Whistler launches inaugural jazz festival
Whistler will play host to the newest jazz festival in Canada, September 2-4, 2011.
Set in the resort’s pedestrian Village, with free and ticketed indoor and outdoor shows, visitors will have the unique opportunity to experience performances and interact personally with jazz greats.
Arnold Schwisberg, founder and producer of Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler, today announced the exciting performer line-up of the inaugural event for the Labour Day weekend in September as well as the launch of the Festival’s official website - whistlerjazzfest.com.
"Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler will have something for everyone, not just jazz fans,” says Schwisberg. “All visitors to Whistler will be able to enjoy the free street festival components with acoustic musicians, face-painters, jugglers and acrobats. And ticketed shows will provide access to some of the world’s best jazz artists performing in an intimate setting at spectacular Whistler facilities.”
The three-day festival will showcase 22 performers and 33 shows. Street entertainment is being programmed in conjunction with the Whistler Arts Council, free performances will be featured throughout Whistler Village, and ticketed events will take place indoors at Maurice Young Millennium Place and outdoors at one or more of the many spectacular venues in Whistler . Tickets go on sale April 5.
Guitarist Kevin Eubanks, the first Artist-in-Residence for Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler, will perform solo, with his Quartet, and will be "up close and personal" with festivalgoers in Whistler Village all weekend. In addition to Eubanks, American guitarists Stanley Jordan and Russ Freeman, as well as seasoned Canadian jazz guitarists and educators Stan Samole, Lorne Lofsky and Greg Lowe are scheduled to perform. Other greats confirmed to appear include established contemporary jazz groups Spyro Gyra and The Rippingtons, and jazz veterans vibraphonist Gary Burton from Boston with his New Quartet and Montreal pianist Oliver Jones with his Trio. Additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Festival also includes a unique educational element, giving aspiring young musicians the opportunity to attend a Jazz Master Class Series for guitar at Maurice Young Millennium Place in the heart of Whistler Village.
“Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler is setting the stage to be regarded as one of the most innovative jazz festivals in the country,” says Schwisberg, a lawyer whose passion for jazz has also led to a career as a radio and TV host, a record producer for Universal Music, and a consultant with jazz festivals in Montreal and Toronto.
Unlike urban jazz festivals, Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler will be offering a very different experience. The pedestrian-only Village, with its stone pathways connecting the resort’s plazas and squares, is an ideal setting for a more intimate and highly interactive jazz festival. The Festival aims to attract thousands of visitors to Whistler over the Labour Day weekend.
To more broadly deliver the experience, plans are underway to mount high-definition video cameras at each major act – and to produce streaming video to the internet, satellite and for mobile applications. “Those who can’t attend in person can watch highlights from their computer, tablet or phone,” says Schwisberg. “Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler represents the next generation of jazz festivals. It’s really about bringing the music – and the vibe of Whistler – to the people.”
For more information about the concert and events schedule, artist bios, and details about ticket purchasing, promotions, and merchandise visit: whistlerjazzfest.com
