Jazz Vanishes From JAS Labor Day Fest

June 26th, 2006 at 04:59am Michael Conniff 2

When the organizers of Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) signed up Isaac Hayes to perform under the tent in June 2005, the soul man—“Shaft” is his biggest hit—wondered whether he should go to work on some jazz tunes. Not to worry, he was told, because it’s not that kind of festival.

JAS has managed to distance itself completely from jazz for the Labor Day 2006 festival September 1-4 in the Town of Snowmass Village. There are rappers and rockers, country music stars and reggae bands—and, yes, a Hasidic reggae rap star. But there is not a jazz musician to be seen among the stars of the festival.

Kanye West, the controversial rapper will perform with psychedelic pedal steel virtuoso Robert Randolph and the Family Band in a return trip to Snowmass. Country’s Leann Rimes and singer-songwriter Susan Tedeschi make up another bill. Keller Williams and Matisyahu will be there, along with none other than John Cougar Mellencamp and Los Lonely Boys.

But you can search long and hard without finding anyone to wear and bear the cool robes of jazz.

The trend, of course, is inexorable. JAS bossman Jim Horowitz, a jazz pianist himself, has impeccable taste, and he likes to says that the festivals are imbued with the DNA of jazz. But that’s also a way of saying that an all-jazz festival would not put fannies in the seats. If it were up to jazz, there would be no JAS.

Nowhere on the bill are the likes of the June festival’s Diana Krall and Jamie Cullum, both bona fide jazz players. Nowhere will you find the equivalent of Natalie Cole, a pop singer with more than enough chops to kill any jazz ballad you throw at her.

Purists will punish JAS for the ultimate transgression, but don’t forget jazz bands abound in the free nooks and crannies of the festival, particularly outdoors under the mini-tent at Wagner Park. And Christian McBride, the monster bassist, captains the JAS educational program that wails behind the curtain.

All that’s well and good, but if the 2006 Labor Day festival is any indication, then jazz is dead at Jazz Aspen Snowmass.

Entry Filed under: Music, Snowmass, Aspen, Pitkin County, Jazz, Pop, Fractional Post