Amelia Island Jazz Festival Tickets Now Available Online
Tickets for the Amelia Island Jazz Festival are now available online at www.ameliaislandjazzfestival.com and at the following ticket sales venues on 9/15: The UPS Store - Island Walk Shopping Center Intercoastal Wine Company The Amelia Island Jazz Festival will once again light up the island with a week-long series of events celebrating the diverse all-American art form, jazz. Under the creative direction of renowned jazz drummer and bandleader, Les DeMerle, the festival will kick-off on Sunday 10/5 with a free jazz concert in Amelia Park, continuing with Headlining Concerts on Thursday 10/9 at the Palace Saloon, Friday 10/10 and Saturday 10/11 at St. Peter’s Church Courtyard through Sunday 10/12 at Beech Street Grill with a Jazz Brunch featuring world-class jazz artists in a wide variety of styles including Dixieland, Smooth Jazz, Bebop, Big Band, Blues, Latin and more at these and several other charming venues on beautiful Amelia Island, Florida. For more information visit www.ameliaislandjazzfestival.com or phone 904/504-4772. Related: jazzdrums's blog | login or register to post comments | printer friendly version | Tags: Amelia Island Jazz Festival | community events | concerts | festival | jazz
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On a perfectly comfortable, overcast afternoon this past Sunday in Amelia Park the 2008 Les DeMerle Amelia Island Jazz Festival’s initial free concert had an audience of 400+ swinging and singing along with the University Of North Florida Jazz Ensemble. The show, augmented by guest appearances from drummer and Festival director Les DeMerle and vocalist Bonnie Eisele, showcased a wide range of big band and bebop material to the appreciative crowd.
Led by band director and accomplished trombonist Chris Creswell, the UNF group, which played in both quintet and big band formats, breezed through three diverse sets featuring jazz classics penned by greats like McCoy Tyner, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and Sonny Rollins. Of particular note were performances by keyboardist Kelly Green, who scored vocally and musically with her own arrangement of “Skylark,” and who later reeled off a dazzling upbeat instrumental version of the standard, “Autumn Leaves.”
DeMerle and Eisele joined the UNF big band for cool takes of “I’ve Got The World On A String,” and “Blue Moon” before laying down a “Kansas City” blues medley that brought a host of dancing children onto the grass in front of the bandstand. DeMerle then invited the kids onstage to participate in a scat singing competition with the band, much to the audience’s delight.
For a grand finale the UNF big band performed an original composition, “A Hunk Of Funk,” which featured solos by virtually every member of the group. DeMerle was thrilled with the band’s performance and commented that “young musicians in today’s college jazz groups are keeping the music vibrant. The major record labels currently are signing the best of these new players.”
More jazz festival information and schedules can be found at www.ameliaislandjazzfestival.com
Advance tickets to the Amelia Island Jazz Festival can be purchased at the UPS Store in the Island Walk Shopping Center, 1417 Sadler Road, 904/277-0820, the Intercoastal Wine Company, 10 North 2nd Street, 904/321-1300, online at www.ameliaislandjazzfestival.com, or at the door if not sold out prior.