Today’s scheduled performers on the Montgomery Theater stage: Benny Green, David Benoit Quartet.
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, formerly known as the San Jose Jazz Festival, is emblematic of the Silicon Valley start-up spirit. The first San Jose Jazz Festival took place in 1990 over two days in August at the Plaza de César Chavez. Its first day focused on fusion and its second day was dedicated to straight-ahead jazz, attracting about 10,000 attendees. This was a true grassroots effort, with the main festival organizers cleaning up festival grounds well after the last notes had been played in the park.
Festival Director Bruce Labadie funded the first two festivals out-of-pocket, and luckily the gamble paid off. Ever since, the plaza has remained the festival’s epicenter and is now the Main Stage centerpiece. Through the ’90s, the festival’s expansion made it the largest free jazz festival in the United States, and the new millennium has seen the event grow to include nearly 1,000 musicians on 12 stages.
Today’s Scheduled Performers:
- 7pm: Benny Green – Solo Piano
- 9pm: David Benoit Quartet (pictured)
Information about Montgomery Theater stage performers can be found here. For details on the complete festival, you can click here.