San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2019 To Feature Rich Medina, Peanut Butter Wolf & More

On Aug. 9–11, the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest will celebrate its 30th birthday by filling the Northern California city's downtown area with world class music across its 14 stages. The newly announced lineup for the Jazz Beyond Stage will showcase "artists redefining the contemporary jazz genre in forms that future generations will carry forward to collectively embrace the timeless tradition of jazz," according to a press release.

This stage's lineup, co-curated by Tommy Aguilar, includes longtime vinyl-spinning DJs Rich Medina and Peanut Butter Wolf and experimental jazz quartets Sons Of Kemet and The JuJu Exchange. Wolf, who is from San Jose, will return to his hometown to headline Saturday at the Beyond.

"Since I grew up in San Jose from the age of 6 until I was 25, it's really exciting to be able to go to my hometown to play for that many people," Wolf told S.J. Jazz Fest. "I've been a big fan of jazz since I was a kid, as well as funk and soul. I learned about jazz more through hip-hop music though…This summer, I'll perform with a full multi-media video set-up where I'm spinning vinyl while projecting vintage videos and promo clips from the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. San Jose Jazz is up to a good thing."

This year will be the first time the Jazz Beyond artists take over the Post Street stage. Other acts include the Shigeto Live Ensemble, led by Detroit producer Zach Saginaw aka Shigeto, San Jose-based producer/engineer B. Lewis, jazz drummer/producer/DJ Kassa Overall, Chicago trumpeter/composer Marquis Hill, Oakland-born jazz bassist and singer Aneesa Strings, and others.

Lewis, who has worked with the likes of TOKiMONSTA and K.Flay in recent years, has been named the first Jazz Beyond Artist-In-Residence and will be releasing a collaborative New Works Suite album in October, with "original compositions…written as an emblem of the city of San Jose."

The event's other stages include ones dedicated to salsa and gospel and swing, respectively. The main stage will feature GRAMMY-winning crooner Gregory Porter, GRAMMY Hall of Famers The O'Jays and The Family Stone, Portland's own 12-piece jazz ensemble Pink Martini, GRAMMY-nominated R&B group En Vogue, GRAMMY-winning jazz singer Dianne Reeves and many more.

The fest has several different ticket options, including single-day or weekend options; you can find more info here.

Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Tia Fuller On Growth, Artistic Vision & Leading By Example

San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2019 To Feature Rich Medina, Peanut Butter Wolf & More

Assistance