The Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival unites two of the things I love most in life: music and wine.
It’s really a music festival with a few wine components — and one of those wine components involves Vinesse!
“Great music brings us together and ignites our imaginations,” says the event’s Artistic Director, Sweet Baby J’ai. “Our 2015 festival lineup of extraordinary women will be designed to fully engage you, excite you, surprise you and hopefully provide personal moments of discovery.”
The event is set for Oct. 9-11, and is nearly sold out. The Palm Springs Hyatt is the host hotel, the Annenberg Theater is the concert venue, and other events will take place at various venues around town.
Dianne Schuur — a true jazz legend who has played with everyone from Count Basie to B.B. King, and everywhere from the Kennedy Center to the White House — will kick off the festival on Friday night. Her latest CD is called “I Remember You, With Love to Stan and Frank,” so concert-goers can probably look forward to hearing a number of standards associated with Stan Getz and Frank Sinatra.
Other performers on Friday will include Ann Patterson, Karen Hammack, Nedra Wheeler, Anne King, Dawn Robinson, Kimberly Allison, Sylvia Cuenca and Sweet Baby J’ai.
On Saturday, a Latin Jazz Party will feature Sunnie Paxson, Robin Bramlett, Suzanne Morissette-Cruz, Nikki Campbell and Sarah Bauza.
There also will be a Jazz + Blues = Soul concert featuring Nona Hendryx, Jessy J, Gail Jhonson, Lynn Keller, Kat Dyson, Sascha Dupont, Sherry Luchette, Nicole Falzone, Dee Simone, Aanhka Neal and Naja Smith.
And on Sunday, the “Tribute to the Divas” features Gennine Jackson-Francis with a tribute to Chaka Kahn, Kellye Gray with a tribute to Anita O’Day, Elaine Gibbs with a tribute to Etta James, and Sascha Dupont with a tribute to Amy Winehouse. Luchette, Falzone and Carol Chaikin also will be performing.
The various events are ticketed separately, and packages also are available. But the bargain of all bargains, in our humble opinion, is the Vinesse Wine Tasting, priced at just $10. It will be held at the 360 North Club, where wine educator Chris Bauer will show attendees how to select good and affordable bottles of wine. Four wines representing high quality and moderate prices will be tasted.
To learn more about the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival and to order tickets, go to: http://pswomensjazzfestival.com.
