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ASPEN — Fans of country music and heavy metal might be heard to complain about Jazz Aspen Snowmass’ lineup for its upcoming summer season. But they are probably the only ones with a right to gripe.
Jazz Aspen’s 2009 festival season is probably the most diverse in the organization’s 18-year history, with artists representing a broad spectrum of styles, eras and geographical origins.
The summer opens with 29-year-old British pop singer-pianist Jamie Cullum and closes with Southern rockers the Allman Brothers Band, who emerged from Macon, Ga., 11 years before Cullum was born. In between those performances, fans will be served hip-hop, classic rock, jazz, vocal pop, and jam bands, from artists on the way up to those whose hit-making days are decades behind them.
One thing Cullum and the Allmans have in common: Both have been major hits in previous Jazz Aspen appearances. Cullum made his Aspen debut at the 2006 June Festival, and after an uncertain start, eventually left to a wild ovation. The Allmans, who are in their 40th anniversary tour, drew the biggest crowd in Jazz Aspen history with their 2007 Labor Day Festival appearance — so big that immediately after, Jazz Aspen reduced the number of tickets it would sell on the day of the event.
But there will also be several notable debuts. Esperanza Spalding, a 24-year-old singer and bassist who has earned major attention in the jazz world; rock veterans the Doobie Brothers; Motown icon Smokey Robinson; and the a cappella septet Naturally 7 are all set to make their first area appearances. Jam band Umphrey’s McGee, singer-songwriter Citizen Cope, hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, and Southern rock sensations the Drive By Truckers are all scheduled to make their Jazz Aspen debuts.
Also scheduled to appear in Jazz Aspen events are soul-reggae band Michael Franti and Spearhead, in their only Colorado date this summer; and pop vocalists Al Jarreau and Natalie Cole, both of whom will be backed by orchestras in concerts co-presented by the Aspen Music Festival.
Jazz Aspen’s season opens with the June Festival. The festival gets a new format this year, with headline events in the Aspen Music Festival’s Benedict Music Tent June 18-20, and club shows June 24-27. The first weekend includes Cullum; Botti — who will be joined by guest vocalists still to be announced — and Robinson, who is marking the 50th anniversary of Motown. The second stretch will feature Spalding and Naturally 7 at Belly Up, plus concerts — including ones by bassist Christian McBride and the JAS Academy Summer Sessions bands — in various downtown settings.
Jarreau performs June 27, with Cole on July 25.
The Labor Day Festival has been pared down to a three-day event, Sept. 4-6. Day one features Franti and Citizen Cope; day two has Black Eyed Peas, in their only Colorado appearance of the summer; and Umphrey’s McGee, with a third act still to be announced. The festival closes with a day of the Allmans, the Doobies, and the Drive By Truckers.
Tickets for both festivals go on sale Friday, April 10. A three-day Labor Day Fest pass is available through April 24 for $125. For further information, go to jazzaspen.com. Tickets for the Jarreau and Cole concerts are available through the Aspen Music Festival, at aspenmusicfestival.com.
stewart@aspentimes.com
Jazz Aspen’s 2009 festival season is probably the most diverse in the organization’s 18-year history, with artists representing a broad spectrum of styles, eras and geographical origins.
The summer opens with 29-year-old British pop singer-pianist Jamie Cullum and closes with Southern rockers the Allman Brothers Band, who emerged from Macon, Ga., 11 years before Cullum was born. In between those performances, fans will be served hip-hop, classic rock, jazz, vocal pop, and jam bands, from artists on the way up to those whose hit-making days are decades behind them.
One thing Cullum and the Allmans have in common: Both have been major hits in previous Jazz Aspen appearances. Cullum made his Aspen debut at the 2006 June Festival, and after an uncertain start, eventually left to a wild ovation. The Allmans, who are in their 40th anniversary tour, drew the biggest crowd in Jazz Aspen history with their 2007 Labor Day Festival appearance — so big that immediately after, Jazz Aspen reduced the number of tickets it would sell on the day of the event.
But there will also be several notable debuts. Esperanza Spalding, a 24-year-old singer and bassist who has earned major attention in the jazz world; rock veterans the Doobie Brothers; Motown icon Smokey Robinson; and the a cappella septet Naturally 7 are all set to make their first area appearances. Jam band Umphrey’s McGee, singer-songwriter Citizen Cope, hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, and Southern rock sensations the Drive By Truckers are all scheduled to make their Jazz Aspen debuts.
Also scheduled to appear in Jazz Aspen events are soul-reggae band Michael Franti and Spearhead, in their only Colorado date this summer; and pop vocalists Al Jarreau and Natalie Cole, both of whom will be backed by orchestras in concerts co-presented by the Aspen Music Festival.
Jazz Aspen’s season opens with the June Festival. The festival gets a new format this year, with headline events in the Aspen Music Festival’s Benedict Music Tent June 18-20, and club shows June 24-27. The first weekend includes Cullum; Botti — who will be joined by guest vocalists still to be announced — and Robinson, who is marking the 50th anniversary of Motown. The second stretch will feature Spalding and Naturally 7 at Belly Up, plus concerts — including ones by bassist Christian McBride and the JAS Academy Summer Sessions bands — in various downtown settings.
Jarreau performs June 27, with Cole on July 25.
The Labor Day Festival has been pared down to a three-day event, Sept. 4-6. Day one features Franti and Citizen Cope; day two has Black Eyed Peas, in their only Colorado appearance of the summer; and Umphrey’s McGee, with a third act still to be announced. The festival closes with a day of the Allmans, the Doobies, and the Drive By Truckers.
Tickets for both festivals go on sale Friday, April 10. A three-day Labor Day Fest pass is available through April 24 for $125. For further information, go to jazzaspen.com. Tickets for the Jarreau and Cole concerts are available through the Aspen Music Festival, at aspenmusicfestival.com.
stewart@aspentimes.com
