Warm weather, great music at jazz festival

The weather was mostly ideal, the venue was great, and the music was phenomenal for the Jazz Sudbury Festival this weekend at Science North, said organizer Carmen Simmons.

“The festival this weekend was really positive for our first year,” said Simmons, executive director of the Sudbury Community Foundation, the group that organized the event. It was the first time a jazz festival had been brought to life in the city. The public was able to attend free jazz concerts Friday evening.

“We got a lot of feedback and encouragement. Many people said it was high time we had a festival like this.”

Simmons said the actual attendance and revenue numbers were not compiled yet, but there would be a festival debriefing for organizers next week.

She said the venue, Science North, was exceptional, both inside and outside.

“Science North, as a facility, was absolutely fantastic. We used the facility for three workshops. Two were by Joe Sealy and the Jazz Birds. People got to learn how they put their music together. It was an intimate setting in the Gold Room.”

Outside, during the afternoon on the main stage, groups like the Lost Fingers had
the audience moving, said Simmons.

“The Lost Fingers were a phenomenon. There was quite a crowd for them. They were many young people who lined up for autographs afterwards. They got people up and dancing, just like the Shuffle Demons the night before. They had a conga line form Friday night (at their performance),” she laughed.

Rain did fall just after headliner pianist Michael Kaeshammer began to play.

“It came out of nowhere. It was a light, but warm, rain. Experienced festival goers did have umbrellas. It is a good education for people to be prepared for anything. Some others did leave but most of the crowd stayed.”

Kaeshammer seemed to enjoy himself during his performance and afterwards, Simmons said. Organizers had made sure he had his favourite type of Yamaha piano on stage.
“He was beside himself when he saw the piano and experienced the sound of it. He was phenomenal. He told us he felt right at home.”

Simmons said Kaeshammer and his accompanists stayed for a small group later that night, performing for them at the Vale Inco Cavern.

“People were able to gather around him as he played and see up close how he played.” She said that experience was a special festival memory many present would never forget.

Would the organizers do anything different next year?

“We will discuss that in our debriefing. But I think we had too tight a schedule on the main stage. We need to give people breaks so they can go and check out the other stages and the vendors.”

She said, though there were enough vendors present with food and Jazz Sudbury apparel, the festival could use a few more.

“We did have a couple of vendors pull out before the festival, so next year we should make sure we have a good selection of vendors.”

For more information, visit www.jazzsudbury.ca or phone 673-7770.