Telluride Jazz Festival 2012

" By combining the finest of nature and art The Telluride Jazz Festival ranks among the world’s most memorable music festivals. Since 1977, Telluride’s majestic perch high in the spectacular San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado has been the site of an annual cultural event produced by the Telluride Society for Jazz. The intimate format, the superb music and the opportunity for invigorating alpine recreation along with free wine and spirit tastings all come together to create a truly unique weekend experience.

With performances on outdoor stages during the day and historic theater and club shows at night, the Telluride Jazz Festival celebrates jazz roots in Latin, African, blues and mainstream traditions. Internationally acclaimed artists will join with new and emerging talents for an amazing experience.  The festival takes place from August 3-5, 2012 in the beautiful Town Park and throughout town of Telluride.

Friday features the kind of jazz that you can dance to. 2012’s biggest names in the jazz crossover genre Soulive, Marco Benevento Trio, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Crescent Super Band and the 2012 Band Contest Winner will get the crowd moving well into the night. As the sun sets, attendees will enjoy a complimentary Craft Distillery Spirit tasting with Whiskey, Rum and Vodka crafted by distilleries in Colorado and beyond.

Saturday’s lineup includes two musicians who have earned hundreds of accolades and awards in becoming the best in the world on their respective instruments, Victor Wooten (Bass) and Roy Hargrove (Trumpet). The lineup boasts a stellar supporting group of bands including “the world’s finest vocalist” Roberta Gambarini, Latin band extraordinaire Nosotros and the 18^th installment of the Telluride Student All-star Jazz Ensemble – a unique collaboration the most talented teen musicians in the country.

Hargrove will serve as this year’s Guest of Honor, an accolade bestowed on one of the greatest names in jazz every year since 1998. Legendary musicians such as James Moody, John Scofield and Stanley Turrentine have held this distinctive honor. Hargrove is Telluride Jazz Festival’s youngest guest of honor (42 years old) and the first trumpet player.

The annual wine tasting in Town Park will also be held on Saturday afternoon. The event is complimentary to all 3-day and Saturday pass holders and features a two-hour tasting with over 20 varietals, artisan cheeses and a souvenir wine tasting glass.

Sunday August 5 is New Orleans Day. The festivities will include a full day of world-class music, a parade and many other festivities steeped in New Orleans tradition. The day’s activities will combine to create a once in a lifetime opportunity in which the spirit of Faubourg Tremé is captured in the San Juan Mountains.

The lineup for Telluride's New Orleans Tribute showcases some of the city's best musicians including The Funky METERS, Jon Cleary’s Philthy Phew, The Soul Rebels and Astral Project. Inside Town Park, attendees will delight in the tastes of classic New Orleans style food and drink such as Po'boys, Gumbo, Mint Juleps and Hurricanes.

Sunday’s festivities won't be confined to Town Park or paid attendees. At noon, Telluride’s own historic district might feel a little like the French Quarter as a Mardi Gras style parade complete with a brass band, second line and floats makes its way down Main Street. Another special event is a free screening of the 2008 documentary Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans at the Wilkinson Public Library.

The Telluride Jazz Festival looks forward to celebrating the heritage and beauty of one great southern city amidst the mountains, rivers and waterfalls of the authentically western Telluride, Colorado."