First things first: if it storms during Jazz By the Boulevard -- as it notoriously did last year -- there is a Plan B. Whichever act brings the rain to town will be moved into the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, and the show will go on. With a joyful cymbal crash, if entertainment director Marsha Milam has anything to do with it.
"This year we kind of view it as a resurrecting year," says Milam, who lives in Austin. "I think people were really sad about last year, and they want to see it come back."
The fest gets condensed from three days to two this year, and there will be a $5 admission charge, but both stages will be pumping out music nonstop, Milam says. "Instead of trying to take the talent budget and spread it out over three days, we said let's just take it and spread it out over two really great nights and one day."
The roster of acts includes jazz legend Stanley Clarke and New Orleans virtuoso Trombone Shorty as headliners, plus an eclectic mix of blues, rock, folk and funk -- not to mention some of the hottest bands in DFW. Telegraph Canyon, the Orbans, the Gourds and Josh Weathers & the True+Endeavors, all are on the bill, and all have big local followings. Add in fast-rising jazz chanteuse Kat Edmonson and Carolyn Wonderland, a Houston musician who Milam says "plays guitar like Stevie Ray Vaughan and sings like Janis Joplin," and the musical mélange is compelling to say the least.
"What I want people to do this year," says Milam, "is to look at this lineup and say: 'Oh, my gosh, I want to see all of these acts.'"
Friday
Gates open at 5 p.m.
Cooking Carnivale: 6-9 p.m.
Music Schedule
Wholly Guacamole Stage
5-5:45 p.m. the Gourds
6-7 p.m. Charlie Mars
9:15-10:45 p.m. Trombone Shorty
Heritage Stage
6:30-7:30 p.m. the Brehms
8-9:15 p.m. Carolyn Wonderland
Saturday
Gates open at 1 p.m.
Cooking Carnivale: 4-7 p.m.
Culinary demonstrations 2-7 p.m., on the hour.
Music schedule
Wholly Guacamole Stage
1:15-2:15 p.m. the Texas Girls' Choir
2:30-3:30 p.m. Josh Weathers & the
True+Endeavors
4-5:15 p.m. Telegraph Canyon
5:45-7 p.m. Arts Fifth Avenue
Jazz Collective
7:30-8:45 p.m. Kat Edmonson
9:15-10:45 p.m. Stanley Clarke
Heritage Stage
1-2 p.m. Mondo Drummers
2:15-3:15 p.m. the Orbans
3:45-4:45 p.m. Rabbit's Got the
Gun
5:15-6:30 p.m. Miles Davis
Tribute Band led by Paul Unger
7-8:30 p.m. Victor Cager
