Smooth Jazz News - October-November-Decemeber - 2024

1 4 | S M O O T H J A Z Z N E W S “Then, stepping back in time,” he said, “walking into a ballroom built by Wrigley chewing gum, nearly 100 years ago, with so much history it seeps through the French doors and knocks you out soon as you walk into the room. Jaws drop the first time anyone ever walks into our festival ballroom. “I want JazzTrax patrons returning on boats to the mainland, going back home to San Diego; or Fresno; or Rochester, New York; or the incredible number who come from tiny towns I’ve never heard of in Texas—OK, probably Dallas, and Houston, and San Antonio, and Austin suburbs—and saying, ‘That cost us a pretty penny—mostly the hotels—but it was worth every cent. We’re coming back next year,’” he said. However, for those only able to make it to the festival for a day, Catalina Express has late-night boats on Saturday and Sunday nights. But, Good warns that day-trippers leaving on Saturday night as other festivalgoers are pouring onto Descanso Beach, where a DJ is turning up the party vibes, will probably be “wistfully looking back at the after-party going on at Descanso Beach, dancing, while they’re sailing away and saying, ‘Honey, we’re coming for the whole damn three- or four-day weekend next year. Or, ‘We’re joining the JazzTrax 10-day club, staying for both weekends, never leaving till the last note is done.’” As Good, and the rest of the smooth jazz demographic ages and retirement becomes a consideration, he has a plan for that—his 25-year-old son Austin. “He’s heard all the pros and, trust me, all the minuses of throwing a festival on the island since he was a little boy. He’s picked up information in bits and pieces, and, he’s gotten a good education. But, he has his own day job. His career in promotion and publicity with film festivals, red carpets throughout LA and even working the Firestone Walker Brewery account, is going quite well. “But in the last year he’s become more and more invested in JazzTrax. So, the plan has germinated that when this festival eventually—hopefully not real soon—has to reduce to one weekend, Austin’s growing dream is to create a jazz festival to replace one of our weekends with a jazz festival for his generation. “There are all kinds of musical jazzical variations being done by younger musicians out there to bring to a younger jazz festival audience. But, he has to figure that out. I figured it out for our generation by creating the West Coast smooth jazz sensation on radio, and was crazy enough to bring it to an island 26 miles across the sea. But certain things you have to leave to the next generation. I’ll take the tickets at the door.” Good then concluded with his decades-long mantra … “In all the world, there’s no place like this for jazz.” continued from page 13 P h o t o : M o n i c a O r o z c o Fans enjoying the show in the Catalina Casino Ballroom Mindi Abair Peter White Catalina Casino continued on page 15 P h o t o : P a t B e n t e r P h o t o : P a t B e n t e r P h o t o : L o r i S t o l l