Smooth Jazz News - October-November-Decemeber - 2024

O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 | 1 3 to book a couple acts, one each weekend, that I don’t know or never heard of when the year began. Our ‘where did they come from?’” Breaking artists has long been a signature of Good’s JazzTrax festivals and radio shows. “We broke Mindi Abair. We broke Jesse Cook. Peter White and Marc Antoine both give us credit for being their big stage debuts,” Good said, adding, “I think we did that as well for Brian Culbertson. “Now I’m liking the idea of bringing someone not truly smooth jazz each year, just one each year, but who everybody knows all the words to their songs: à la The Spinners this year. But I’m always, always switching things up.” Good was fascinated when he saw that The Spinners were playing Yoshi’s a year ago, so he went to one of their shows at the Oakland, California, jazz club. Afterward, he booked them for this year’s festival, and said they’re the group he’s most excited to see perform in October. “Of course, if someone asks, ‘Why are you bringing them? They’re not smooth jazz,’ I remind them when we had the Average White Band, and they questioned that, but after the show was over, nobody questioned it anymore,” he explained, then added: “I blew it this year, though, by not booking AWB because they are retiring after this fall. Damn! “I think The Spinners are gonna be a fun, fun, FUN closing night opening weekend. Even the naysayers know all the words. I think we’ll be leaving the ballroom with our hearts and our memories satisfied.” Another artist Good is looking forward to seeing perform is Myron McKinley. Although, he admits never having seen the pianist-producer- songwriter-film score producer yet. “I don’t know him, but someone sent me his video doing Michael Jackson’s ‘Man in the Mirror.’ Wow,” Good exclaimed. “And, then realizing he’s been the longtime keyboardist and music director for Earth, Wind & Fire, it was a no-brainer. And, he was thrilled to be bringing his own trio to a jazz festival stage. He’s probably played ‘That’s the Way of the World’ too many times, but the guy who plays that on keys in their show, I’m bringing him to Catalina Island. Can’t wait,” Good enthused. Slim Gambill is another previously unknown artist that piqued Good’s interest. When the guitarist-songwriter, who straddles contemporary jazz, rock ’n’ roll and country, rose to the top of the Billboard smooth jazz charts for four straight weeks, that’s when Good started researching him. “As soon as I saw he’d long been the guitarist for Nashville’s Lady A, I sat up, and said, ‘Yes let’s do that,’” Good explained. In addition to bringing new artists to the island, the JazzTrax producer and syndicated radio show host especially likes booking artists who have recently released new music. “It means something to me that an artist is still coming up with brand-new music. We have, unbelievably, almost half our lineup bringing new songs on the boat across the sea this fall,” he said. Each of the two weekends kicks off with a Thursday night “Unplugged Under the Stars” performance with two acts on the sand at Descanso Beach, which is also where the Saturday after-parties are held between 10:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. The festival moves into the historic Catalina Casino Ballroom for Friday through Sunday performances. There are two performances scheduled on each Friday evening, with two afternoon performances and two evening shows on Saturday and Sunday. The afternoon shows are at noon and 2 p.m.; and the evening shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Good advises his audiences to plan their meals between sessions, although food and beverages can be purchased at Descanso Beach and in the Casino Ballroom. He also recommends “drinks at the Descanso Beach Bar or late nights at the dive bars, the Marlin Club or The Locker Room.” The seasoned Catalina promoter has more sage advice: He insists that festivalgoers consider extending their visits by an extra day or week. “Find me in a bar Monday night watching the World Series and ‘Monday Night Football.’ You’ve come all this way, stay an extra day or two, before or after. You’re not running to a concert, so you can relax, take an inner island tour, or just read a book or do nothing. Get there Thursday, Oct. 10, for Art’s first note, and don’t leave the island until Sunday night, Oct. 20, for the finale, which is sure to be through the roof with Mindi [Abair], Peter [White] and Vincent [Ingala].” Good is as enthusiastic about the destination as he is his lineup. “The whole venue is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean,” and he describes how, below the majestic Casino Ballroom, waves are literally lapping up behind White as he opens the Thursday night “Unplugged” on the beach, and behind “Mr. Ghostbuster” [Ray Parker Jr.] on the closing Thursday. continued on page 14 P h o t o : M a r k M a r y a n o v i c h P h o t o : B o b b y Q u i l l a r d P h o t o : R a y A p o n t e P h o t o : T r e v a n W o n g Gabriel Mark Hasselbach Dan Siegel Ray Parker Jr. Vincent Ingala