East and West, City-Staged Smooth Jazz Festivals ENJOY SPECTACULAR SUCCESS

Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival and Gardena Jazz Festival

By Marcia Luttrell

mooth jazz festivals have remained a vibrant, inclusive community of unity that brings joy to many, even after terrestrial radio stations abandoned the format in the 2010s. And government officials on opposite coasts have taken notice.

The Gardena Jazz Festival, presented by the City of Gardena in California, and the Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, started out as local community events but have evolved into travel destinations on the summer festival circuit. Today, they tally annual attendances of more than 7,000 and 3,000, respectively, of both residents and visitors nationwide. Each presents a mix of top-tier headliners while also showcasing up-and-coming talent, but they couldn’t be more different or alike.

Boney James is slated to headline the Gardena Jazz Festival on Aug. 27, at Rowley Park in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena this year. In Harrisburg, Marcus Anderson (Sept. 9) and Vincent Ingala (Sept. 10) are marquee performers at the two-day Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival at Fort Hunter Park.

In the ’90s, California state Sen. Steven Bradford and his childhood friend, the late Roderick Jones, pondered the possibility of staging a signature event in Gardena.

“We met in elementary school and were friends for over 40 years at the time of his passing,” Bradford recalled.

“I got elected to Gardena City Council in 1997. The city was on the brink of bankruptcy, and we were cutting programs, not adding. He and I grew up dabbling in the music industry as promoters. He was the catalyst of pushing me to go forward in establishing the first Gardena Jazz Festival in 2003. It was about uplifting the community and bringing folks together at a time when we were in a bad economic situation.”

In the early days of the festival, admission was free, and Bradford invited notable musicians he knew from the area to entertain.

Brian O’Neal and The BusBoys, bassist Cornelius “Corney” Mims and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., who attended elementary and high school in Gardena (and who is also a member of the group Jazz Funk Soul with Jeff Lorber and Everette Harp), were among the first performers.

On the other side of the country, the Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival was launched in 2006 with the goal to support the local community while attracting tourism to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s state capital.

“We wanted to offer something for everyone with large-scale event programming,” said Michelle McKeown, program manager for the Dauphin County Parks and Recreation Department.

“In the past few years, parks have been trying to be a culturally diverse, safe place for all different races and creeds.”

Each festival locale offers unique attributes.

Gardena’s Rowley Park was dedicated in honor of city administrator Paul A. Rowley in 1962, and its 17 acres circle a giant magnolia tree.

The quintessential California setting offers a little something for everyone—skate park, baseball diamonds, basketball and tennis courts, children’s play areas and a carpet of green lawn framed by Chinese elms and eucalyptus trees.

Pennsylvania’s Fort Hunter Park, on the other hand, pays tribute to America’s history. Named after the French and Indian War stronghold that once occupied the site, the verdant, tree-studded landscape is situated along the Susquehanna River, the longest watershed on the East Coast.

“Then, we paused and thought, ‘What attracts everybody?’” he said. “All around the world, people have an appreciation for smooth jazz, whether it’s Asia, Europe or here in the United States. The format is soothing, and it appeals to a broader audience.”

Artists such as Dave Koz, Lorber, Stanley Clarke, Keiko Matsui and Hiroshima have graced the stage in Gardena.

“We do it collaboratively with a committee,” Bradford explained.

“Rule No. 1 is we have to bring in artists we can afford, and, luckily, a lot of them have worked with us and adjusted their prices. Some don’t, but many have.”

The Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival lineup is decided by a group that includes McKeown, Parks and Recreation Director Anthea Stebbins and former Parks and Recreation Program Director Larry Moore, who now serves as a consultant. Moore travels to see smooth jazz artists worldwide and makes recommendations.

“Smooth jazz is universal,” McKeown said.

“It’s easy to listen to. It’s relaxing at times. It’s exciting at times. The smooth jazz community is also incredible because they travel all over the country to see their favorite artists.”