San Jose Jazz Summer Fesitval

Having lived in San Jose for the last 5 years, I’ve surprisingly never gone to the San Jose Jazz Festival. Only AFTER I moved away, I finally got to discover what a wonderful little gem DTSJ had been hiding all this time. Go figure, right?
I had the opportunity to attend one of their many shows during the festival. Thanks to their collaboration with Universal Grammar I got to see the amazingness that is Syd, Matt Martians + the rest of The Internet up close and for free.99 (!!!) Needless to say, it was pretty awesome getting to see Ego Death performed in its entirety and then some. Great exposure of an up and coming band and also for Universal Grammar, which has been linking up with some great artists as of late. I can’t wait to see what both San Jose Jazz Festival and Universal Grammar will come up with next year!

Love the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. The main stage features the headliners but we really enjoy the smaller venues, a favorite this year was Swing Stage at San Pedro Theatre, featuring performances by NASA Ames Jazz Band and Octobop (promoting the music that began with ‘The Birth of the Cool’), which featured 19 year old Michael Whalen on the vibes, home for the summer from Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music. On Sunday we saw a performance by Storm Large (of Pink Martini) at the California Theater, an incredibly talented and very ‘colorful’, volcalist, maybe a little too colorful for a Sunday afternoon performance which did not bother us but there were kids present (I think that occurred to her near the end of her set… oops!).
On Saturday afternoon Letieres Leite & Orkestra Rumpilezz, an award-​winning 20-​piece big band from Bahia, Brazil put on an amazing performance on the main stage. Headliner Brian Culbertson, wrapped up the Jazz Fest on Sunday evening, a crowd-​pleaser and highlight of the weekend. We also spent time at Salsa stage, Blues stage and Café Stritch. In between performances stopped into the VIP area for a drink and bite to eat, met up with friends and had a good time overall. Navigating through venues would be a little easier if the name of the stage included the actual venue name; for example call it San Pedro Adobe Swing Stage, rather than just Adobe Swing Stage. San Jose Stage was called the Umpqua Bank Stage (huh?), so cross referencing the schedule, with stage names with actual venues was challenging at times.
Joining the San Jose Jazz at composer level and above is great way to experience the Jazz Fest with VIP access to all performances while supporting music education with a tax deductible donation. A win-​win for everyone!
Looking forward to 2016!
Note to out of towners: Jazz Fest offers fanastic hotel rates, The Fairmont Jazz Fest rate was about $ 140+tax which was the first to sell out (of the special rate) in June. Marriott and Westin St Claire are also good choices, with Hilton about a block outside the Jazz Fest, but book early, you can always cancel if plans change. San Jose Airport only 4.5 miles from downtown take a taxi/​Über, don’t rent a car, there is no need for one.

I am going to try and say all the positive things first, to help those that need to get out and listen to live music, and then I’ll keep the negative things last and try to be nice about it.
PROS:
1. Many stages/​venues accessible by foot once you get in.
2. Ample entry points to show your ticket and get your wristbands that give you access.
3. Reasonably priced at any access level.
4. More pop, R&B, and salsa bands than you’d expect at a «jazz» festival, but is good for
those that need an introduction to jazz and need that bridge to accepting the genre. Even
those acts that qualified for being «jazz» were biased towards producing ear candy that
the majority of the general public would accept.
5. Lasts 2 ½ days.
CONS:
1. Friday night the seating is terrible. Even for VIP attendees, it’s not good. It’s a free-​for-​all
in a standing or sitting situation. Sitting is first come /​first serve on the lawn in front of the
main stage, and people guard their «spot» with a vengeance. Very weird.
2. Any day/​night, there are some venues which seem to only half-​heartedly participate in the
festival for the music’s sake. i.e. Gordon Biersch, and San Pedro Square cater to non-​event
goers that are there to eat and drink for a PRICE… Those that paid good money for the
festival are 2^nd or 3^rd class citizens and get no priority next to the stage. Even the bands
are mostly ignored while rude, drunken lots of clowns scream conversations to get above
the sound of the music (which is pretty mellow already).
3. For VIP attendees, you had better pay CLOSE attention to the parking lot validation which
validates from 5pm — til ??? The first day, the festival organizers tell you that the reception
area for your packet of things opens at 4:30pm, so if you arrive a few minutes early, and
try to exit the garage (the validated one), you will be in for a RUDE awakening… The garage
also doesn’t support the festival, because they will try to charge you $ 18 for a 40 minute
early arrival. I was able to talk my way out of it, but they definitely tried to punish me for
my mistake.
4. Not enough real JAZZ music, so it should be renamed to something else. The music is
definitely GOOD, but I attend the Monterey Jazz Festival, and that simply blows them
away in which bands are playing, and the audience that goes there for the music only.
These crowds at the Summerfest put the music lower on the priority list.
5. Not all the stages are that easy to find… i.e. The Boom Box stage was never found, although
there was an act I really wanted to see. I roamed up and down the surrounding streets and
in the plaza where they were touted to perform, but no cigar. There was a completely
different and unrelated «Friday Nights» music thing going on about a block off the main
set of stages that was a huge confusion point, and those were just local whatever bands.
6. They have attended bike parking for a short time, and a donation cup to those that
watch your bikes. However. Do NOT stay for the last shows that go past 10pm. They
will pack up shop, and leave your bike unattended and locked to NOTHING. Just be
aware of this, and be prepared to leave early.
That’s All, Folks!
I hope this helps.
CE

Hubby and I have been coming to this for years (in fact, since it was free). Very nice vibe, esp. if you can score a spot in the shade. This year I did miss having the now-​closed San Jose Rep Theater as a classy indoor venue, though they have substituted that with the California Theater (restored movie palace). (extra charge)
Parking in a nearby garage was only $ 5/​day. This year at the Main Stage there was a large screen set up to the side so you could see the bands up close, though there was a slight delay between image and sound. The port-​a-​potties seemed very clean compared to other festivals I’ve attended. I like the variety of music in addition to jazz, especially the Big Easy Stage featuring music rooted in the traditions of New Orleans, and the festival has always booked many fine Latin bands. Well worth the admission price and worth travelling from out of town.

We really enjoyed the 2014 San Jose summer jazz festival. The people previous years who complained that Friday night was not jazz enough did not get it because Fridays are typically «funk night.» Bootsy Collins and Con Funk Shun were excellent Friday night at the main stage. Ledisi Saturday night on the main stage came out a bit into the crowd. She also very touchingly gave a shout out to her music teacher at SJSU.
Sista Monica was an amazing find on the Blues stage Saturday night! She said is on iTunes and we are definitely going to look for her.
Sunday was excellent on the main stage finishing up with David Sanborn and friends.
All and, this was a fantastic and fun experience.
See everybody next year!

The layout of the festival was horrible. Very spread out and no signage to help you find the different areas. What gave it one star was that they had a schedule in grid format and on Friday night they had a large picture of the preservation hall jazz band. After lugging my pregnant wife around the streets of San Jose for 90 minutes we discovered that they weren’t actually playing until Sunday night. Why put a picture of them on Friday night? We asked for our money back and wished we would’ve went to Outside Lands. A waste of a precious Friday night.

Oh sad times. The music playing wasn’t very jazzlike, almost too hiphop for what I was hoping for. We came on the first opening night Friday. The concession stands were dead and empty. The place wasn’t that crowded. Did not think it was worth paying $ 20 for entrance per person. Remember to bring your lawn chairs if you are going to go to station a place. Maybe Saturday would have been more exciting. We stayed long enough to listen to one song and then left. Went home and put on some real jazz music at home.
Also, Sat night there was a jazz concert, sad that we had other plans otherwise that might have been a more fun experience.

Great festival for live jazz lovers. I’ve been attending this event for the last 8 years or so. There’s always great acts at the main stage but plenty of other choices at the other 12+ stages as well. Many local hotel, clubs and restaurants also support this annual event by hosting live music in their venues as well where most of them except your festival wristband as cover. If that’s not enough music for you, check out 48 hours of jazz multiple venue stage providing guaranteed nonstop live music some downtown during the festival weekend.

It was a gorgeous day and I did have fun. I just felt that this could have been planned in a MUCH better way.
The venues were very spread out and not well marked.
Constantly leaving and reentering was frustrating because bags had to be searched each and every time you went in and out– sometimes just a couple steps from each other. There were hold ups at some of the exits because people couldn’t exit with drinks even if they were just going to enter another part of the festival a couple of steps away.
The music was good, but it wasn’t very loud and even when close to the stages it didn’t feel very festive. All the good spaces had been reserved by people with chairs/​blankets and TABLES and many of them were empty for much of the day, I get that you want a good space to enjoy the music, but if you are taking space away from other attendees, at least be present a good portion of the time so it isn’t rude.
I enjoyed looking at the different vendors that were selling here. I got a great hat, as did my friend.
Admission is $ 20.

This has been a great festival for big daddys dawgs. We had a great time tons of people lot of fun awsome food make time to come out next year some of the best music we have ever heard.

This festival does an AMAZING job at making the user experience super fun and easy. The layout of the stages and the paths through the shops and food are easily manageable… you can always find some kind of shade for the stage you’re at, and you can’t beat the price — $ 20 for the day, and kids 12 & under FREE! Although, next year, could you make it 13 or 14 & under for free, guys… I mean, you know, they’re still not making any of their own cash and the boy’s turning 13 :-) Trombone Shorty alone was worth the price of admission for the entire day!!!

This had been a free event for quite a # of year’s, but with the way thing’s have gone the last couple/​few year’s, it’s now $ 10 (?) a day which concidering the amount of entertainment on 8 different stage’s, it’s an amazing value no matter how you look at it! There’s no way to say you had a great time unless you just don’t like music!

I had so much fun! The weather this year was absolutely perfect… in the 70s with a slight breeze. Jazz, wine, dancing, choice of tasty festival fare all for a reasonable $ 15.00 admission.
TIP: If you’re planning on making it an all-​day event bring those portable camping chairs. it makes all the difference! ;)

San Jose at its best! This is a phenomenal event! Great music on 8 stages, scattered about the streets of downtown SanJose. It is easy to maneuver through the crowds and the sunny skies and balmy temperatures make San Jose a great place for a summer festival. The music reverberates off the tall buildings and the aroma of Cajun food, including crawfish, plantains, and po-​boys wafts throughout the crowds. An eclectic mix of people adds more spice to this already vibrant and well done festival. The main stage is in the park facing the Fairmont Hotel and the other stages are within easy waking distance. We saw Marcus Miller and Irma Thomas on the main stage. We then wandered over to the Latin stage and then to the Salsa stage. There were people Salsa dancing in the streets with crowds cheering them on. We ended the evening at the Blues Stage. Grammy nominated Ruthie Foster was onstage. She rocked the streets! This festival is fun and San Jose deserves credit for pulling off such a fabulous festival in the city streets. Well Done!

Unlike the numerous jazz festivals inducting the Bay Area, the San Jose Jazz Festival still manages to entertain without being snobby. Most in part to the fact that the festival caters to music from all sections. And what really makes this festival fun for myself is the fact that it actually runs till 2am if you count all the «after dark» events nearby.
However, the 2010 San Jose Jazz festival WILL standout for the blistering performance by SF’s JAZZ MAFIA (45 piece band!!!) who turned what was supposed to be a 60 minutes hip-​hop jazz orchestra into a two-​hour non-​stop musical adventure that by itself was worth the cost of the $ 15 entry fee into the festival.
As usual, the Salsa stage is still the center of attention if you’re looking of high energy surrounded by beautiful females wearing short skirts and very sexy tops… lol
Advice: 1) If you go any day besides Sunday, prepare to pay for parking. Meters operate till 6, so unless you plan to park about 7 blocks away, just be prepared to pay about $ 15-​$ 30! for parking.
2) Ladies-​if you’re looking for a clean restroom to use, don’t use the nasty porta-​potties. The Fairmont Hotel and San Jose Rep Theater are a part of the festival. So, just show your magic wristband and away to the potty room you go…
3) Bring water. You’re going to be standing-​a lot! So bring water to help hydrate your old bones from all the drinking you will be doing during the festival.
4) Think twice about eating the festival food. There are NUMEROUS fine restaurants located around the festival. I would recommend exploring one of them before dropping some cash on the «tent food.»