Jazzfest explodes in SF

More people are listening to jazz in San Francisco, and the city and musicians are responding by providing one of the best festivals, according to Isabele Yrigoyen, publicist for the San Francisco Jazz Festival.

"It's considered one of the top festivals in the country. Next to New York, San Francisco has one of the largest jazz audiences," she said.

There will be as many different sounds of jazz blowing through the city as there are venues during the 13th annual San Francisco Jazz Festival Oct. 13-29.

Yrigoyen said the festival is one of the longest running festivals in the United States, as well as one of the most unique.

"It's very unusual for a jazz festival to be done from several major theaters across the city, from Davies to Grace Cathedral, to clubs and to the streets," she said.

The 15-day celebration of jazz begins this Friday with the Modern Jazz Quartet honoring their late drummer Connie Kay, and continues with a variety of tributes to jazz greats. On two consecutive Saturdays, Oct. 21 and Oct. 28, there are three tributes to Charlie "Bird" Parker, Bessie Smith and Swingtime California Blues.

"The tributes that we do are pretty unusual. We are honoring California Blues, which has a distinct history and sound that isn't emphasized in other festivals," said Yrigoyen.

With themes such as "generations of jazz," which showcases parent/child jazz couplings, and a Brazilian jazz party on a Bay cruise, the festival offers snippets of sound from every genre on the scene.

"The festival has diversity, with world musicians like Randy Westin, who has recorded with many African musicians," Yrigoyen said.

Acid, or new jazz, is one of the fastest growing types of jazz among young people, and the festival will present various bands during the 11th Street block party this Saturday night and Sunday. One of the bands playing Saturday, Dogslyde, is a regular fixture within the new jazz scene. "The music is more up to date because it's played with beats that young kids can get into," said Clyde Sutliff, pianist for the band. "With us it truly is jazz -- with sort of a twist," he added.

The festival's ability to draw crowds to such a new form of jazz lends to the music's popularity and the openness of the promoters, according to Jodi McFadin, co-founder of Ubiquity Recordings Inc., a record label promoting an acid jazz night at Bimbo's 365 club.

"Festivals tend to be into straight-ahead jazz and nothing else, so this is a stretch for them," she added.

According to Yrigoyen, last year's block party drew an estimated 10,000 people on one night, testament to the increasing popularity of new jazz. "The scene is really thriving here," she said. "There is collaboration between the clubs and the organizers of the festivals -- we promote the bands playing outside, but the clubs bring in bands of their own."

Many of the bands headlining this year's outdoor party -- Broun Fellinis, Jimmy Smith, Dogslyde and Damn! -- developed a following at the Elbo Room, where managing partner Dennis Ring brings in a new jazz band to play nearly every night of the week.

"There are a tremendous amount of young musicians in San Francisco right now who play new jazz. It's very danceable, not a sit down and watch thing," he said.

Assistance from festival promoters and club owners like Ring have made the city a hotbed for new artists. "My friends used to sit around and talk about if we were in the '50s, we'd have all these places to play. Now San Francisco is supporting a lot of young new musicians," Sutliff said.

Besides holding concerts to present jazz, the festival also aims to educate the public. Jazz Dialogues is a series of lectures from artists such as Randy Westin and music educators that will inform the public about different aspects of jazz.

Yrigoyen also said the low cost of the Festival -- $18 being the base price for most shows -- allows more people to listen to great jazz.

"We've tried to keep the cost as low as possible so it's accessible to everyone," Yrigoyen said.

Jazz is becoming more popular, said Sutliff, who believes there's an advantage and disadvantage to people becoming acclimated to jazz music. "More young people are getting into it, but jazz has become programmed music, music to invoke a reaction. Now there are Hyundai commercials with crappy jazz in the background," he said.

The Jazz Festival will hold concerts every night for its 15-day run. For more information call 788-SFJF (7353).

[ Golden Gater Online October 12, 1995 ]

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