Now 27, it offers a great venue, great music and a music booker who looks for variety.
Now 27, it offers a great venue, great music and a music booker who looks for variety. Back to the full article.
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This has indeed been a successful series, and I have good memories of the early years. To call it a jazz series is bordering on fraud. It’s been years since a significant part of the line-up could be considered jazz of any recognized genre. Follow the lead of Summerfest – years ago they renamed the “Miller Jazz Oasis” to just “Miller Oasis” – truth in advertising!
I love this website! I’m also one that had regularly attended the series for many years, and a huge jazz fan (caveat that ideally would be unnecessary: I mean actual jazz). All that said… what a puff piece!
Has Mr. Cryns even assessed the lineup? Is he even jazz (not just music) fan? Or is he simply a fan of crowds (even if largely comprised of unsophisticates)? The 2018 lineup is embarrassingly (and, to those with taste, disappointingly) weak! Is this really the best they could do? Or is there an intentional re-calibration to appeal to a different demographic; one that doesn’t appreciate actual jazz, and took 20+ years to even get hip to the whole series?
I think this is the “jumping-the-shark” moment for the series (amongst what would’ve been sophisticated attendees).
Perhaps they should consider changing the name of the series, because to intelligent people, it comes off as inaccurate (for those who know the lineup) and/or misleading (for those assuming quality jazz is central to the series).