The festival will be held Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sunday, April 15 from noon to 5 p.m., in downtown Glendale, 58th and Glendale avenues. Admission and parking are free.
“Moving to a two-day entertainment extravaganza will allow us to crank it up a notch to attract bigger, national acts that will dazzle music enthusiasts,” says Special Events Division Manager Martin Dickey.
This year’s festival will feature Francine Reed, who rose to prominence in her adopted hometown of Phoenix and is now known to most of the world as Lyle Lovett’s duet and backup vocalist. Reed is currently touring in support of her new album “Shades of Blue.”
Also headlining the festival is blues guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya. Montoya packs clubs and theaters around the world and has played major festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Chicago Blues Festival and The San Francisco Blues Festival. Headlining the jazz stage is the Joey DeFrancesco Trio. DeFrancesco, who is regarded as one of the top jazz organ virtuosos in the world, is the recipient of four consecutive Down Beat Magazine’s Critics Poll Awards. He has more than 20 solo releases on Columbia and Concord Records.
The festival will feature two stages, one highlighting jazz performers and the other showcasing blues bands.
But the Glendale Jazz & Blues Festival is more than music. There will be more than two dozen food and beverage concessions, craft artisans, a wine tasting with Kokopelli Winery, children’s activities and more.
The festival is presented by SRP and sponsored by Cibola Vista, Snapple, KTVK, Arizona Republic, Budweiser, KMLE, KOOL, FREE, Kokopelli Winery with special thanks to Civic Pride Ambassadors.
The festival is produced by the city of Glendale’s Office of Special Events. Call
623-930-2299 for more information. |
