The morning air here in Big Bear Lake, 7,000 feet in the Mountains above Southern California. As I departed at 6 a.m. for Starbucks and a copy of the LA Times to read alongside this mountain lake has turned a bit brisk. Southern California here in mid-November is still much warmer than normal. They think it may drop in temperature this weekend and if so, the Snow Blowers at Bear Mountain should be "creating" snow overnights by this weekend. Always odd to see a ski resort with three runs covered in white top to bottom while over the rest of the mountain range, at least till real snow arrives, brown dirt and bare trees. But then no more unusual than plastic surgery on we humans.

There is a location recently discovered, or uncovered, that is being pitched hard to me as location for the return perhaps next Summer of The Big Bear Lake JazzTrax Summer Music Festival. The thoughts are Father's Day Weekend in June. If you are a skier or snowboarder, you fully understand the concept of Ski In, Ski Out. It means staying in a hotel right at the ski resort. So as to simply walk out of the hotel with your skis and jump on the slopes. No vehicle and no messy parking lot or traffic involved. Well this location being discussed is in the Village of Big Bear Lake and the lawn sits right alongside the water of the lake. With four hotels within walking distance. One with rooms facing the Venue. Kindof like Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay in San Diego. Ski In Ski Out for JazzTrax. In fact, a bit like Avalon on Catalina Island where once you step off the boat, you walk to your hotel and you simply walk to the concerts. Only difference here, it's a Mountain Lake in Summertime instead of Ocean. Now wet, still blue, beautiful, and soon to get nice and cold and snowy and Christmassy.What would you think of a floating stage on Big Bear Lake?

But this week I'm in full production on our Thanksgiving Weekend JazzTrax Presentation. The annual Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Radio Special. I'm listening through all the recordings made over the three weekends on Smooth Jazz Island in October in the Avalon Ballroom...looking out to sea. If you were there, Thanksgiving will be fun because you'll be reliving moments you actually experienced. The Radio Special though will include concerts from all three weekends, all 30 Stars of Smooth Jazz. And the three Unplugged Concerts at the Wrigley Ranch on the far side of the Island each Thursday ahead of each JazzTrax Island Weekend. Concerts you experienced - and ones you weren't there for - and for those who weren't able to attend this year, you get to be there too with your holiday weekend ears.

Keep in mind as the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Radio Special approaches, in just two weeks on Thanksgiving Weekend, that on-line, you can listen beginning probably the day before Thanksgiving and listen as many times as you want. And if JazzTrax airs on your local radio station, you can take a Thanksgiving drive when you get sick of the football and visiting family and listen to the Concerts from Catalina as you cruise the streets on Thanksgiving. But also keep in mind that tickets for October 2010's 24th Annual Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival go On Sale the day after Thanksgiving, Friday November 27th. On-Line at JazzTrax.com or by calling 866-TRAX-TIX. Sure it's 11 Months away and we don't begin unveiling next fall's Artist Line-Up till January, but the best seats go first. The best seats are Club Section. First few rows with the performing Smooth Jazz Stars almost in your lap. The best seats always in high demand are also the tables that circle the Ballroom Floor, a bit elevated, sweeping all the way to the historic 1929 bar in the back.The Best Seats include the two-seat 'high toppers' at the french doors that open onto the Verandah, six stories high, from which you can watch the stage, or turn and look out over the Pacific Ocean. The best seats sell first and go on sale Thanksgiving Weekend for October 2010.

 

JazzTrax Guest

Euge Groove to
Debut 'Sunday Morning'

Instead of waiting as expected to 2010 to release his next CD, Euge Groove's new record label, Shanachie, decided to get his new 'Sunday Morning' CD out before Christmas. As Euge joins us in the JazzTrax Studio this weekend for it's debut, he will suddenly decide to tell the inside story as to why his ten new songs have come out so 'gospelly', even though he's always had a Gospel twinge to his sax sound. It will be an amazing story of heading to Europe with Tina Turner on her World Tour (he's been her saxophonist since 2000), and out of the blue getting hit with panic attacks. Something he'd never even heard of before. For the first time he'll describe on JazzTrax how he spent four months of hell in Europe dealing with this. How he'd be fine on stage and how writing his new songs on his computer in hotel rooms across Europe were his only calming times. And of dealing with the difference of European doctors on a condition he could never have imagined after experiencing the best financial year of his life.

Archive Album

Grover Washington Jr.
1980 'Winelight' 

Weekend's Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Radio Special.