The 2017 Blue Jay Jazz Festival opens Thursday with its first concert, the King Brothers blues band, featuring Sam and Lee King.
Music so hot it’s cool.
However, the location of the concert is a big deal as well.
The festival, which features internationally acclaimed performers from blues, soul and funk — as well as jazz — will present its three-concert series at SkyPark at Santa’s Village on three consecutive Thursdays through Aug. 24.
Elves will be movin’ and groovin.’
Santa’s Village, of course, is the San Bernardino Mountains entertainment and dining destination that reopened in November after extensive renovation.
While concertgoers’ admission does not entitle them to the park’s attractions, shops and restaurants will be accessible.
The King Brothers blues band, which stars drummer Sam and guitarist-vocalist Lee, has played, toured and recorded with such blues legends as their cousin, Freddie King, and their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame “adopted uncle,” Albert King.
The All About Jazz website said of their music, “This is blues played the way it should be.”
For all concerts, gates open at 5 p.m.; music starts at 6:45 p.m. at SkyPark at Santa’s Village, 28950 Highway 18 in Skyforest.
Festival tickets are $29 for ages 13 through adult, and $19 for children 12 and younger. There is a charge for parking only on Saturdays, so concert parking is free.
Concert tickets are available for purchase by calling the SkyPark Admissions office at 909-744-9373, but tickets are also available at the door. Call for availability.
Jazz festival folks are excited about performing at SkyPark and the feeling is mutual — the elves around SkyPark at Santa’s Village are ecstatic about hosting the concerts, too.
“It’s just a win-win-win for SkyPark, the jazz festival and the community,” said Patty Teachout, executive assistant to General Manager Bill Johnson.
“This is such a beautiful venue for everyone to enjoy.”
For many of us, the park just drips with nostalgia, bringing back memories of the Lollipop Lady and the Bumble Bee Monorail.
Concerts will take place outdoors under the stars and surrounded by towering Ponderosa pines.
“There is a big stage area and a place for dancing,” Patty said.
Box dinners are available, or concertgoers can dine in or take out from two of the park’s restaurants.
Just as the park is closing, concerts will wrap up, according to Patty.
The next two concerts are powerful as well.
• Grammy- and Emmy-nominated Greg Adams and East Bay Soul will take the SkyPark stage on Aug. 17.
Adams, who first appeared at the Blue Jay Jazz Festival in 2004, is among America’s most admired trumpet players. Before releasing his first solo album in 1995, he was a founding member of the legendary Tower of Power.
More recently, he formed a horn-powered band of his own, East Bay Soul, which crosses genres — including jazz, pop, rock, R&B, soul and funk.
• Bringing the series to a rousing conclusion will be headliner Adrianna Marie and her Groovecutters on Aug. 24, with the Rim of the World High School Jazz Band.
This will be Adrianna Marie’s Blue Jay Jazz Festival debut. Her parents, part of the ’60s folk group the Carol Lee Singers, toured with their young daughter, teaching her the power of music. By age 10 she was performing in summer stock in New England, and at 17 headed to California.
Since 1996, the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation has been providing the Southern California mountain communities with fantastic musical artists.
Popular artists continue to entertain the community with traditional, modern and contemporary jazz.
Among the unforgettable performers to appear are Poncho Sanchez, Jack Sheldon, Kilauea, Gregg Karukas and Kenny Burrell.
All of this and Santa’s Village, too.
Come back and fall in love again.
Michel Nolan appears in The Sun on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at mnolan@scng.com or on Twitter @MichelNolan.
