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Kelowna, BC V1X 4J1, Canada
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It's time to round up those lawn blankets and those low-slung lawn chairs, and get ready for a full weekend of family fun at Waterfront Park's Island Stage.
The 2009 Kelowna Jazz and Blues Festival runs day and night this Saturday and Sunday, July 4th and 5th, with 22 hours of live music, food and beverage services and more, all served up in an affordable family-oriented atmosphere.
Festival organizers at the Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society have brought a large volunteer crew together to help the rain-or-shine festival go smoothly.
"You're going to hear thirteen of the Okanagan's top professional jazz and blues performing groups," says Society president James Butler, "along with top Chicago blues veteran Studebaker John and his Hawks, and Toronto bass legend Roberto Occhipinti with his quartet of incredible Cuban jazz expatriates."
The weekend Festival also kicks off 'Jump Around Town', a selection of live blues or jazz performances at a half dozen Kelowna music venues, from July 3rd through July 10th. Full schedule details for the weekend Festival and 'Jump Around Town' are viewable at www.okanaganjazzblues.ca.
Thanks to generous support from TD Canada Trust's Music division, the City of Kelowna and other sponsors, the Festival is being kept super-affordable.
Admission is cash-only, at the gate. It's $15 daily for adults, $25 for a family of four. Children 12 and under are free. Seniors 65 and over pay $10 per day, and it's $10 for students, and for members of the Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society and the Jazz Cafe concert series.
Island Stage hours are 10am through 10pm Saturday July 4th, and 10am through 8pm Sunday July 5th.
"This Festival and the accompanying events are being organized and presented by Kelowna's large live-music community," Butler says. "We're doing it because we love the music, and we really hope people will come out and enjoy all this tremendous talent."
Saturday July 4th - 10:00 am through 10:00 pm
Sunday July 5th - 10:00 am through 8:00 pm
Island Stage Waterfront Park
60 Musicians, 15 Performances,
22 Hours of Entertainment
Food & Beverage Vendors
Prizes and Give-a-ways
Fun for the Whole Family
Rain or Shine!
Admission Prices Per Day
Cash only at Gate
Adults: $15
Family: $25 (4max) Children 12 and under FREE
Students (ID required) : $10
Seniors (65+) : $10
Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society Members : $10 (membership card required)
Jazz Cafe Members: $10 (membership card required)
Headline Artists
JULY 4th
SATURDAY NIGHT
Studebaker
John
& The
Hawks
Modern Electric
Chicago Blues
Chicago, Illinois
A triple threat on slide guitar, harmonica, and vocals. Studebaker John Grimaldi has gained critical acclaim as a prime example of the classic 50's Chicago blues sound, learning from such masters as J.B. Hutto and Paul Butterfield, yet retains an unmistakable style all his own.
"Hard-partying, tough, working-man's blues, heavy on the slide guitar and full tilt boogie."
- Blues Revue
"His raw amplified canonical work recalls past masters like Little Walter and Big Walter Horton, while his slide guitar style is descended from the styles of Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor. On top of that Studebaker John is a powerful vocalist and talented songwriter…"
- Chicago Tribune
Bassist, composer and bandleader Roberto Occhipinti is a major force in the Toronto music scene, and his recent CD, A Bend In The River (Modica Music Productions), continues his passionate tradition of musical synthesis. At first glance, the musical components—chamber music, complicated rhythms, daring improvisation—seem disparate, but in Occhipinti’s hands they form a seamless and exciting musical statement.
While the instrumentation is that of a straight-ahead jazz quartet, the music is anything but predictable, revealing something fascinating and new at every turn.
