Latin Jazz Stage at San Jose Jazz Festival

Here is one reason I haven't been blogging...I'm having too much fun!! The annual San Jose Jazz Festival was last weekend and was wonderful as ever. We stayed at the Latin Jazz Stage Sat. and Sun. afternoons to watch John Santos' Quintet which has my favortie flutist, John Callahan. The Santos Quintet was fabulous as always and inspired wonderful dancing. Then John Callahan and the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco was absolutely and totally entertaining with adolecent jazz musicians who write their own music and perform it. It's the kind of teaching my dad did in the 40's with his big band and the students also played in the big band. Finally, my favorite Brazilian singer who lives just over the mountains behind my house in Santa Cruz, CA, Claudia Villela who does a kind of Brazilian scat with her jazz musicians, including a fabulous pianist. That is the order of the photos. Sat. night was David Sanborn on the Main Stage in the big Cesar Chavez Park and we stopped for awhile. I first heard him while I was in Boston, MA and fell in love with his sax. Friends told me that was West Coast Jazz and I knew I was going home! Sunday night was the Manhattan Transfer and we had seen them in Carmel last winter. The crowds were greater than any time I've attended this festival. It was packed. Great music and a real thrill to be there in person.