The 13th Annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival....

Is it tonight? Yes, yes it all kicks off tonight at the Hawaii Theatre in historical downtown Honolulu. Read more below from the offical "Hawaii International Jazz Festival" website and check out the festival website at www.hawaiijazz.com for some real cool pics and information. Looks like there'll be some cool tropical jazz in the islands for the next couple of nights. Now that's cool!

The 13th Annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival kicks-off on August 4 with a free 10 a.m. clinic. The clinic, held on both days, will feature demonstrations of various jazz styles. The sessions will close with an open-forum discussion with attendees asking questions of the celebrated musicians including the USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra Directed by Shelly Berg, on Friday. The orchestra will be in residence throughout the HIJF! Saturday’s clinic will feature the incredible 6-member Groove Society a cappella ensemble.

The HIJF~ Swingtime Hana Hou! Part I officially opens the evening of Friday, August 4 at 7 p.m., and will feature three acts. Act I – Honors the early history of jazz in Hawaii. You will hear the great synergy of our Hawaiian “Mele no ka oi” show & the indigenous sounds of Hawaii’s greats set to a Swing feel in a kanikapila extravaganza. Performers include Jeff Peterson on slack key guitar, Abe Lagrimas on ukulele & vibes, Brittni Paiva on ukulele & slack key, Bruddah Smitty on slack key & vocals, and Nathan Aweau on bass & vocals. Act II - Our Denver-based vocal jazz sextet, “Groove Society,” will fill the air with luscious a cappella vocal harmonies to your favorite jazz standards. Act III – Tonight’s Tribute to Nat King Cole, features the “Freddy Cole Quartet.” Nat's brother Freddy Cole is world renown for his own great jazz stylings and comes to Hawaii to perform for the first time at this exclusive engagement.

On Saturday, August 5, The Hawaii International Jazz Festival presents ~ Swingtime Hana Hou! Part II. Act I - welcomes back the exciting Latin sounds of sax man "Scott Martin," formerly with Poncho Sanchez for 12 years. This great musician will open the evening with a scintillating presentation backed by the incomparable USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra Directed by Shelton Berg. Act II - The “Freddy Cole Quartet” returns tonight with the 2nd part of our Tribute to the wonderful music of Nat King Cole ~ Guest artists include Gabe Baltazar on sax, David Choy on sax, & DeShannon Higa on trumpet. Nat's timeless tunes, on over 350 albums, embrace America's beloved jazz & pop standards. Act III - “The Four Freshmen” return by popular demand to thrill our audiences once again with their classic repertoire. Hailed as the best vocal group of all time, the Four Freshmen are in their 58th year of performance!


TICKET & SHOW INFO for Hawaii International Jazz Festival ~ Swingtime Hana Hou! To be held Friday and Saturday, August 4 & 5 at the historic Hawaii Theatre:

Tickets for the Jazz Festival are $25, $40 & $50 with a $5 discount for Hawaii Theatre members, seniors 62 and over, military, and students with ID. Also, the purchase of a 2-day pass is $5 off any ticket price. No double discounts. Tickets may be purchased at the Hawaii Theater Center Box Office at (808-528-0506), or online at www.hawaiitheatre.com. Festival parking for Hawaii Theatre is available at Marks Garage, off of Nuuanu Avenue.


A SPECIAL VIP EVENING!

Hawaii International Jazz Festival is PRESENTING, “An Exclusive Evening With The Freddy Cole Quartet,” and the award winning Denver based a cappella vocal ensemble, “Groove Society” on Thursday, August 3rd, 7:30 p.m at the new Red Elephant Live showroom. This intimate evening is a special added value available only to those who are already ticket holders for the Festival on August 4 or 5. Tickets are $47.50 and are available at the Hawaii Theater Center Box Office at (808)-528-0506, or online at www.hawaiitheatre.com.


***MEDIA NOTE:

Interviews, imaging and detailed musician bios are available upon request.



For more information on the Hawaii International Jazz Festival, please contact Dana Fujikake at the Festival office. Call (808) 941-9974 or email: aewjazz1@aol.com, or visit the Festival website at www.hawaiijazz.com.

-posted by Cool Tropical Jazz LLC @