the 13th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival are donating their time and performances to help the Festival stay healthy for the coming years. We extend them our deepest gratitude, and hope you support their generoisty with your attendance.

Keep reading our e-blasts, visit our Facebook page, tune in to our Twitter and check on the Website for updated information on all Festival events. See you at the 13th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival— don’t miss it this time!

The heart of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival comes with the second weekend, Friday and Saturday at the Raven Theater. It’s a line-up of talent that any other jazz festival in the country would envy, packed into two extraordinary concerts at our historic town theater – plus “after-hours” sessions at the Hotel Healdsburg Lobby.

Sangam at the Raven
June 10: Friday Night, Raven Theater, 7:30 pm

To hear Sangam — Charles Lloyd, Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland — is to become immersed in the spiritual journey that is jazz at its most exalted. One of jazz’s great musical seekers, Charles Lloyd assembled this singular ensemble to mark the passing of drum wizard Billy Higgins, who had become the saxophonist’s late-career musical soulmate. Featuring Indian tabla legend Zakir Hussain, and drummer extraordinaire Eric Harland, the group released a live CD in 2006, and has performed only a few times since, when the opportunity is right. Tonight will be such a night.

Sangam is just the latest step on Charles Lloyd’s life-long spiritual journey, which as seen him play with everyone from blues greats like B.B. King and Bobby Bland, pop stars like the Beach Boys and The Doors, jazz legends such as Chico Hamilton and Keith Jarrett. More recently he has evolved into legendary status of his own, frequently joining with India’s tabla master Zakir Hussain in soul-searching duet performances around the world. Hussain’s own career is no less peripatetic, taking him from one of India’s most celebrated musical families to long-term associations with Mickey Hart, John McLaughlin and Lloyd.

Add drummer Eric Harland to the mix — a former prodigy who has evolved into a top-call accompanist to Joshua Redman, McCoy Tyner, Ravi Coltrane and more — and Sangam lives up to its name. In Sanskrit the word means “confluence,” and the confluence of talent and spiritual drive makes this Friday Night at the Raven a highlight of any festival. Tickets available here.

All-Star Night at the Raven
June 11, Saturday, Raven Theater, 8 pm

When you look at the line-up for just this one night, you see why the Healdsburg Jazz Festival has been called “the best small jazz festival in the country, if not the world.” The stage will be filled with headliners, artists and personalities from the jazz world that express the music at its most exploratory, exciting and entertaining.

Denny Zeitlin has been called “Dr. Jazz” (check out this article in the Bohemian) because of his dual career as psychiatrist and musician. But are the two disciplines really so different? They demand deep soul-searching, intelligence and empathy, and Zeitlin has proven himself adept at all. His solo performances, like the one he will be delivering here, stretch the structure of jazz standards to the point of transformation.  He will be featuring compositions from his newest live solo CD “Labyrinth” (Sunnyside Records, June 2011).

The John Heard Trio brings back to Healdsburg the beloved bass giant, who for years anchored the after-hours sessions during Festival week. Heard’s regular gigs at Charlie O’s in L.A. are legendary, elevating the club to one of the top 100 in the country (Downbeat). Playing with him will be Andy Langham on piano and Lorca Hart on drums, rounding out a solid trio of Healdsburg favorites.

George Cables and Friends might just as well be called the “Healdsburg Festival All-Stars” because there’s no other way to describe the musicians who take the stage at the Raven tonight. With George Cables on piano, the group finds its focus in one of the most supportive artists in our recent organizational trials — and one of the most highly-regarded keyboard talents in the business. Add in Bobby Hutcherson, another loyal HJF supporter who also happens to be one of the top 5 vibraphonists in jazz history, and you’ve set the stage.

The rest of the group includes saxophonists Craig Handy — a solid Bay Area performer who who has often taken the stage in Healdsburg — and Bobby Watson, the bluesy sax man who made his name in the Jazz Messengers. Need a trumpet player to round out the brass? Give David Weiss a call, a post-bop specialist who helped re-form the legendary Cookers at HJF a couple years back.

Bassist Ray Drummond has been a mainstay of jazz improvisation since the 1970s, and drummer Victor Lewis has been performing since he was 15 with Stan Getz, Kenny Barron, MJQ and many others, as well as teaching at Rutgers University.

This Saturday Night concert at the Raven will feature piano solo, jazz trio and one swingin’ combo on stage, each representing the heart and soul of jazz — and of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival’s all-star weekend. Tickets available here.

And don’t forget…

Sylvia Cuenca Trio
June 10-11, Fri. & Sat,
Hotel Healdsburg Lounge, 9 pm – midnight

The sessions at the Hotel Healdsburg Fireside Lounge are a fan’s favorite during Festival weekends, offering an intimate experience following the concerts at the Raven. From 9 ’til midnight this year, Clark Terry’s drummer-of-choice Sylvia Cuenca leads a smart tight trio in sessions that might see guest artists drop by. Frank Martin and Gary Brown round out the trio, guaranteeing an exciting late night music scene in Healdsburg.

But we’re not done yet! One final update is in store for you, telling you about the climactic day of this year’s Festival, Sunday June 12 — with a morning of spirituals and an evening of insight from a musical icon Charlie Haden. See all our Festival Countdown updates here.

Tickets are on sale for the Festival by walk-up or online, or just go to the 2011 Festival Schedule page to find links to each concert with tickets.

REMEMBER: Many if not most of the artists appearing at the 13th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival are donating their time and performances to help the Festival stay healthy for the coming years. We extend to them our deepest gratitude, and hope you support their generosity with your attendance.

See you at the 13th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival— don’t miss it this time!

Just announced:

Audiophile’s Listening Party, featuring celebrated pianist Geri Allen and a high-fidelity vinyl (you read that right) recording of Motéma’s 2010 release “Flying Toward the Sound.”

The Listening Party will be held at the Topel Winery Tasting Room, 125 Matheson St., on Thursday, June 9 at 4:30pm.  Topel wines and appetizers will be served, courtesy of the Topel Winery. (Attendance is limited; please see below.)

The album, which includes the “Refractions Suite” that Allen wrote for her Guggenheim Fellowship project in 2009, was released to unanimous acclaim – many critics included the word “masterpiece” in their reviews.  It’s a perfect record for the true audiophile, featuring state-of-the art recording of one of America’s top pianist/composers at the top of her form.

For our listening party, Healdsburg’s Lavish Theaters will provide a top-notch audio system to present the music in its fullest glory.  The setup will include a Thorens TD 309 turntable, Krell 402e main power amp, MIT reference cables and power filtration, Wharfedale Opus 2-2 tower speakers and two Sunfire subwoofers.

Geri Allen will be in attendance at this event, in advance of her Thursday evening concert. The vinyl album will be available at the Listening Party; retail price for the Double LP, 180 gram, numbered collector’s edition is $49.99. If you purchase it at this event, Motéma will donate $10.00 from every sale to the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.  

Attendance is limited to ticket-holders for the Motéma Music Night concert and/or HFJ members. If you don’t yet have a ticket, you can buy one online now or at Levin & Co. bookstore, around the corner from Topel Winery. Become a HJF Member now and receive some fabulous Motéma Music CDs in return. Tickets and member names will be checked at the door.

For more information, contact the Topel Winery Tasting Room at 707-433-4116; or the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, 707-433-4644.

DONT FORGET: Motéma Music Night at the Raven, Thurs. June 9, 7:30 pm. Geri Allen, Marc Cary, Babatunde Lea and other Motéma musicians.

Look at the time! It’s already Tuesday, May 24 (Bob Dylan’s 70th, but who’s counting?), and the Healdsburg Jazz Festival begins next week, with Opening Night at the Raven on Friday June 3, followed by a Jazz Weekend at Rec Park, June 4 & 5.

After all that, maybe it’s time take a break from the big events and chill out. Have a jazz and wine dinner at the Dry Creek Kitchen, picnic in the Plaza with a young and energetic jazz band, then bossa nova on down to Brazil Night at the Bakery.

JUNE 6, MONDAY — Jazz and Wine Dinner at DCK (7- 10 pm)

Let’s start with the venue — Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, a local destination for fine cuisine from the celebrity chef, founder of “progressive American cuisine.” The guy has restaurants in Las Vegas, Washington DC, Dallas, several in Reno and New York — and Healdsburg. DCK (as we call it here) will feature a three-course Sonoma Neighbors Menu this Monday night that’s sure to be given a special jazzy twist.

Why? Three fluid, inventive, and overall tasteful guitarists. John Stowell used to gig with vibes legends Milt Jackson and Lionel Hampton, Randy Vincent has gone straight jazz to Latin avant garde, and Kai Devitt-Lee is the hottest teenage jazz guitarist in the state. (More about that later.) Mix this three-course guitar trio with your progressive American cuisine and some Sonoma County wine. What could go wrong? No tickets necessary, just reservations, dinner, jazz and wine. More info here.

JUNE 7, TUESDAY —Jazz in the Healdsburg Plaza (6 – 8 pm)

For almost a quarter century Healdsburg has hosted free locals concerts in the Plaza on Tuesday nights. And for half that time the HJF has introduced regional and even national jazz talents to town. Don’t thank us — just come and have fun!

The SFJazz High School All-Stars Jazz Orchestra is made up just that, the state’s best jazz talent in the 14-18 age bracket (give or take), selected to put on some show-stopping big band jazz at the San Francisco Jazz Festival every year. This year, they picked up on Kai Devitt-Lee of Healdsburg High, the first-ever local musicians to make the stage. So this is your chance to see big band jazz on the bandstand in Healdsburg. Free. More info here.

JUNE 8, WEDNESDAY — Brazil Night at the Bakery (7 – 10 pm)

Earlier this year we had a jazz party at Costeaux French Bakery and Café, an established business in town but newly remodeled. It was a big hit, a fitting climax to our Jazz on the Menu benefit. Our members and friends begged for more.

So here it is: Brazil Night at the Bakery, a festive mid-week carnival in wine country. On stage: Sandy Cressman, long the signanture voice of Brazil’s music to Bay Area ears. Her “Homenagem Brasileira” is a classic of West Coast bossa nova, and she also embraces Flamenco, Cuban and other Latin styles. Also on stage will be Peter Barshay, Rich Kuhns and Kendrick Freeman.

With them will be Natalie Cressman, the talented 19-year old on summer vacation from the Manhattan School of Music — and a rising star in jazz trombone and vocals. Guess what: She was in the SFJazz High School All-Stars just a couple years ago. It’s all beginning to make sense, isn’t it?

As an added treat, the Healdsburg High School Jazz Band will open the evening show. These youngsters carry on the tradition of talented combos coming out of our local schools (we modestly share the credit through our Jazz Education Programs), and this year they include Kai Devitt-Lee on guitar (see Monday, June 6 above), Oliver Lipton on drums, Haden Shoup on bass, Trevor O’Connor playing trumpet, Colin Deas on tenor sax and Ester Unti on trombone. All are under the direction of Lorca Hart, and they know their jazz! More info and tickets here.

Hard to believe, but we’re not done yet. Watch for our next Festival Coundown e-blast later this week on the magical, mysterious and magnificent Motéma Music Night!

REMEMBER: Many if not most of the artists appearing at the 13th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival are donating their time and performances to help the Festival stay healthy for the coming years. We extend them our deepest gratitude, and hope you support their generoisty with your attendance.

Tickets are on sale for the Festival by walk-up or online, or just go to the 2011 Festival Schedule page to find links to each concert with tickets.

Keep reading our e-blasts, visit our Facebook page, tune in to our Twitter and check on the Website for updated information on all Festival events. See you at the 13th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival— don’t miss it this time!

The countdown continues …

In just two weeks the 13th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival begins with Opening Night at the Raven on June 3, as we told you in our last e-blast. This time we take a look at the first weekend — Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5, now to be held at the Sonoma County Day School’s Jackson Theater.

JUNE 4, SATURDAY “One Voice: An Afternoon of Vocal Jazz”

When many of us think of jazz we think of saxophones or trumpets or drummers or pianos, or maybe that stand-up bass that holds it all together. But over the 20th century perhaps the most popular jazz musicians have been singers — Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, and of course Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra.

Every year at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival we make it a point to bring exceptional vocalists to the stage to continue this tradition, and this year we decided to go the whole nine yards and devote an entire “day on the green” to the deep vocal traditions of jazz.

So here it is — One Voice: An Afternoon of Vocal Jazz, from 4 pm to sunset (8 pm) at Rec Park Jackson Theater. Although we call it “One Voice,” in fact we’re celebrating the diversity of pipes that bring songs alive, from the wide range of vocal traditions, backed by some of the solid musicians you’ve come to expect from HJF.

Start with the swinging repertoire of Jackie Ryan, the sultry sound of Bobbe Norris, and the soul-bearing musical storyteller, 82-year old Ed Reed. Their mix of voices and styles will set the stage for an afternoon of favorite songs and new discoveries. Back-up band includes pianist Larry Dunlap, bassist Robb Fisher, drummer Jim Zimmerman and Noel Jewkes on saxophone.

The second set gets us in a more soulful mood, with the a cappella talents of Rhonda Benin bringing forth the African-American experience though the jazz divas who inspired her. The charasmatic crooner Nicholas Bearde brings his voice to the stage, filling Rec Park with the deep soul of Lou Rawls, Nat “King” Cole and the inimitable Arthur Prysock.

By now the sunset will be casting its magic spell, and a pair of talents enchant with their vocal charms: Madeline Eastman and Kenny Washington inspire and persuade with their technical and rhythmic talents, while the band of George Cables, Peter Barshay, Billy Hart and saxophonist Rob Roth makes a great show even better.

JUNE 5, SUNDAY “Latin Jazz in Concert”

For the fourth year in a row, we take over Rec Park Join us at the Jackson Theater or a Festival Sunday with a Latin beat, from 1 to 6 pm. Subtitled “A Pan-American Journey,” this year’s Latin Jazz on the Green brings back some of our favorite performers and adds the spices of new blood and exotic talents.

The first act sets the stage — guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, bassist Nilson Matta, and drummer Billy Hart, bringing the elements of jazz tradition through an Afro-Brazilian filter. Next, a number of Brazilian All-Stars reunite on our stage, including guitarists Romero Lubambo, Brian Moran and Ricardo Peixoto, Rio’s own vocalist Claudia Villela and percussionist Ami Molinelli, and reeds master Harvey Wainapel. The sounds of the Southern Hemisphere never sounded so sweet.

It’s when the John Santos Sextet shows up with not one but two “secret weapons” — we call them “special guests” — that things reach another level. Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval won the first-ever Grammy for Latin music, and Bay Area percussionist and bandleader Pete Escovedo is in a class of his own.

This set is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, because Latin jazz is a global treasure!

REMEMBER: Many if not most of the artists appearing at the 13th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival are donating their time and performances to help the Festival stay healthy for the coming years. We extend them our deepest gratitude, and hope you support their generoisty with your attendance.  Tickets are now on sale for the Festival — just go to the 2011 Festival Schedule page to find links to each concert with tickets.

Keep reading our e-blasts, visit our Facebook page, tune in to our Twitter and check on the Website for updated information on all Festival events. See you at the 13th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival — Don’t miss it this time!

The countdown begins …

At last, the 13th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival is less than three weeks away – with Opening Night in sight at the Raven Theater on June 3. It’s been a tumultuous and difficult year, but this is what makes it all worth while – the music.

Over the next couple weeks we’ll be sending you f requent messages about the concerts and other festival events. Please bear with us, we think you’ll appreciate the information.

JUNE 3, FRIDAY Fred Hersch with Julian Lage, plus the Noam Lemish Quartet

What can we say about Fred Hersch? He’s played at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival a couple times previously to ovations, but all indications are this time will take it to a higher level altogether. A severe health crisis nearly took him from us, but he’s come out of it with wisdom and introspection, and playing the best he ever has.

“Fred Hersch plays one hell of a piano,” said a recent reviewer in All About Jazz. “He’s dipping into that deep pool that Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett have come to and immersed themselves in,” continues the write-up of Hersch’s new release “Alone at the Vanguard” (Palmetto). “…you can hear the whole history of jazz piano coming off his fingers in ways that could only be Fred Hersch.” We truly look forward to welcoming Hersch back to Healdsburg, and anticipate a remarkable experience.

Playing both solo and paired with Hersch will be local guitar star Julian Lage. The Windsor native has played Healdsburg jazz events throughout the past decade, until Gary Burton recruited him for his New Generation ensemble, and his own 2009 solo album “Sounding Point” was nominated for a Grammy. Hersch and Lage met recently and realized they shared musical interests that made a duo performance rewarding for musicians and audience alike. Together, they will provide a world-class concert with home town intimacy that you won’t want to miss.

Opening the evening concert will be Noam Lemish, the extremely talented pianist and composer whose year-long sojourn in Bhutan we followed through his blog. Now based in Toronto, the Israel-born, classically trained musician comes back to Healdsburg to perform both solo and with a quartet featuring Jason Carr, bass, Alex Aspinall, drums, and guest saxophonist Matt Rothstein.

As are many performers in this year’s Festival, both Fred Hersch and Julian Lage, as well as Noam Lemish and his band, are donating their time and performances to the Healdsburg Jazz Festival to help ensure its survival. It’s bound to be an auspicious and impressive Opening Night to the 2011 Healdsburg Jazz Festival.

Click here to buy tickets for Opening Night — they won’t last forever!

FESTIVAL UPDATE : As we explained on our website, Maria Marquez had to cancel her June 8 appearance at Costeaux Bakery due to health reasons. She highly recommended one person to replace her: Sandy Cressman, the Bay Area singer “with a Brazilian heart.” Playing with the same sidemen — Peter Barshay, Rich Kuhns and Kendrick Freedman — Cressman will bring not only her extensive experience and repertoire of Caribbean and South American songs, but her talented 19-year old daughter Natalie Cressman as well, virtuoso trombonist and singer in her own right. Expect no less than the best at Brazilian Jazz at the Bakery, on Wednesday June 8. Click here for tickets.

REMEMBER: Tickets are now on sale for the 13th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival, June 3-12. Just go to the 2011 Festival Schedule page to find links to each concert with tickets. (Ticket sales are handled by Brown Paper Tickets of Seattle — go here to see our full list of ticketed events.)

Keep reading our e-blasts, visit our Facebook page, tune in to our Twitter and check on the Website for updated information on all Festival events. Don’t miss it this time!