JAZZ FEST WEST 2008

The Jazz Fest West, formerly the Old Pasadena Jazz Fest, was hosted by Omega Events, and held this past weekend July 19-20, 2008. If you're familiar with the Old Pasadena Jazz Fest, last year it was moved to Bonelli Park in San Dimas right next to Raging Waters. I didn't attend last year but I did this year and Wow! Judging by the turn-out I can see why they moved it. I'm sure it outgrew the small park in Pasadena.

The section of Bonelli Park where it was held was huge and there were people everywhere and still it wasn't even one tenth of Bonelli Park. From this area you couldn't even see the massive lake which is sectioned off into three sections - beach, boating and fishing.

I didn't attend both days and decided to go at the last minute. I even missed the first few performances but there were plenty the rest of the day to happily entertain me and a large number of vendors for shopping and to supply anyone with hats, umbrellas, concert t-shirts and plenty to eat and drink.



The performers this year included:

The Sax Pack Gail Johnson Patti Austin Fourplay Lao Tizer Band w/Chieli Minucci & Karen Briggs Norman Brown with Chante Moore Paul Taylor & Alex Bugnon Pete Escovedo Orchestra w/Sheila E

Marcus Johnson Brian Simpson, Jonathan Butler, George Duke Lima Wayman Tisdale The O'Jays

I had the extreme pleasure of watching and listening to Fourplay.



I had to post the picture below so you could see what I had to work with camera wise. The "priority" section was gated off so there was only so close I could get. This was taken from where I was sitting on the cement edge of the play area in the park. The yellow high-lighted square in the picture is the stage. Believe it or not, the picture above was taken with my zoom through the poles of the tent in the picture.





Next I thoroughly enjoyed getting front row seat at the Garden stage to listen to and watch the Lao Tizer Band and Chieli Minuccia and Karen Briggs:





Then it was back to the main stage for Norman Brown's Summer storm featuring Paul Taylor, Chante Moore and Alex Bugnon.





If you didn't get there this year, you missed out. But there is always next year and rumor has it Maze just might be there. If you go next year I'd highly recommend parking at Fairplex and taking the shuttle that made trips every 15 minutes throughout the day. It was practically car to entrance delivery whereas priority parking in the park still had you walking a ways to get into the fest.