May 10, 2008
28th Annual Festival
Order your tickets for the 28th Annual Fesstival now! Pre sales end May 12th, and tickets may always be purchased at the door. We have a new option this year: all advance sales at standard prices shall be for table seating (on the basis of 'first come, first served' as is our practice), but we've set a reduced price of $30 per day for theatre seating. We do this to be sensitive to the current economic realities all of us face. CPFJ has not raised Festival Ticket prices for the past three years, yet we continue to do our best to present the best of jazz for your enjoyment!
May 5, 2008
A Festival Highlight
The Kevin Mahogany Quintet featuring Dave Liebman in their tribute to Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane is a work in musical fantasy, of course. Their Coltrane/Hartman Fantasy begins with songs selected from the brief but famous partnership. The journey continues as Kevin Mahogany, David Liebman and the audience explore what might have been if the Coltrane/Hartman partnership continued. Our festival showcases:
>> Presentation of songs recorded by the Coltrane/Hartman collaboration.
>> Selections from the catalogue of songs which were individually recorded by both Coltrane and Hartman.
>> Audience Request - Song request cards are distributed to the audience. Each audience member writes the title of a song they believe the Coltrane/Hartman partnership should have recorded. The cards are then collected. David and Kevin will select songs from the request cards. Those songs will then be performed in the Coltrane/Hartman style.
>> Mr. Liebman will perform some of his favorite Coltrane instrumental compositions and share with the audience the history of each song. Mr. Liebman with vocal assistance from Mr. Mahogany will also present new arrangements of classic Coltrane songs like "Satellite/How High the Moon" and "26/2/Confirmation."
In a uniquely crafted presentation, vocalist Kevin Mahogany and saxophonist David Liebman have stepped forward and blurred the lines between reality and fantasy. Listeners will be taken on a musical exploration of what was and what might have been.
The Coltrane/Hartman partnership of 1963 has been analyzed by musicians and historians. Although Hartman's career wouldn't flourish until revitalized by Clint Eastwood in the "Bridges of Madison County," Coltrane had a long and distinguished solo career. What if this short-lived partnership had continued? Would the elemental foundation of jazz itself been altered? Questions remain…