Arts & Entertainment

Healdsburg Jazz Announces Lineup for 15th Annual Festival, May 31-June 9

Charlie Haden tribute, performances by Charles Lloyd, Fred Hersch and many others.

Sonoma County’s “wine country” will again become “jazz country” when the 15th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival takes place from May 31 - June 9 at various indoor and outdoor venues around Healdsburg.

The 2013 festival lineup to date includes a two-day tribute to jazz bassist Charlie Haden and other headliner performances by Charles Lloyd with Jason Moran, and the Fred Hersch Trio.

Described as “the best boutique jazz festival in the country” by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival has become a much-anticipated event every year, where internationally-acclaimed musicians take over center stage in Healdsburg, with acts playing playing on the Healdsburg Plaza, at the historic Raven Theater, as well as more casual and intimate settings among the town’s wine tasting rooms, restaurants, art galleries and outdoor settings.

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On the first weekend, a two-day tribute June 1-2 will honor Charlie Haden with the 12 piece Liberation Music Orchestra featuring Carla Bley, Quartet West with Ravi Coltrane, plus Bill Frisell, Geri Allen, Lee Konitz, Gonzalo Rubacalba and still more artists to be announced. 

The second weekend will host an exclusive 2013 US engagement with the Charles Lloyd-Jason Moran Duo, a special evening with the Fred Hersch Trio, and the Marcus Shelby Orchestra with the HJF Freedom Jazz Choir. More acts will be announced in coming weeks at the festival website, www.healdsburgjazz.org, where ticket sales and other information will be available.

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Healdsburg’s premier wine and food destinations, lodging and seasonal events have grown to world renown at the same pace and rhythm as the past 14 years of jazz festivals. Just as wine lovers make return spring and fall visits to the heart of northern Sonoma County’s wine country, world-traveling jazz greats and music enthusiasts continue to gather in this small town to share a wonderful menu of tastes, sights, sounds and fascinating people.

Healdsburg is located an hour's drive north of San Francisco. Although it remains a small town of just over 10,000 people, Healdsburg is also home to premium inns and hotels, cozy B&Bs, an amazing selection of dining experiences and an embarkation point for winery tours through the Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. “Wine country” in Healdsburg is where country casual meets sophisticated culture. In short, it’s a perfect home for jazz.

Past festivals have showcased many jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck, McCoy Tyner, Roy Hargrove, Randy Weston, Roy Haynes, John Handy, Kenny Garrett, Joshua Redman and others.

The Healdsburg Jazz Festival, under the continued direction of founder Jessica Felix, is known for its dedication to the original and authentic forms of America’s most indigenous art forms. Festival attendees have shared in performances and tributes to many NEA Jazz Masters, as well as emerging talents like Esperanza Spalding, Jason Moran, Julian Lage and Vijay Iyer.

Each year — and again this year — the 10 days of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival offer jazz in many forms, from Dixieland to Latin rhythms to straight-ahead classics to convergences with hip-hop and jazz’s rising stars.

The Healdsburg Jazz Festival is partially supported by the James Irvine Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Local volunteers and corporate sponsors are also essential ingredients for the non-profit organization that presents year-round jazz performances and continuing music education programs in several local schools.

For a complete rundown on recent and upcoming programs and activities, visit the website at www.healdsburgjazz.org.

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