The San Jose Jazz Festival Review

My partner and I decided to take the train from San Fran down to San Jose over the weekend for the annual, three-day San Jose Jazz Festival. It was a last minute decision, so we were expecting huge throngs of people and really expensive hotel rooms. That couldn't have been further fromt he truth.

The SJ Jazz Festival has been going strong for 19 years. In years past, it was a totally free event. This year, they decided to charge admission, to help cover the vast overhead. Unlike other music festivals, the cost of admission is incredibly low: $10 per day, or $25 for a three-day pass. Admission means unlimited admission to any of the 8 stages, not to mention to the many Jazz Fest events taking place throughout San Jose: jazz clinics, presentations, exhibits, and a three day pub crawl, featuring live jazz at bars and pubs all over the fine city of San Jose. The cost of all of this was included in admission. It gets better: anyone staying at a San Jose hotel for the event was entitled to an even better deal: three-day passes for two people for a total of $30!!!!

Hotel prices? Interestingly enough, we got an incredible deal at one fo the city's finest hotels (I'll review the St. Claire later.) And, while the city was more crowded than it usually is, it was totally managable: there was plenty of room for folks to plop down beach chairs or blankets and lots of room for dancing. Some stages even had areas set up with tables and chairs. At the Latin jazz stage, we sat at a table and sipped wine as we listened to some world class Latin Jazz (Chembo Corniel and Chawaro.) At the Salsa stage (my favorite of the entire festival) we started out on a picnic blanket, but wound up and dancing to Orquesta Boriquen and Karabali. At the R&B stage, I found a nice stretch of curb where I could sit down and listen to Anthony David. I could go on and on: we were there for an entire three days, and did nothing but listen to great performers, dance, sing, laugh, and eat amazing Cuban food. We even got to see the legendary Dr. Lonnie Liston Smith perform. Awesome.

If you're in the Bay area next August, and wanting to hear some jazz, but don't feel like shelling out the several hundred dollars they charge at the Monterey Jazz Festival, give San Jose a try. Great music, A really wonderful, little city. Perfect weather. Cool people. Excellent food. A great vibe. What more could a person ask for?