Cheryl’s Vintage Swing with Cheryl Thurston and her frontline musicians from California: Marc Caparone, Pieter Meijers, and Howard Miyata.
Helen Daley
If you don’t have Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, 2019, reserved for the Arizona Classic Jazz Festival, you will be missing out on a world-class event. The festival offers a wide range of music sure to please most musical preferences. All the music is danceable, and the festival offers professional dance floors. ACJS/F is a 501(c)(3) organization and has received grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Fifteen bands will perform a variety of music keeping within the classic jazz theme: Traditional Jazz, Ragtime, Early Jazz, Traditional New Orleans Jazz, Hot Jazz, Dixieland, Dixieland Revival, Swing, Boogie Woogie, Stride Piano, Gypsy Jazz, Chicago-style, Kansas City-style, Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, R & B, even Bluegrass, Country and Rock ‘n Roll. Local guitar legend Howard Alden will appear as a guest artist with several of the bands, and the wildly-popular Clarinet Trio consisting of Pieter Meijers, Dave Bennett, and John Clark will perform one set.
The bands this year are Big B.A.D. Rhythm from Nashville, TN; The Black Market Trust from the L.A. area; Cheryl’s Vintage Swing is local but includes jazz stars from across the U.S.; Dan Reed’s Dixieland Hotshots is local; the Dave Bennett Quartet hails from Michigan; Queen City Jazz Band is from Colorado; St. Louis Rivermen are from Missouri; Sentimental Breeze is local; Slide & Strings originate from Tucson; Stephanie Trick & Paolo Alderighi call St. Louis and Milan, Italy, home; the Sun City Stomperz are local; Tom Rigney & Flambeau are from the San Francisco area; We 3 + 1 are local; Wildcat Jazz Band hails from Tucson; and Wolverine Jazz band travels from the Boston, MA, area.
Entertainment starts at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31, and ends at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. There will be 96 hours of music in four venues at co-sponsor Crowne Plaza Phoenix, Chandler Golf Resort, One San Marcos Place, Chandler. More details and the playing schedule can be found at www.azclassicjazz.org or call 480-620-3941.
Badges can be purchased at the door: $130 All Event, Thursday $25, Friday $50, Saturday $60, Sunday $45.