CELEBRATING JAZZ AND BLUES IN THE NEW YEAR BY STEPHANIE LEVINE, STATION MANAGER I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of KJazz in 2018, as well as to share some highlights from the year.
Beginning in May of 2018, we presented four Blues Cruises with Hornblower Cruises. KJazz listeners enjoyed marina views, craft cocktails and beer, and a gourmet dinner while listening to artists like Guitar Jack Wargo and the Mighty Mojo Prophets. These cruises were so popular that we will be offering four more Blues Cruises with Hornblower Cruises in the coming year. More details will be announced shortly. We kicked off the summer concert season with our annual KJazz Summer Benefit Concert at the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall on June 23rd. We were honored to have one of the pre-eminent jazz vocalists in the world, Dianne Reeves, headline the concert. The GRAMMY award-winner captivated the audience with her improvisational prowess and unique jazz and R&B stylings. Opening up the show were the KJazz All-Stars featuring Joe LaBarbera, Justo Almario, Eric Reed, and Mike Gurrola. The group of true all-stars put on an incredible performance. This was another unforgettable benefit concert at Disney Hall.
In July, we launched two new and unique programs as part of our ongoing efforts to educate and expose more people to jazz. Beyond Symphonic Jazz airs Sundays from 9-11pm and is hosted by Mitch Glickman, Music Director and Founder of the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra. The show explores where the worlds of jazz and classical music meet. Excursions: Connecting the Dots Between Jazz and Hip-Hop airs Thursdays from 10pm-midnight. Hosted by Daniel Seeff, Program Director of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Excursions explores the connections between jazz and hip-hop. We are very excited about the new programs and have received great feedback about both programs. July was a very busy month as we also led our first private jazz cruise with KJazz hosts Bubba Jackson and Jose Rizo. The trip began in Switzerland with the group attending several days of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Next, the group set off for Lyon and nearby Vienne for the Vienne Jazz Festival. The trip culminated with the group boarding a private luxury cruise with jazz performances on board. Because of the success and popularity of the July trip, we created a private jazz cruise to visit Spain and Portugal this coming September, which ended up selling out in record time. As a result, we are working on a new, exciting itinerary for a private jazz cruise in April 2020. We will be sharing details with you later this year.
As far as our two major pledge drives in 2018, we were fortunate to have successful spring and fall drives thanks to you and our other wonderful donors. These pledge drives provide the majority of our funds for operating KJazz. We wrapped up the year with our annual Jingle Jazz Concert on December 9th, once again at the Moss Theater in Santa Monica. GRAMMY award-winning Gordon Goodwin and his Little Phat Band performed two outstanding sets for the audience and helped get us all into the holiday spirit with fun and unique takes on some holiday classics. As we enter the new year, we remain excited by the challenge of operating KJazz and supporting jazz in our community, with you by our side. We hope this new year will be filled with happiness, health, and prosperity for you, an integral part of our KJazz family. Yours in jazz and blues, Stephanie Levine, Station Manager |
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KKJZ Fundraising, Inc., a registered commercial fundraiser, conducts fundraising activities on behalf of the California State University, Long Beach Research Foundation for the benefit of KJazz. Registration does not imply endorsement. KKJZ Fundraising, Inc., P.O. Box 251469, Los Angeles, CA 90025 |
