“Hot can be cool, and cool can be hot, and each can be both. But hot or cool man, jazz is jazz,” so said jazz legend Louis Armstrong. Now, the Kohala Coast is about to heat up with coolness when the fifth Annual Big Island Jazz and Blues Festival blows into town this weekend at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Festivalgoers will experience a taste of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival from the oceanfront stage at Mauna Kea Beach Resort as Grammy Award-winning legends and Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners create a party atmosphere alongside gourmet cuisine.
“The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is honored to host the Big Island Jazz and Blues Festival for the fifth time with such revered jazz and blues artists presenting their incredible talents to the Big Island community and Resort guests,” said Craig Anderson, general manager of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Blues originated in the late 19th century in the deep south. A fusion of traditional African music, gospel songs, and steamy ballads, blues compositions reflected the dissidence and struggles within African American society. The genre is documented back to the Civil War and is historically contemporaneous with the ending of slavery in the United States.
“We’re going to bring in some stellar jazz and blues legends all the way from New York, Chicago, and New Orleans,” said founder Ken Martinez Burgmaier. “We’re excited to be able to share this with the Big Island folks. This is a once in a life time experience and it’s sold out every year.”
Included in the performance line-up are Grammy winners Donald Harrison, Skip Martin from Kool &The Gang, Grammy nominated Zydecko Master Corey Ledet, Saturday Night Live SNL Band trombone master, Steve Turre, Blues Hall Of Famer, Jimmy D. Lane, and Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Benny Uyetake.
“The beauty of jazz is that it’s different every time,” said Steve Turre of Saturday Night Live SNL Band. It’s about the moment and the creative process. When you hear it, it’s a one time offering. It’s never going to go down the same again. It’s something that comes from the moment, and then that moment is gone. The Big Island is an amazing place, and I’m looking forward to coming back.”
General admission is $50, VIP tickets are $100. Tickets are available at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, at the festival, or online at www.bigislandjazzandbluesfestival.com.
Info: www.bigislandjazzandbluesfestival.com. ■