Event not just about the music
| Tuesday, May 05 2009 03:21 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, May 05 2009 03:21 PM
Discussions about the economy's affects on the arts are becoming almost commonplace, but it's worth stating that assembling the stellar lineup for this year's jazz festival under current circumstances is quite a coup for festival director Doug Davis, who, along with his wife, Adele, has survived growing pains, storms, logistical disasters of various proportions and financial crises over the last two decades.
"Generally, the organization of the festival allows things to move as smooth as possible because of our experience," Davis said. "It's not any less of a task, but you say, 'Hey, I climbed Mount Everest last year, so everybody's ready.'"
Davis said he has lost some sponsors this year, adding that at least some of them have expressed hope to return next year. Davis said the festival costs about $170,000 to produce and he likes to have between 40 percent to 50 percent of the expenses covered by corporate sponsors.
"We haven't increased prices in five or six years," Davis said. "We're hoping it's still a great deal, especially with children 12 or under free."
The jazz festival has never just been about the music. The festival has also provided performance opportunities for student musicians and emerging local performers. The Kern County Honor Jazz Band, Bakersfield Jazz Workshop Orchestra and the CSUB Jazz Singers will all perform on Saturday afternoon, and local groups Foster Campbell and Friends, Ezekiel Victor and Mento Buru will perform on the Golden West Casino Stage in the CSUB amphitheater park during intermissions on both days.
Proceeds from the festival and other fundraising events have supported several endowed scholarships, awarded annually at the festival. The scholarships included the Bill Burton Memorial Scholarship, named after one of the festival's founders and supporters; the Mary Osborne Memorial Scholarship, named for the jazz guitar legend and educator; plus two new scholarships, the Phil Ohe scholarship, named after a student guitarist, and the Adele Davis scholarship, endowed in honor of Davis's wife, who has managed the logistics of the event since its inception.
