RICHARD ELLIOT .. who 1st came to Catalina Island in 1990 when he para sailed while playing his sax past the Casino for his Encore RICK BRAUN .. first time in 1994 as he was just emerging from total unknown to perhaps the hottest smooth jazz star of the late 90’s Both coming as well in different all star configurations …….. Richard in ‘Guitars and Saxes’ in 2006 Rick in ‘BWB’ in 2015 Richard with ‘The Three Tenors’ in 2015 Rick with ‘Jazz Attack’ in 2015 Rick with ‘West Coast Jam’ in 2017 And Way Back Now in 2008 Both TOGETHER as ‘RnR’ Rick & Richard Following their 2007 ‘RnR’ Collaboration Album

Legendary British Guitarist PETER WHITE UNPLUGGED OPENING WEEKEND Thursday Evening, Oct. 10th Under the Stars on Descanso Beach

Peter in 2019 in our intimate 470 seat Thursday Evening Outdoor Venue Ocean Waves Right Behind …the Wrigley Casino and Avalon Ballroom where the Rest of the Festival Weekend Plays Out glittering on the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Debuting Solo in 1990 after years as Al Stewart’s Guitar Sideman His very 1st ‘Reveillez-vous’ was named the JazzTrax Best Album of the Year

from the 1970’s

This Festival has always loved stretching it’s boundaries ..
After All, we’re ON AN ISLAND .. 26 miles off the Southern California Coastline

When JazzTrax Producer Art Good saw THE SPINNERS on Yoshi’s Jazz Club Line-Up last Summer in Oakland, he thought, “Now That’s Interesting.” “The Spinners booked at a Jazz Club, I wonder if ........” Checking their Tour Schedule he saw The Spinners were coming to Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in
Southern California, just as he was coming off Catalina Island following the JazzTrax Festival last Fall.

Rather than returning straight to Palm Springs he bought a ticket for that show and loved it.
Sensing it could be a ton of FUN for our Smooth Jazz Audience who knows all the words to their 1970’s hits to see the same in our historic 1929 Avalon Ballroom. The 2024 SPINNERS

Sure, not exactly Smooth Jazz and the Purists might complain ... BUT THEY’LL KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO ALL THE SPINNERS SONGS and soon will be singing along too....

Marcus Anderson met PRINCE at his Paisley Park Studios in 2012 and subsequently joined PRINCE band. On stage with him until PRINCE Final Performance ever in Atlanta in 2016.

He released his 1st album, ‘My Turn’ in 2005 but his Smooth Jazzdom Break Out came with this 1 in 2009 from which he also won the Capital Jazz Festival Challenge

His Latest, in 2022

SHE broke out in 2016 describing herself as an American Jazz, R&B, and Pop SINGER. And Break Out she did that Spring with her 1st ever Single to Radio going #1 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Charts. The 1st vocalist since Sade in 2010 to have a #1 vocally driven song in the primary instrumental genre.

SHE followed over the next 8 years with more #1’s, #2’s, #3’s, more and more Top 5 Hits. Becoming virtually The Vocalizer of the format. Born and still living in, wait for it, WOODSTOCK. Yep, THAT Woodstock. And she’s back on the Charts RIGHT NOW .…… Link is below her next picture.

HE was playing sax for Keiko Matsui when his Debut Solo Album got him named The JazzTrax 2007 Debut Artist of the Year

HE was 1st spotted having been hired as her Saxman by Keiko Matsui Mid 00’s. Breaking as well Solo We immediately brought Jackiem 26 miles across the sea his solo debut year, again in 2008 again in 2009 again in 2010 again in 2011 again in 2012 6 straight years which might have been a record, and then NOT SINCE. BUT … Jackiem is now returning to Catalina Island for the 1st time in well over a decade. !!

SHE …. most recent, 2022’ ‘Reasons’ new single, listen just below, is Right Now Top 10 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart 1 of the Songs she’ll bring to the JazzTrax Live Performance Stage in October

One of the Earliest STARS of what was to become SMOOTH JAZZ Dan’s Debut Album, self titled, just calling it ‘Dan Siegel’ Released the same year as Art Good’s Lites Out San Diego was introducing this new genre to the West Coast. “Great Expectations was on some of Art’s earliest Lites Out San Diego nightly playlists.

How Dan got these players for his Solo Debut we don’t know because he was still living in his hometown of Eugene, Oregon. Tom Scott, Abe Laboriel, Lenny Castro, Paul Jackson Jr. And it was a Vinyl Album .. Side One and Side Two “Great Expectations” led off SIDE ONE.

By the way … ELEKTRA ASYLUM RECORDS was a big deal back then. Later swallowed up by WEA …. Warner/ Elektra/ Atlantic one of those 1st big record company mergers For Dan to be signed in 1982 by Elektra ….. BIG BIG DEAL especially since the record companies had hard begun signing “contemporary instrumentalists” yet. 1982 was actually the same year Kenny G got signed as a solo artist by ARISTA RECORDS .. think Clive Davis.

Dan then Went South to pursue his music career where it all happens, Los Angeles, bringing guitarist Richard Smith along with him in his band. Richard was to become head of the guitar department at USC, Professor Smith. Or maybe Dr. Smith now. He talked the man, Dan, who brought him to California way back then, later into getting his professorship to and that’s what Dan Siegel has been mostly doing the past years, Professoring.

Also found on Dan’s 2000 ‘Along the Way’ best of album

In 1987 came THE BIG ONE .. and by now everything on CD ‘Northern Nights’ (You can buy it for $7.75 today on Amazon …. well worth it)

The 3 BIG Songs off Northern Nights that lit up what was still a young emerging Smooth Jazz Genre. In fact, his debut above, coming the year Art Good created Smooth Jazz on the West Coast and Dan’s 1987 here, coming the year Los Angeles The Wave’ began, spawned off the success they saw of this New Sound down in San Diego.

1989

The album itself JazzTrax listed at No. 7 Best New Albums of 2018 Dan Slipped a Bit from Smooth Jazz Radio Consciousness after his Torrid Hot 1980’s as one of that decades biggest trend setters, as the next decade, he tried his stuff with 1990’s television music producing.

His work as a television and film composer includes the score for the film Reform School Girls (1986), and Universal Studios television series, Hard Copy (1987). He has also worked as musical director and conductor on the late-night CBS TV show Overtime... with Pat O'Brien (1990).

Playing on numerous television and film projects as a session player, including the Oscar-winning film The Usual Suspects. His music also featured on the Weather Channel's Local Forecast segments 1986 to 1991 Seen here in 1991 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

And Oli was also extremely instrumental in the Break-Out of fellow Brit guitarist Roberto Restuccia having produced Roberto’s 2021 debut album.

DON’T MISS British keyboardist OLI SILK on OPENING WEEKEND THIS OCTOBER

Whereas you have seen Blake Open for our Thursday Evening Unplugged Under the Stars on Descanso Beach, this will mark his Main Stage Avalon Ballroom Debut … AND ABOUT TIME !!!

The LA Times has described Blake as “A Genius on the Guitar” With now SIX #1 BILLBOARD HITS His Newest Number One coming Just THIS SPRING As we Announced that Blake is Bringing his SIX Number #1’s and all the rest of his Repertoire to the JazzTrax Live Performance Stage This October … after 5 Consecutive Weeks at Number #2 (6 weeks there total) after 8 Weeks in the Top 5 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Charts, which with a streak like that made it already one of his Biggest Hits yet and already One of this Year’s Biggest Radio Hits “She’s the One” finally BROKE THROUGH and Moved UP to # 1

Further Notations on Blake’s career include .. as an L.A. studio musician and sideman, has recorded and/ or performed with Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, Sheila E., The Alan Parsons Project, Carlos Santana, Ronnie Laws, Keiko Matsui, Najee, Bill Champlin and Ellis Hall.

Further, he is a first call TV & Film Session Guitarist having worked 15 years with Fox ‘Mad TV,” Steven Seagal’s “Half Past Dead 2,” “Super Dave Osborne,” ABC’s “The Next Best Thing,” Fox ‘The Mother Love Show,” and “The Ben Stiller Show.” And All on an April 2924 Brand New Blake Aaron album

THERE IS MORE BANG TO BLAKE’S BUCK as ……

Blake will bring to Catalina Island with Him in October a Rising Star Singer Vocalist ERIN STEVENSON

SLIM will OPEN for THE SPINNERS What an interesting Evening THAT WILL BE in the 1929 Avalon Ballroom .. looking out to sea DON’T MISS SLIM GAMBILL guitarist of Lady A OPENING WEEKEND IN OCTOBER .. 26 miles across the sea

Performance Info

Opening Weekend

Performance Info

Opening Weekend

She’s not easy to get back, living in Amsterdam, she has to put together a West Coast Leg on any Trip to America and arrange it specifically around our limited 2 weekends. We thought she would return last year, but then the Dave Koz Summer Horns invited her along.

So …. you want to catch Candy on Catalina Island This Is THE YEAR. CLOSING WEEKEND This OCTOBER

We 1st put Booker T on the JazzTrax Live Performance Stage October 2012 He returned to the Island October 2013 In between he played the JazzTrax Floating Stage on Big Bear Lake Summer 2013

GOTTA BE HIS MOST FAMOUS SONG

He wrote this pop hit instrumental while still in high school and it became a massive HIT in 1962

So why the MGs? It supposedly really did stand for the British MG sports car, but Stax Records was concerned about trademark infringement, and so, they pushed the narrative that MG’s really stood for “Memphis Group”

Mindi

Mindi 1st showed up on Catalina Island in 1994 playing in an All Star Session at Art Good’s invitation while still on her way the next few years playing with Jonathan Butler, John Tesh, the Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore and more, oh, even briefly guesting with Aerosmith and an appearance or 2 on late night show’s like Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show.

Peter

Solo Debut (after year’s with Al Stewart) came in 1990. JazzTrax gave Peter Best Album of the Year honors both for ‘Reveillez-vous,’ but again 1 year later for his 2nd album ‘Excuzemoi.’ Man has he played the JazzTrax Live Performance Stages Everywhere and Over & Over again. In fact this year he OPENS our Opening Weekend Unplugged Under the Stars on Descanso Beach, and CLOSES our entire festival Closing Night Closing Weekend with Mindi and Vincent.

He was TAKEN all of 1990 (his solo break out year) by BASIA as her guitarist on her World Tour, but in 1991 Peter gave his 1st ever Full Length Show as a Solo Performing Artist on the JazzTrax Live Performance Stage.

Vincent

Then there’s the Youngster … and by the way there is just about 20 years difference in each of these Artist’s Age …. as Vincent has just passed the Big 3 0

Vincent showed up, still a teen-ager at a 2010 Smooth Jazz Awards Weekend that got cancelled in San Diego when the promoter didn’t have The Dough, but the artists had already settled into their Gaslamp Quarter Hotel Rooms and on Peter White’s urging they went ahead with 1 show. And Peter invited this Still Teenager up on stage with them. Vincent has since cemented himself into the Smooth Jazz highest echelons including management with the same management company that represents Peter .. AND Mindi…

DON’T MISS MINDI, PETER and VINCENT TOGETHER ..

CLOSING NIGHT CLOSING WEEKEND IN OCTOBER .. 26 miles across the sea

Performance Info

Closing Weekend

Performance Info

Closing Weekend

Ray Right Out Front ahead of Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis

Ray did a full band performance in the Avalon Ballroom in 2016 all the bartenders in the back were filming Ghostbusters on their I-Phones but when he did Unplugged at the Wrigley Ranch in 2008 he told the story of his attorney last second before signing off on the theme song, made the film company give Ray all/full royalty rights to the song.

Hence ………… One of the things he bought with his royalties was a place in Mammoth where he’d ski with Joe Sample. When Joe brought the Crusaders to Catalina Island in 2003 for their 1 and only JazzTrax performance, he had Ray on guitar.

Arriving from hometown Detroit to L.A. early 70’s he HIT the Top 40 Radio Airwaves as part of RAYDIO

Hits Like

“A Woman Needs Love (just like you do)”

“You Can’t Change That”

“Jack and Jill”

“The Other Woman”

“Two Places at the Same Time”

…growing up in Detroit he co-wrote with Marvin Gaye at age 16

.. the Detroit based SPINNERS added the young guitarist to their touring group

.. played on Honey Cone’s #1 hit single “Want Ads”

.. appeared on Lamont Dozier’s first 2 albums

.. appearing on Stevie Wonder’s album ‘Talking Book’ prompted Ray’s move West to L.A.

.. co-wrote “You Got the Love” with Chaka Khan

.. didn’t get the credit nor apparently the Royalties, but insists he was original songwriter of Leo Sayer’s “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” 1976

.. broke from RAYDIO went solo in 1981

.. has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2014

.. Competed in 2022 on Season 8 of The Masked Singer as “Sir Bug a Boo” after being eliminated he then performed The Ghostbusters Theme.

Performance Info

Closing Weekend

Performance Info

Closing Weekend

Performance Info

Closing Weekend

Performance Info

Closing Weekend

Performance Info

Closing Weekend