Stanford Jazz Festival Announces Dates, Performers

The massive Stanford Jazz Festival, which runs June 24 through Aug. 5, announced its line up of more than 100 artists and 30 concerts for this year’s festival. Highlighted performances include concerts by Jimmy Heath (pictured) and James Woods; Regina Carter; Cedar Walton; Eric Alexander and Chris Potter; and Cyrus Chestnut with Donald Harrison and Wycliffe Gordon. Many of this year’s events will also feature an “Inside Jazz” presentation, a series of free pre-concert talks by jazz artists and educators.

As in previous years, the festival is sponsored by the Stanford Jazz Workshop and See’s Candies. The festival dates correspond with the SJW’s educational summer programs and many of the festival’s performers are also faculty for the educational programs. The Stanford Jazz Festival has its roots in the early performances of the SJW, which have continued to grow and now draw more than 15,000 people to the annual festival.

Concerts this year include “Jazz and the Music of Brazil: Celia Malheiros Band” on July 7; “Ruth Davies’ Blues Night Featuring Floyd Dixon” on July 16; the Taylor Eigsti/Julian Lage Band on July 23; “Standards Night Featuring Bill Tapia” on July 26; and “SJW All Star Jam Session” featuring Phil Woods, Jimmy Heath, Eric Alexander and Andrew Speight on saxophone, Brian Lynch on trumpet, vocalists Madeline Eastman and Dena DeRose, pianists Harold Mabern and Stefan Karlsson, Rodney Whitaker on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums on Aug. 4.

Tickets for most events range from $10-$40, with half-price tickets for students and children under 18. There are also package deals: a 10 percent discount is offered for purchases of three to five performances, a 15 percent discount is offered for purchases of six or more performances and a festival pass for admission to all shows is available for $500.

Tickets and more information are available at www.stanfordjazz.org.

Originally Published April 17, 2006