Grooves in the Grove - Jazz Series

Sitting on a large lawn among the citrus trees - with the Santa Rosa mountains behind you.

photo taken from the La Quinta Resort and Club website

This is the setting for a new jazz series, Grooves in the Grove - presented by La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs. Cool!

They’ve lined up top performers from around the country, with influences from all over. Several of the musicians fall into the smooth jazz category, but if that’s not your thing, don’t let it keep you away. A lot of raw talent in everyone on the bill, and believe me – they’ll be going beyond the quiet, easy to listen to drive that some smooth jazz stations prefer (thankfully, the “smooth jazz” stations around where I live go beyond this middle of the road, non-threatening form). The folks in this lineup are musicians. They’ll be bringing jazz. And Improvisation. And Feeling. There’s plenty of funk and fusion on the bill as well. Groups like Hiroshima (jamming since 1974), Greg Adams & East Bay Soul, and Jeff Lorber Fusion with Eric Marienthal. I regret missing the first show, which featured Michael Paulo and Rick Braun (but unless I’m mistaken, Paulo at least will be back with the East Bay Soul guys). With the exception of November 12^th, the series continues Fridays through November 26^th, and it’s quite reasonably priced – something I can’t usually talk about on the air. I’ll be going to at least a few of these shows, and thanks to all involved for helping me to get interviews lined up.

Go to the La Quinta website for the specific lineup. Again – it’s a good one, with guitarists Marc Antoine and Paul Brown this coming Friday, and Hiroshima next Friday. While you’re at the site, there are tabs for you to get a sampling of the music of the artists. Don’t stop there, though. You’re already online, so it’s not gonna take much more to go to the websites for each musician or group. Some have interesting bios, and hearing more of their music and knowing a bit more about them might get you to what promises to be a great new jazz series.

This blog may not do much for readers in Kentucky, Houston, or say - Buenos Aires, but if you're in the Southern California area - it'd be worth stopping by. As the La Quinta folks have said - "It’ll be a great way to end the week – and start the weekend."

If anyone makes it to any of these performances, let me know.


Also - what's your favorite music festival experience?