Our 43rd Jubilee in Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande offers our most ambitious line-up ever. Over 100 acts in five local venues over four days, Thurs-Sun, October 24-27. This year we are bringing three acts directly from New Orleans. Tuba Skinny, one of the hottest acts going, makes a rare West Coast appearance. They are conservatory-trained Bourbon Street jazz musicians. Shake Em Up Jazz Band wowed the crowd last year. An all-girl act, they are NOLA’s version of Josie & the Pussycats. Larry Scala plays New Orleans jazz guitar in various acts. He makes you feel like you’re in a NOLA jazz nightclub.
We’re also bringing an entire all-star band of expats from Australia: The Australian Jazz Connection will be making their US debut at the Jubilee. They are dedicating a set to Australian tunes played before they had jazz music charts from the USA. Of course, waltzing Matilda will be there as well. Now that should be interesting. Lots of fun.
From New York City we are bringing back Professor Cunningham and his Old School. This award-winning jazz band are currently touring Turkey, Poland, Vietnam, & Germany, then heading back to Greece and France at the end of the year. But in between they made sure to play our little ol’ Jubilee, world famous by now.
In 1976, ex-WWII ace & stride pianist, K. O. Eckland helped found the Basin Street Regulars Jazz Club with Bob Connolly and 38 charter members at Trader Nick’s in Pismo (now Flagship Restaurant). Along the way we have held 11-4pm Jazz Sessions every month, over the last 30 years or so at the Pismo Veteran’s Hall. This totals to over 5000 jazz shows in tiny Pismo Beach. You will hear music at the Vets Hall pretty much every last Sunday of the month.
The first Jubilee By the Sea was held in 1977 and we have had one every year since, due the countless volunteers making it happen. Our Jubilee locations have included The Jetty (who remembers it?), Factory Outlets Mall parking lot, the Cliffs Resort, Spyglass Inn, Marie Calender’s, St. Anthony’s Celebration Site, and countless other Pismo locations (& seemingly forgotten by now, such as The Rose Garden & Waldorf Club). This year’s festival locations: (1) Addie St. Tent; (2) Arroyo Grande Women’s Club; (3) Arroyo Grande Regional Center; (4) Edgewater Hotel; & (5) Pismo Veteran’s Hall.
This year we put together the best traditional jazz acts from around the world. What is traditional jazz? It can mean many styles of jazz, most of it danceable: (1) New Orleans Dixieland; (2) Swing; (3) Zydeco; (4) Blues; (5) Big Band; (6) Jazz Ballads; (7) Jazz Mariachi; and (this year) (8) Australian Jazz. There will be over 1500 people in Pismo & Arroyo Grande on the last weekend in October. Show up if you can! Prices are flexible and affordable, especially if you want to see multiple acts. There are also some chances to catch some free concerts in the area. Tuba Skinny is playing at the SLO Farmers Market on Thursday, October 24th (weather permitting or alternate location). Check it out, you can hear what all the Tuba Skinny hubbub is about.
This year we have chosen to honor all of our nonagenarians as the “Greatest Generation.” If you know someone who needs to be honored, please let us know and we will try to give them the royal carpet treatment. All Americans agree that this era of people helped build America and sacrificed much for future generations. Check out pismojazz.com for more information, including the festival lineup, special set descriptions, and even a page of Jubilee word games. We are the best kept secret on the Central Coast. Who would have thought the best traditional jazz festival in the world would be on the Central Coast? As we like to say, “Pismo Beach: More jazz per capita, this side of the Mississippi.”
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