David. P. Stevens & Tony Exum (Photo: Sheryl Aronson)
The 3rd Annual San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival Recap
The 3rd Annual San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival took place the weekend of June 29th through June 30th, 2019, at the Embarcadero Marina Park North. The Festival was produced and presented by Payne Pest Management and Rainbow Promotions and hosted by Eric Darius. This annual event was a delightful mixture of diverse musical presentations combined with a variety of delicious cuisine from vendors, plus everyone enjoying the sun, ocean breeze, and the bay.
This year the San Diego Jazz Festival featured the following artists. Performing on Saturday June 29th were Tony Exum Jr., Brain Simpson & Jazmin Ghent, Kirk Whalum & Jonathan Butler, West Coast Jam (Peter White, Richard Elliot, DW3) and Boney James. Performing on Sunday, June 30th were Mariea Antoinette, Monty Seward, Sax to the Max (Michael Lington, Paul Taylor, Vincent Ingala), Norman Brown, and the grand finale was done by the host of the weekend, Eric Darius.
Tony Exum, Jr. and David P. Stevens kicked off the 3rd Annual Smooth Jazz Festival on Saturday, June 29th, 2019, and the park was jam-packed with smooth jazz fans, preparing to enjoy a day filled with superb music. Tony Exum, Jr. was decked out in a light pink shirt, wearing a white Panama hat. Exum commanded the audience from the first note as he entered the stage. Keyboardist Monty Seward backed up the band and provided a tight arena, where Tony could blow his horn with ease. Guitarist David P. Stevens joined them on stage as he filled the atmosphere with his slick guitar playing. The musicians rocked the house, giving a dynamic performance.
Next up were Veteran keyboardist Brian Simpson and sax player Jazmin Ghent. This duo produced a high-powered set. Each took turns playing his/her own original music. Simpson also brought out the keytar, adding funk to the music. The two artists had been performing together for over a year, so and they were right at home accenting each other.
The West Coast Jam (Richard Elliot on sax, Peter White on guitar, and DW3 on vocals) brought home the funk, the jazz, and playful antics. They skillfully choreographed a show of nonstop, soaring music that showcased their individual talents, as well as the scrumptious mix of their artistic styles. Richard Elliot showcased those captivating chops of his on both sax and the ewi. Peter White, a virtuoso on the guitar, also added humor by personifying his James Bond character, wearing sunglasses, shaking his hips then jumping high into the air. DW3’s dreamy and soulful singing captured the romance of the afternoon. What a brilliant show! The audience had no choice but to dance and groove to the hip tunes.
Rounding out the “all-star” lineup for Saturday’s San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival were the veteran musicians guitarist Jonathan Butler and sax player Kirk Whalum. These two friends have played together for many years and equally complemented one another’s playing with both precision and respect. And individually, Butler and Whalum gave spectacular performances that personified their virtuosity.
The incomparable and transcendent Boney James was the grand finale on Saturday at the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival. He commanded the stage, dancing, blowing his fine licks, and enchanting the crowd as they screamed, “Go Boney, go Boney!” Boney James brought out DW3 to spice up the set with their soulful vocals—an exceptional way to end the first day of the 3rd Annual San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival.
Harpist Mariea Antoinette kicked off Sunday, June 30th, for the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival. Accompanying her was a full stage, consisting of an orchestra that included strings, a choir, horns, and a rhythm section. The inspirational music was heard throughout the venue as Antionette impressed with her harp playing. The compositions were a mixture of jazz, soul, and new age stylings. This was an eye-opening experience for those who’ve never seen the range of a harp—it works so well in so many varying styles besides classical music.
Vocalist/keyboardist Monty Seward featured special guests Wayne Linsey on keys and Tony Exum on sax. Looking dashing in an all white suit and hip shades, Monty immediately drew in the audience by encouraging everyone to clap their hands and sing along with him. Furthering the intimate interaction, he jumped down from the stage onto the large speakers and continued singing and dancing. The crowd loved it. As quickly as he had jumped down, the athletic entertainer catapulted back up to the stage, never missing a beat. Seward gave an energetic performance, bringing home his soulful/romantic vocals – he even serenaded his beautiful wife Angela Payne Seward.
Sax to the Max was made up of sax players Michael Lington, Paul Taylor, Vincent Ingala; guitarist Jay Gore, bass player Darryl Williams, and keyboardist Hans Zermuhlen. A synergy of musical energy flowed from each sax player, while the dynamic trio played together then switched off into individual solos. It was an exciting set, consisting of improvised music and R&B standards that got the crowd dancing. The group invited some of the female VIPs to join them on stage, and in no time the stage was filled with happy, dancing ladies, rocking the afternoon away.
Norman Brown’s band included his two talented daughters vocalist Rochella Brown and vocalist/keyboardist LaNika Fayah Tapii. The veteran and diverse guitarist scatted in unison with his guitar, shredding, and jazzing things up a bit up on guitar. He schmoozed with the audience as he told stories about his career. Brown even brought a little bit of holiday spirit early by talking about his upcoming Christmas Show at Yoshi’s in Oakland.
What better way to end the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival than with the super charged and talented Eric Darius. From the first note to the last, Eric Darius commanded with his potent music, a combination of hip hop, funk, and jazzy riffs.
The act was spiced up even more with spirited dancers and the scintillating vocals of Rebecca Jade. Darius performed songs from his newest project Break-in’ Thru and Dare 2 Dream. The SagiDarius Music Man locked down the end of a beautiful weekend of fabulous music!
Enjoy more highlights of The 3rd Annual San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival!
