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 by Arturo Riera
The 15th Annual Comcast San Jose Jazz Festival was held this year in and around the
Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park in sunny downtown San Jose, California, August 5-8.
This year's Festival was especially historic as it was commemorated in the
local papers as "the most Latin U.S. Jazz Festival and a new paradigm
for U.S. Jazz Festivals."
As usual, LP was front and center on many of the eight stages. Bobby
Sanabria & Ascensión, of which fellow LP artists Chembo
Corniel and Hiram Remón are also members, performed on
the main stage to a thunderous standing ovation on opening night.
Other supporting headliners were Ray Barretto, Pete Escovedo (TOCA),
Jane Bunnet and the Spirits of Havana, Manny
Oquendo y Libre, John
Santos and Machete, and many more LP artists including Karl
Perrazo from "Santana".
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| LP Artist Bobby Sanabria |
LP supplied congas, timbales, bongos, batas, bells,
and blocks for this
LARGEST FREE JAZZ FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD. Over 500 artists in more than a hundred
groups played for audiences of up to 165,000 on eight stages over four days.
Many artists were playing Latin Jazz, Salsa, or Brazilian music. This event,
the West Coast's "largest block party," is indeed the most Latin
of any U.S. festival in history.
LP Rep. Arturo Riera is proud to serve on the Board of the San Jose Jazz Society,
which presents this event. Special thanks to Steve Saperstein, Festival Artistic
Director, and to Dennis Broughton from his crew for knowing who makes the instruments
the best players play.
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LP Artist Chembo Corniel |
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