Candlelight Jazz: August 2013

Courtesy of the Metro Spirit. Thanks for your support

Candlelight, Jazz & You

By Cheryl Aaron Corbin

Summer is upon us, and we are preparing for pool parties, picnics and playing outside. Of course, this also means summer concerts where you can see who is hot, who is making a move and hear your favorite artist.  The summer concert season has a fix for every type of music junkie.  These concerts can be hosted in large outdoor venues which may feature up to 30 acts, to indoor festivals which may feature as few as five with the hottest talent in the industry. Whether you seek char- busting artists or local favorites, summer is definitely the time of year to get out there and enjoy live music.

On Mother’s Day, I had the pleasure of kicking off my outdoor concert season with a local favorite, The Candlelight Jazz Series in Augusta, Georgia. This summer series is sponsored in part by the City of Augusta and Garden City Jazz.  What I love of about this concert series is the intimacy.  Yes, I said intimacy. Concerts are focused on bringing the masses to the music.

                I have attended jazz festivals where I felt like a speck of dust on a flower in Whoville. There were literally thousands of people, all jockeying and vying for a patch of grass to spread a quilt.  The bathrooms are overcrowded, and it never fails, that I get the stall that just ran out of paper. The lines are long, the patrons are hot, tempers are flaring and I leave stressed out.  This, is not a relaxing experience.

I have attended “free” outdoor concerts where again, not only am I vying for a spot near or under a tree, I have to fight for a spot that is not loaded with a young family. As a firm believer in truth in writing, it is with no shame that I admit, I attended the free concert, because I, like many of the attendees was broke with nothing else to do. I packed my lunch basket with cheap wine, lots of ice, bug spray and a positive attitude.  I did not leave with one.  I left with a sour feeling in my stomach and a firm understanding that sometimes you don’t need to bring the masses to the music, but music to the masses.

The Candlelight Jazz series does just that.  It offers diverse programming all summer long for lovers of music in a safe, family friendly environment.  It happens in the calm of the evening juxtaposed against the Savannah River, with the freshness of the air blowing in off the water. The coolness of the acts on stage are inviting, as they soothe the savage beast in you whilst preparing you for your work week.  Friends and family gather with table coverings, bottles of wine are uncorked as glasses are filled, people get merry and the music begins to play.  Lawn chairs are opened as patrons sit back, relax, and enjoy live music.

There is no hustle.  There is no bustle.  Grandma Earline and Aunt Annie rise to dance on the make shift dance floor of the sidewalk that leads to the stage.  Little Becka Summerall, adorned in her pink tutu, hits the dance floor and begins modified pirouettes.  Teens, who were forced to come, find themselves enjoying the evening and one or two even get up to dance with one of their parents. The concert starts at 8 pm and by 9:30, everyone is heading home, eager for next week, so they can return to enjoy another Sunday evening at the River.

It is an intimate affair because you make new friends.  You share your wine with your neighbor and promise next week to bring more fruit and cheese to part with your new pals. If you have not tried or experienced Candlelight Jazz at the River, it is time to mature your music experience. I am currently the Foursquare Mayor of Candlelight Jazz, so when you come down to the river, look for me, and if you locate and snag a photo with me, you just may win a prize.

Candlelight Jazz Concert Series

River Stage at 8^th Street (@ Riverwalk),

downtown Augusta, Georgia.

8:00pm

$6 Admission

free for children under age 13

The Candlelight Jazz Concert Series, sponsored by City of Augusta Special Events, Metro Spirit, Dapper & Company, and 96.3 KISS FM, begins in May and continues through Labor Day Weekend. Bring your own seating and picnic for an evening of great music under the stars at the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta.

Candlelight Jazz 2013: Riverwalk Augusta GA

Candlelight Jazz 2013: Riverwalk Augusta GA

Annual Labor Day Jazz Festival re-branded, re-launched with more than music

NEWS RELEASE

______________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 21, 2012

Contact: Karen Gordon    706-495-6238    info@gardencityjazz.com

Garden City Jazz Presents Labor Day Festival as Part of The Commons Jazz on September 2

Augusta, GA – Garden City Jazz presents The Commons Jazz Festival (formerly UNCOMMON jazz) on Sunday, September 2, at 6;00 p.m.–but this year with added cultural programming and activities for families and children.  The full day of festivities include:

-a free “ArtWalk” from 2:00-5:00 PM at The Augusta Commons at which local artisans will showcase their diverse works ranging from paintings, jewelry, and photography to ceramics, fine crafts and other hand-made goods.  The ArtWalk will also feature performances by singer-songwriter, Celia, presentations by SPARK contestants from Blue Bistro Theatre, and more;

-activities for the kids–including interactive art demos, face painting, Jazz4Kids, inflatables, youth dance and music performances; and an assorted selection of food and beverage.

Following the afternoon’s free offerings, audiences are invited to join in for evening concert from The Commons Jazz Festival beginning at 6:00 p.m. with performances from London Arrington “DIRTYJAZZ” (Atlanta), Kickin’ Brass, Elliot Holden (Atlanta), Buzz Clifford, and Augusta’s Young Lions with Joel Cruz.

Tickets for the evening’s jazz offering range from $15-20, with newly announced ticket discounts available for seniors, students, and military (active, reserve, retired, etc). In keeping with the tradition of Candlelight Jazz at Riverwalk, this year’s event has been moved to Sunday night of the holiday weekend.
For a full schedule of events for The Commons Jazz Festival 2012 & ArtWalk, please see below:

Augusta ArtWalk

2:00pm                Jazz 4 Kids
3:00pm                SPARK Contestants / Blue Bistro Theater
4:00pm                Music by Celia

The Commons Jazz Festival 2012 Artist Lineup

6:00pm
Augusta’s Young Lions with Joel Cruz
music in the moment

6:45pm
Buzz Clifford (Augusta/Aiken)
jazz/blues/R&B fusion

7:30pm
Elliot Holden (Atlanta)
mixed media/acoustic guitar, rock/pop originals

8:10pm
Kickin’ Brass (Ft Gordon & beyond)
New Orleans music, Mardi Gras-style

9:05pm
London Arrington “DIRTYJAZZ” (Atlanta)
funk/jazz/soul originals + high-energy and interactive

Venue:  Augusta Commons, 836 Reynolds Street,  Augusta Georgia

Festival admission is $20, $15 for students, seniors, and military (active, retired, reserve, etc) and free for children under 13. Tickets are available at Garden City Jazz sponsored events (The Augusta Market and Candlelight Jazz), or online at gardencityjazz.com.

The Commons Jazz Festival + Augusta ArtWalk is made possible with generous support from The City of Augusta Special Events, The Augusta Market, David Walker Creative, Ann DeLorge, and Butterfly Photography.

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Contemporary Jazz Guitarist Calvin Edwards performs July 1 at Candlelight Jazz, Riverwalk Augusta, Georgia.

Contemporary Jazz Guitarist Calvin Edwards. He has performed several times in Aiken for private functions and hotel events.

Don’t miss him this Sunday, July 1, at Candlelight Jazz, Riverwalk Augusta, GA. – http://ow.ly/bSLSz

He’ll be joined by Aiken native Edwin G Hamilton on drums.

Candlelight Jazz. #1 8th Street (for those using GPS). 8pm. $6. Bring seating and picnic

The Candlelight Jazz experience…

The Candlelight Jazz experience brought the right touch to the warm June evening filled with fireflies and familiar tunes. It provided a very innovative approach to the CSRA’s culture, an irreplaceable taste of talent.

-Brandi Freeman

London Arrington “Dirty Jazz” @ 2012 Candlelight Jazz: A Review

Lylliam Cain
May 30, 2012

A soft breeze stirs through the crowd, the trees, and over the river, carrying the pungent aroma of a charcoal grill, the catchy rhythm and soothing melodies of the smoothest band in town, and the soft murmurs of contented audience members as each reclines, enjoying the cool and pastel-painted evening. No, we’re not in New Orleans. This is just another night at Augusta’s annual Candlelight Jazz.

Each Sunday from May through August, beginning at 8 pm, Augustans can enjoy a night of jazz on River Stage at 8th Street for the small price of $6. This week’s (May 27th) concert featured the soulful London Arrington, the self-proclaimed coiner of the term “dirty jazz.” Fans of Marvin Gaye and James Brown were certainly in for a special treat that evening, for Arrington draws from the pacifying ballads of Marvin Gaye and the poppy funk of Augusta’s own Godfather of Soul.

With this classy combination and the reminiscences of Augusta’s most cherished local talent, Arrington’s audience felt most at home. And if James Brown covers didn’t do the trick, the charismatic Jay-Z doppelganger made frequent shout-outs to Augusta in between jam sessions.

Arrington’s scat singing and lyrical improvisation were the highlights of his performance. Imitating the sounds of drums and trumpet impeccably, he created a steady and catchy rhythm without requiring much assistance. Most of Arrington’s songs integrated prepared melodies with more spontaneous ones, showcasing the band’s refined skills and natural talents and giving listeners that “in-the-moment” experience. I must admit that I was especially partial to the percussionist’s work. Having been a drummer myself for four years- and never having been able to master the complex techniques of jazz- I can appreciate its fluidity and intricacy. Driven by military rudiments and syncopation, the rhythms were most impressive and inspired a successful performance.

Arrington’s talent and charisma shined brightly as the evening faded. When the concert came to a close, downtown Augusta had an air of rejuvenation. Families seemed more in touch than usual, friends exchanged more smiles, and couples nestled together in the dwindling light of the evening. I recommend all to attend the next Candlelight Jazz performance, which shall surely be as exquisite as the scenery that surrounds it.

[Cain is a student in Rick Davis’ Writing for the Arts course at Augusta State University, Georgia]

Complete 2012 Schedule at: Candlelight Jazz

Garden City Jazz presents Jazz @ Lincoln Center’s Chris Crenshaw: June 3, Augusta GA

Chris Crenshaw @ Candlelight Jazz
June 3, 2012 @ 8pm
Venue: River Stage at 8^th Street, Augusta
$6 Admission

Chris Crenshaw, a Thomson, Georgia native, started playing piano at the age of three. This love for piano led to his first gig with Echoes of Joy, his father Casper’s gospel quartet. He started playing trombone at 11, and hasn’t put it down since.  Inspired by Augusta native and fellow trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, he pursued jazz at 14. He graduated from Thomson High School in 2001 and received his Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance from Valdosta State University in 2005, with honors throughout his education. He won the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Jazz Solo Competition in Ft. Myer, VA in 2004. He received his Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School in 2007.

His teachers include Dr. Douglas Farwell and Gordon, and he has worked with Gerard Wilson; Jiggs Whigham; Paul Simon; Cassandra Wilson; Christian McBride; Kim Burrell; and many more.  In 2006, Chris Crenshaw joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.  With the JLCO, he has written and performed the piece “Bearden (The Block),” and appears on fellow orchestra member Marcus Printup’s album Ballads All Night. He also appears on Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play The Blues: Live From Jazz at Lincoln Center. Recently, he wrote a commission for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra based on James Weldon Johnson’s God’s Trombones.

Candlelight Jazz is sponsored by City of Augusta Special Events, 96.3 KISS FM, Garden City Jazz, and Metro Spirit and continues through August. #jazzlives

2012 Candlelight Jazz Preview – a recap

This year, Garden City Jazz presented five concerts in March and April, in advance of the regular #CandlelightJazz2012 concerts. Here are short snippets of a few of the performances.

March 11: 3rd Shift + Young Lions  “Equinox”

March 25: USC Aiken Jazz Ensemble + Augusta State University Jazz

April 15: Preston & Weston “Honeysuckle Rose”

April 22: A Step Up “Body & Soul”

April 29: Jerusalem Sounds “Shout”

April 29: Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar “Can’t Nobody”

Thanks to all of you who came to support these outstanding artists. And thanks for our wonderful vendors and sponsors: The Augusta Market, WingStop, Butterfly Photography, RayzConcessions,  and Dapper & Company.

Please continue to join us each Sunday evening in downtown Augusta – at 8th Street & Riverwalk – through Labor Day Weekend for the best in regional jazz. (And tell a friend to tell a friend ….).

We always enjoy hearing from you.

KGordon ~ 706.495.6238 ~ info@gardencityjazz.com

Jazz Concert Series Wraps Up (from ASU BellRinger)

by Sarah Wong

Families, friends and musicians come together to display their love for jazz.

Fans from both sides of the Savannah River came to experience the 2011 Candlelight Jazz Concert series on Sunday evenings this summer.

Nearing the new river stage at 8th Street on the Riverwalk, the aroma of cologne and perfume, to alcohol and foods, permeated the summer air as the hunt began for the best seating. People of all ages came together to picnic and mingle to the sound of jazz underneath a clear May sky.

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