With COVID restrictions all but gone, organizers of the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, formerly known as the San Jose Jazz Festival, have released the lineup of artists and are more optimistic than ever that they can pack this year’s event. It takes place from August 12th to 14th at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park in downtown. According to the event website which references Santa Clara County health guidelines, “San Jose Jazz events follow or exceed Santa Clara County guidelines for safe public events. As of March 2, 2022, participants are no longer required to be masked or show proof of vaccination status.”
The event was held last summer but on a much smaller scale because of the pandemic. San Jose Jazz Executive Director Brendan Rawson told the Mercury News “San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2022 will greater reflect the trajectory of our flagship annual music event as we climb out of the pandemic and return to the look and feel of SJZ Summer Fest that music fans have come to love. We greatly look forward to welcoming back patrons to a larger footprint than in 2021 with over eight stages of exciting outdoor and indoor concerts.”
The most recognizable act is singer/songwriter CeeLo Green who will headline the opening night of the festival. Another notable act is 2021 Grammy Award-winning singer Ledisi who headlines on the final day.
Ceelo Green/Ledisi, Photo Credit: San Jose Jazz
According to a San Jose Jazz Summer Fest news release, the rest of the lineup is as follows; Javon Jackson’s “Charlie Parker at 100″ featuring Gary Bartz, Charles McPherson and Donald Harrison; the Brubeck Brothers; Telmary and Friends; Joel Ross; Takuya Kuroda Quintet; Bobby Watson; Curtis Lundy; Jeremy Pelt; Cyrus Chestnut and Victor Jones; Lemon Bucket Orkestra; New Orleans Suspects with Erica Falls; Tribute to Clifford Coulter; Jazz Organ Fellowship Tribute to Tony Monaco; Jazz Organ Foundation Celebrates Dr. Lonnie Smith; Diunna Greenleaf; Aki Kumar; Memphissippi Sounds; 7th Street Big Band; Tribal Gold; Silvana Astrada; Erica Falls (solo); and ADG7. More acts could be added to the bill as we get closer to the event.
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest is not just great for music fans, but for the local economy as well. Past events have brought in well over 10,000 attendees who eat at San Jose restaurants and stay at the city’s hotels. Festival organizers are working on a hotel registration page that will apparently give fans better deals on rooms near Cesar Chavez Park. “Summer fest is not just about the music; it's about community. we make our community come alive by ensuring interaction, vibrancy, and economic development. we are committed to bringing it back stronger than ever in 2021,” SJZ board of directors president Julie Ramirez says on the website.
