If you need yet another indication that spring has arrived in Northern California, you’ll get plenty over the next few weeks as the region’s leading outdoor venues announce their 2010 concert seasons. Wineries, the sheds, various and sundry festivals and series – all are poised to make their lineups public.
You can count the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival among the first. Now in its 10th year, it will be presenting more than 100 events in the coming months with jazz figuring quite prominently among the offerings. Indeed, the series gets under way May 1 with the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra performing the world premiere of Shelby’s “MLK” oratorio. To read more about the gifted bassist-composer and the work itself, click here.
Other favorites of mine on the lineup include the Nice Guy Trio, Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Wayne Wallace Quintet and Tom Rigney and Flambeau. There’s even going to be an entire Latin jazz series.
For details, take a look at the official press release. Yerba Buena Gardens is located between Mission Street and Howard Street and Third and Fourth streets in San Francisco.
Festival highlights include the festival kick-off event on Saturday, May 1 with the world premiere of Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra’s “MLK” and the Hawaiian dance company Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu, directed by Patrick Makuakane on Saturday, May 8. Other highlights include Gamelan Sekar Jaya (5/22), Bassam Saba (5/22), Los Terrys (6/12), AXIS Dance Company performing a YBGF commissioned piece (6/26), enCayapa + Venezuelan Music Project (6/27), Circus Bella (7/3), The Angola Project (8/28) and the Nice Guy Trio premiering Darren Johnston’s “Waking Music” and Rob Reich’s “Clown School”, both commissioned by YBGF (9/4).
The festival presents the dance series, Let’s Go Dance@Jessie!, a monthly open-air dance party in Jessie Square in front of the Contemporary Jewish Museum with live bands playing groovin’ rhythms. The series take place on the First Thursdays of the month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Come early for the dance lessons, stay late for the dancing! Performers include Orquesta La Moderna Tradición (Cuban danzón, 5/6), A Klezmer Wedding Celebration with Kugelplex (Klezmer, 6/3), Lavay Smith & the Red Hot Skillet Lickers (Swing, 7/1), Tom Rigney & Flambeau (Cajun, 8/5), Édessa (Balkan, 9/2), Kumu Hula Shawna Alapa’I and Na Pua O Ka La’akea (Hula, 10/7).
The festival continues the very popular Music In The Gardens 101 Series of narrated programs that provide audiences a unique and invaluable opportunity to hear first-hand from master musicians about the music they perform and their sources of inspiration. This year’s Music In The Gardens 101 Series features Gamelan Sekar Jaya (5/15), Bassam Saba (5/22), SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (5/29) and Howard Wiley’s The Angola Poject (8/28),
The Latin Jazz Series will present a wide array of artists including Los Terrys From Africa to Camaguey to Yerba Buena (6/12), Latin Jazz Youth Summit - Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble meets Futuro Picante (9/11) and Latin Jazz Tardeada (10/3).
The Festival offers the delightful Children’s Garden Series, interactive performances specially designed for kids and families, on Fridays and Saturdays including performances by kid favorites Caterpillar Puppets, Chuna McIntyre, Pi Clowns, The Unique Derique, Chelle! & Friends, Eth-Noh-Tec, Balamcoatl and Venezuelan Music Poject. The series ends with the popular Gardens Halloween Costume Walk (10/31). The Children’s Garden Series takes place in the Children’s Garden at Howard and Fourth streets.
The Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series each Thursday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. is popular with downtown workers and students. This year, it features the very best of Bay Area musicians including Frank Jackson Trio (6/3), Consulate of Sweden’s Jenny Lind Concert (6/17), John Worley’s WorlView (6/24), Irene Jalenti (7/1), Lord Loves A Working Man (7/8), Tango No. 9 (7/15), Crosscut (7/22), The Mo’Rockin Project (8/5), VidyA (8/19), Gramaphone and Dynamo (9/2), Wayne Wallace Quintet (9/9) and María Volonté Tango Jazz (9/30).
The festival also presents exclusive performances by Bay Area dance and theater companies and organizations including the YBGF commissioned work by AXIS Dance Company (6/26), San Francisco Theater Festival (8/8) and the Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe (8/22).
The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts annual cultural celebrations: Israel in the Gardens (6/6), Native Contemporary Arts Festival (6/20), Jewish Music Festival (7/11), Target Family Day (7/18), Afro Solo Jazz in the Gardens (8/7), and Pistahan: Filipino American Arts Exposition (8/14-15).
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