All That Jazz

Press Release
America’s Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society (AFCDJS) presents the 37th Annual San Diego Jazz Festival Nov. 23- 27 at the Town & Country Resort and Hotel. The Festival features over 35 bands and guest artists from across the U.S. and the San Diego area playing for dancing and listening in seven nonsmoking venues. Food, beverages and special festival room rates are available at the Town & Country Resort Hotel at 500 Hotel Circle North in San Diego, near the intersection of I-8 and SR-163.

Festival hours: Wednesday 7 - 11 p.m. (two bands); Thursday 6 - 11 p.m. (seven bands); Friday 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 12:30 a.m; Sunday 9 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. (all bands play Friday and Saturday).

All-events badges are: $110 (5-day), $105 (4-day) and $100 (3-day) These may be purchased in advance from AFCDJS, P.O. Box 880387, San Diego, CA 92168-0387. Daily badges will be available at the Festival: Wednesday-$20; Thursday-$25; Friday or Saturday-$50; Sunday-$30. After 5 p.m. on Friday or Saturdaybadges are $30. Children 12 and under are admitted free accompanied by an adult. Ages 13-29: 5-day $50; 4-day $45; 3-day $40; Wed-$10; Thursday $15; Friday or Saturday $30, Sunday $20. Festival admission is free to active-duty military personnel, with government-issued ID.

The 2016 Festival lineup includes: High Sierra Jazz Band (Three Rivers, CA); Yerba Buena Stompers (San Francisco); Cornet Chop Suey (St. Louis); Buck Creek Jazz Band (Washington, D.C.); Tom Rigney and Flambeau (Berkeley, CA); Kris Tokarski Quartet with Chloe Feoranzo (New Orleans); Lakeshore Syncopators (Chicago); Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles Jazz Band (Denver); Dave Stuckey and the Hot House Gang (Los Angeles); Grand Dominion Jazz Band (Camano Island, WA); Big Butter Jazz Band (Los Angeles); Katie Cavera (Los Angeles); Dave Bennett Quartet (Waterford, MI); Uptown Lowdown (Seattle); Memphis Speed Kings (Searcy, AR); Stephanie Trick (St. Louis); Ray Skjelbred and his Cubs (Seattle); Night Blooming Jazzmen (Los Angeles); Paolo Alderighi (Milan, Italy); Sweethearts of Swing (San Diego); Dawn Lambeth Trio (Paso Robles, CA); Jazz Jammers (San Diego); Virginia Tichenor and Marty Eggers (Berkeley, CA); Sue Palmer and Motel Swing (San Diego); Titanic Jazz Band (Burbank, CA); High Society Jazz Band (La Jolla, CA); Champagne Dixie (San Diego); Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra (San Diego); Carl Sonny Leyland (New Cuyama, CA); Uptown Rhythm Makers (San Diego); Mission Bay High School Preservationists (San Diego); South Bay Jazz Ramblers (Chula Vista, CA); Paragon Jazz Band (San Diego); Hang Ten Hoppers Dance Team (San Diego); San Fernando Valley Banjo Band, (Northridge, CA); Uptown Rhythm Makers (San Diego); plus two San-Diego area youth groups - Canyon Crest Academy Jazz Band and the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts Jazz Ensemble.

Special events include “Pianorama,” featuring solo piano performances; “SaturdayNight Swing Dance Extravaganza” with continuous music; New Orleans style “Parasol Struts” parades; sets featuring the music of Louis Armstrong and Classic Chicago Jazz of the ‘20s; instrumental combinations assembled especially for the Festival; a Sunday morning “Hymn-a- Long,” organized jam sessions, dance classes, parasol parades, and more. The pre-festival party on Wednesday night runs from 7-11 p.m. and on Thursday the Town & Country Hotel offers a Thanksgiving Champagne Buffet with live jazz from 1-6 p.m. in the Convention Center. Late Sunday afternoon there will be a Wrap-Up Jam Session, with an all- star lineup made up of Festival performers. The festival is funded in part by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture. AFCDJS is a 501 (c ) 3 organization.

Sponsorships are still available for festival venues, bands and individual musicians. For additional information, contact AFCDJS at (619) 297-5277. E-mail: jazzinfo@sdjazzfest.org.