Pender Harbour was packed to capacity September 19–21, 2014, for the 18th Annual Pender Harbour Jazz Festival. Attendance this year broke all previous records, and the organizers once again find themselves in the delicious predicament of finding how to top it next year.
The Pender Harbour Jazz Festival started showcasing different styles of jazz seven years ago in an effort to open new ears and hearts to people who believed they “didn’t like jazz.” Some who held this belief did not realize that Swing from the 20s–40s, Latin tunes, and Afro-Cuban music ARE jazz. We now program our Festival to include all these forms, and it is working! People come to hear what they are familiar with, stay to hear different styles, and fall in love.
Some highlights: The Cuban Big Band at Saturday’s JAZZAPALOOZA, Wil Campa y su Orquesta, got everyone on their feet screaming and dancing as they played two blistering sets of salsa and son (soul), complete with samba lessons for the sold-out audience. Saturday night, headliner and NYC BeBop icon George Cables rendered the capacity School of Music audience breathless with his masterful ballads. You could actually hear everyone exhale at the same moment at the end of each song. And Cables’ drummer, Victor Lewis, was simply brilliant.
Sunday JAZZAPALOOZA saw a barefoot Dan Brubeck pay homage to his dad, modern jazz icon Dave Brubeck, and his Mom, Ilona Brubeck, with the music of the former and the lyrics of the latter in two stunning sets. When he finished with his Dad’s trademark piece, “Take Five,” everyone in the audience was on their feet, applauding and hooting. The word is out: The Pender Harbour Jazz Festival is a must-see. Buy your tickets for 2015 early so you won’t be disappointed. They go on sale June 1; featured headliner will be Louis Hayes and his quintet from NYC. See you there! – Carole Rubin
Photography by Heather Adams
