Legendary performers will play with the best musicians Hawaii has to offer in the 2nd annual Big Island Jazz & Blues Festival running through Sunday at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and other venues on the Kohala Coast.
Festivalgoers will be treated to performances by: trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, a Grammy winner from the legendary New Orleans jazz family; Chubby Carrier, a Grammy-winning Louisiana zydeco artist; saxophonist Bobby Watson, the former musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers; and New Orleans blues guitarist Brint Anderson.
Local artists taking part include Grammy- and Hoku-winning slack-key guitar master John Keawe; bassist John Kolivas of the Honolulu Jazz Quartet; pianist Mark Johnstone of Mick Fleetwood’s Blues Band; singer-ukuleleist Paula Fuga; versatile guitarist Benny Uyetake; and trumpeter Jr. Volcano Choy and the Jazz Alley TV Trio.
Uyetake, a Hilo native and alum of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, now lives and plays music on Maui, but says he’s “stoked because it’s always fun to come home and play music.”
“I can’t wait to play with those guys,” Uyetake said. “There are all these little sessions where you might play in a lobby or something. Even though these guys will share the big stage, we’ll play all kinds of places. We’re gonna be sitting in with a lot of the musicians, guys like Delfeayo Marsalis. I’ve played with Delfeayo before. I’m also looking forward to playing with the zydeco guy, Chubby Carrier. And Bobby Watson is one of the great saxophone players of all time. It’s gonna be a really diverse group of people, and it’ll be killer playing with them.”
The festival is the brainchild of Ken Martinez Burgmaier, who also promotes similar festivals on Maui, Molokai and Lanai.
The festival kicked off Thursday. Uyetake will play a free show with the trio today from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Shops at Mauna Lani main stage. Then on Saturday, from 5 to 9 p.m. the festival moves to the beautiful oceanfront stage on the luau grounds at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. General admission tickets are $60 with VIP seating $100. And Uyetake and special guests will play a special Sunday jazz brunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar. Call 882-5810 for reservations.
Festival tickets are available at the hotel, by calling 882-5810, or online at www.bigislandjazzanbluesfestival.com.
No outside food, coolers or chairs are allowed.
