Marine Max Clearwater Jazz Holiday
For the last twenty-eight years the Marine Max Clearwater Jazz Holiday has been bringing the biggest names in Jazz to Clearwater. It started with a flatbed truck that would drive musicians from one venue to another, and grew into a musical event that is attended by thousands of jazz enthusiasts each year. This year, the foot stomping event will be held between the 18th to the 21st of October 2007 in Coachman Park, and it is a musical event that is run solely by volunteers.
The community members who volunteer their services to the Marine Max Clearwater Jazz Holiday do just about everything. They are involved in selling wine and beer, checking identification documents, building the stage for the event and assisting in the cleaning of event location. Without them the Clearwater Jazz Holiday would not function. The High Note Society has also dedicated themselves to the festival, as being Jazz enthusiasts they want to lend their support and ensure that the Clearwater Jazz Holiday will be hosted for many more years to come. In previous years jazz legends, such as Herbie Mann, Stan Getz, Acoustic Alchemy, Bela Fleck and Woody Herman, have all graced the stage here and drawn large crowds. For the 2007 Clearwater Jazz Holiday, organizers have quite a few aces up their sleeves!
Thursday evening, the 18th of October, the festival with kick off with the Air Force Academy Band, the Falconaires and George Benson. Friday’s line up includes Ray & Friends, Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge (with guests such as Adam Nussbaum and Mike Mainieri), Norman Brown, Jeff Lorber, Marion Meadows and even an appearance by Peabo Bryson. And the amazing talent just keeps on coming on Saturday, with the Micheal Ross Quartet, Brian Bromberg’s Downright Upright Band, Arturo Sandoval, Medeski Martin & Wood and Fireworks. The schedule for Sunday includes the REH/CJH Jazz Youth Band, the Hendrik Meurkens Samba Jazz Quartet, the Lynne Arriale Trio and Natalie Cole.
When attending the Clearwater Jazz Holiday visitors are requested to adhere to the strict rules that have been imposed for their own safety. No pets (with the exception of registered Seeing Eye dogs) will be allowed, and items such as grills, glass containers and bottles, kegs, food, drinks, tents, video cameras, skateboards, weapons of any kind, recording devices and umbrellas are prohibited. Lawn chairs, sunglasses, blankets and sunscreen are allowed and highly recommended.
The Clearwater Jazz Holiday is a unique and varied jazz festival. Its wonderful combination of different jazz artists and styles gives audience members a great opportunity to be exposed to this magnificent music genre in all its different forms. For a jazz festival like no other, get down to Clearwater and enjoy the hypnotic rhythms of the world of jazz.
