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Festival History
The Chandler Jazz Festival began in the fall of 2000. Thanks to the influence of Irvin Mayfield, the event has turned its focus to the music of New Orleans and brought Chandler a taste of The Big Easy and Mardis Gras.
2000
The inaugural event was presented by Motorola and featured five bands on a Sunday afternoon in the downtown park. Local performers included: Sun Lakes Big Band, Chandler-Gilbert Community College Jazz Band, Young sounds of Arizona, and two touring bands, the Irvin Mayfield Quintet and Los Hombres Calientes, co-led by Bill Summers and Irvin Mayfield.
2001
Rain did not stop the festival, which was moved inside of the San Marcos Resort. Motorola and AVNET presented featured performers Tony Vacca, Irvin Mayfield and Terence Blanchard.
2002
The festival was again sponsored by Motorola and featured Donald Harrison, Jr., and the Irvin Mayfield Quintet with the main stage in the Pavilion of the San Marcos Resort. Friday night featured the APS VIP reception and jam session poolside at the San Marcos Resort. This year also featured the first ever Mardi-Gras style parade in downtown Chandler.
2003
New sponsor Wells Fargo presented headliner Jon Faddis in the San Marcos Pavilion on Friday night. Saturday afternoon featured high school and college bands and another Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday night. The Saturday night concert was a very special tribute to jazz legend Prince Shell with the Ted Goddard Big Band. Sunday was swinging in the park with a swing dance hosted by the Sun Lakes Big Band. In all, 22 bands performed in nine venues.
2004
Featured 20 performances at six downtown venues over two days and nights, with the main stage outdoors in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park. Jazz in Az hosted “How Cool is Jazz”, a fun activity for children of all ages. There was also an arts & crafts fair (40 vendors), a kid’s interactive arts & crafts area, street performers and much more. Featured performers included: Blaise Lantana (from KJZZ); Tony Vacca and Youth All-Stars; The Crotty & O’Neill Sextet; The Diva Concert featuring Delphine Cortez, Nancy Gee, Margo Reed and Sherry Roberson; Dennis Rowland with the Extreme Decibel Band performed a tribute to the legendary Count Basie, honoring his 100th anniversary. Presented by Wells Fargo.
2005
20 performances once again included “How Cool Is Jazz,” a fun activity for children of all ages plus the arts and craft fair. The Jazz Fest All-Stars featured Tony Vacca, Aaron Fletcher, Steve Annibale, Mike Kocour and Dom Moio. Other featured performers included the Anthony Brown Quartet, and the Aaron Fletcher Quartet. Presented by first Credit Union.
2006
Performances, “How Cool is Jazz” and the art fair filled the streets, bars and restaurants of downtown Chandler, including the Dan Young Trio, Stan Sorenson Duo, Barrio Latino, and the Patrick Smith Quartet Saturday's lineup included the John Vold Duo, Foster Oden Trio, Chandler-Gilbert C.C. Jazz Band, Steve Annibale Quartet and the Aebi-Coulson Band. Presented by Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments.
2007
25 performances plus The Saturday Marketplace featured a variety of artists and vendors. Top notch entertainment include the Rachel Eckroth Quintet, 13-year-old Gabriel Dotson of Chandler, and his band Enough Said, the Jack Radavich Quartet featuring trumpeter Carl Saunders, followed by the dynamic Cuban rhythms of the Chuchito Valdés Quintet. Presented by Big Two Toyota Scion.
2008
The biggest festival to date was highlighted by a special concert on Saturday night at the Center for the Arts by New Orleans native Dr. John, with an opening performance by the Kenny Garrett Quartet. Main stage performances in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park included Armand Boatman and the Be-Bop Revolution, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Jack Radavich Trio with special guest Chuck Findley, and the 52nd St Jazz Band. The after hours jam session on Saturday night was a huge success at Inspirador.
2009
The 10th anniversary festival brought back all the original bands from 2000 including the Irvin Mayfield Quintet, the Sun Lakes Big Band, the Chandler Gilbert Community College Big Band, and the Young Sounds of Arizona. Friday night’s headliner was the grammy winning Cajun/Zydeco band Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet. Total of 35 bands participated in 10 venues. A fest highlight was the return of the after hours jam sessions on both Friday and Saturday nights at the 98 South Wine Bar and Kitchen.
2010
Downtown Chandler hosted more than 33 bands and 145 jazz musicians for Arizona's most exciting, largest jazz festival held over two days and in a dozen venues. The names might not have been as recognizable as past years, but the talent was amazing, with some of the finest worldwide touring musicians in the current jazz scene, as well as many of the greatest cats living right here in our valley. Friday night featured the Ashlin Parker Quartet, and Nick Manson and the Festival Allstars. The New Orleans-based band Blue Orleans, headlined Saturday night along with the Dmitri Matheny Group and the Brice Winston Quartet. Swing Fever, based in San Francisco, rocked the joint on Saturday afternoon with standards from the '30s and'40s. And the New Orleans Music Stage was a new addition to the festival and was presented by the Arizona Classic Jazz Society in the fountain courtyard of the San Marcos Resort.
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