BY MATT MUNOZ AND CESAREO GARASAFor The Californian

There is a flip side to anyand every event, positiveor negative, according to a

list of personal beliefs left behindby Adele Davis, who for 29 yearswas the behind-the-scenes, clip-board-wielding muscle of theBakersfield Jazz Festival.

Still coming to grips withDavis’ untimely death in March,organizers of this year’s festivalwill be trying to locate that flipside this weekend as theyattempt to imitate her machine-like efficiency: welcoming fans,shepherding musicians, organiz-ing volunteers and everythingelse that is required to put thisjuggernaut together.

“On our festival poster thisyear, it has the line: Dedicated toAdele Davis, our Festival Heart,”said Doug Davis, Adele’s hus-band and founder of the festival.“We all feel her loss. Many call tovolunteer to work who have notheard of her passing. Of course,we both break in half when I givethem the terrible news. She easi-ly gave 300 hours to this festivaleach year.”

But this will be no subduedaffair, said booking agent PaulPerez, and Davis wouldn’t havewanted it to be.

On the main stage Friday —party night — will be the high-energy soul of Big Sam’s FunkyNation, Latin mambo mastersBoogaloo Assassins, and thesmooth jazz of The BraxtonBrothers. Saturday starts with theKern County Honor Jazz Band,followed by Bakersfield’s JaySmith Group, stellar New Yorkguitarist Jonathan Kreisberg andhis quartet, Louis Hayes and theCannonball Adderley LegacyBand, a fireworks display, andthe infectious big band/tradi-tional ska outfit Western Stan-dard Time Ska Orchestra.

Entertainment also will beprovided on a side stage located

next to the food vendors. “The fest was created to pro-

vide scholarships to music stu-dents attending Cal State,” Perezsaid. “That was Adele’s mainconcern and really that’s whatit’s all about.

“Aside from that, I alwayshope our audience discoverssomething new for themselves —whether it be an artist they'dnever heard of or a style ofmusic. Of course I always like tohear that everyone enjoyedthemselves, had a great time andcan't wait for next year!”

Friday The Braxton BrothersFriday, known as the “party

night” of the Bakersfield Jazz Fes-

Jazz with a note of thanks Annual Bakersfieldfestival doubles astribute to key figure

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOUG DAVIS

Western Standard Time ska orchestra will perform on Saturday at the 2015 Bakersfield Jazz Festival.

EEye StrereetTHURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015 | Editor: Jennifer Self • Phone: 395-7434 • Email: jself@bakersfield.com

20AT A GLANCE

Nut Festival back for third year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at Empty Space . . . . . . . . 23Symphony staging season finale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Conductor Kalia gets his opportunity . . . . . . . . . . 24

Art show explores ‘Historical Oildale’ . . . . . . . . . . 25The Lowdown with Cesareo Garasa . . . . . . . . . . . 26Liberty opera stages ‘The Merry Widow’ . . . . . . . 29Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33

When: 7 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday Where: CSUB Amphitheater, 9001 Stock-dale HighwayAdmission: Friday: $36, $26 students;

Saturday: $41, $29 students; two-daycombo: $60, $40 students; free forCSUB students and staff with ID andchildren under 12. vallitix.com or 322-5200.

Bring: A blanket or folding chairs. Coolerscontaining picnic items are allowed, as areumbrellas (but be considerate of otheraudience members). Reserved seatingsnags a six-seat table, which includes

waitress service for wines and specialtybeers; complimentary Dewar's chews.Don't bring: Alcoholic beveragesInformation: Bakersfieldjazz.com

Please see JAZZ / PAGE 30

29TH ANNUAL BAKERSFIELD JAZZ FESTIVAL

Boogaloo Assassins will perform on the opening night of the Bakers-field Jazz Festival.

Louis Hayes will lead the Can-nonball Adderley Legacy Bandon Saturday night.

tival, features a line-up ofthe chilled, the spicy andthe funky, kicking off withthe sounds of smooth jazztwin brother duo The Brax-ton Brothers.

Brothers Wayne Braxton,on saxophone, and NelsonBraxton, on bass, have cre-ated an undeniable blendof grooves ideal for openingthe festival’s main stage.

After mixing it up as jazzand rock sidemen duringthe early part of theircareers, the Braxtons havecarved out their own niche,straddling the jazz and R&Bworlds. Reminiscent of thesmooth jazz radio boom ofthe late ’80s, the Braxtons’sound is contemporary andsoulful, with added beatssure to have listeners mov-ing in their seats. The Brax-ton Brothers’ latest CD,“True Love,” will be avail-able at the festival. Boogaloo Assassins

As purveyors of the Latinboogaloo made popular inthe streets and clubs ofNew York during the ’60s,Los Angeles power ensem-ble Boogaloo Assassins arealways ready for a show-down on the dance floor.

“We have a very broadappeal,” said Charles Far-rar, one-third of the group’sthree-part vocal section.“I've had fans up in their70s as well as muchyounger teenagers. I lovethe people who tell me itreminds them of New Yorkor their youth. I guess we'redoing something right.”

Unfamiliar with whatseparates boogaloo from itsmusical first cousin salsa?Bandleader and pianist BillPurdy offered an explana-tion in rhythmic terms.

“In a few words, theboogaloo songs are just

jams that everyone loves todance and party to. We loveall Afro-Cuban music, butthe combination of Afro-Cuban rhythms with Amer-ican rhythm-and-bluesinfluences is uniquely‘American.’ It has a time-lessness and freshness thatstill works well today.”

A popular draw in theSoCal music scene sincetheir formation eight yearsago, the group is wellversed in boogaloo musichistory. The group has gar-nered props from one ofthe music’s most iconicrecord labels, Fania, which

invited the Assassins toback Latin vocal legend JoeBataan. The label also rere-leased the group’s debut,“Old Love Dies Hard.”

“Both times we have trav-eled to New York we havehad great responses fromthe audiences there.Though the salsa scene isnothing like what it was inits ’70s heyday, New Yorkersare very cool about what weare doing with their classicstyle of music,” Farrar said.

“I've always loved themusic. My family is fromNew York. I was born in theBronx. My mother wasborn in Cuba. My fatherwas a Latin percussionist inthe ’70s, so Latin music,including boogaloo hasalways been a part of ourfamily. I didn't see toomany bands doing booga-loo, so Bill and I decided togo for it. The beat, therhythm, the singing, itsounds absolutely perfect.”

One of the group’s mostinteresting musical experi-ments is a reworking of theDawn Penn reggae classic“You Don’t Love Me (No,No, No)” into a smokingbilingual salsa burner thatkicks off “Old Love DiesHard.” That number is justone of the group’s manylive show sock-it-to-memoments.

“Even if you don't under-stand the language, therhythms will connect withyou on a basic, primal,human level,” Farrar said.

The Boogaloo Assassinswill have copies of their lat-est releases available at thefestival.Big Sam’s Funky Nation

Rounding out Friday’sline-up on a seriouslyfunky tip will be Grammy-nominated New Orleanstrombone sensation Sam-mie “Big Sam” Williamsand Funky Nation.

Williams, a veteran of thefestival circuit, touts a liveshow with a solid reputa-tion for inciting crowdsinto a dancing frenzy withall the “bam” of a spicyserving of gumbo. It’s abadge worn with honor byWilliams, who got his startperforming as a member ofthe legendary Dirty DozenBrass Band at the age of 19before going solo tobecome one of NewOrleans’ most celebratedmusical ambassadors.

“New Orleans music andjazz have always beenimprovisational, startingout with blending and bor-rowing from African andEuropean rhythms andthen incorporatingCaribbean sounds,” saidWilliams on his recipe forkeeping tradition balanced

with the modern age. “Aswe continue to developNew Orleans music, thenew influences are pop,rock and hip-hop that iswhere we are borrowingfrom today but alwayskeeping the roots and ori-gins present.”

Spreading his funky mes-sage to the masses hasnever been difficult forWilliams, who spendsample time on the roadtouring alongside the likesof Elvis Costello and AllenToussaint when he’s not

fronting the Funky Nationand expanding his fan baseglobally. From downbeat tothe last drop of sweat, nonotes are wasted with eachglide of Williams’ slide.

“We have played somany great festivals in theU.S., Canada, Europe andBrazil. It is always greatwhen we get to a new festi-val and turn the audienceon to our sound. We justfinished playing the NewOrleans Jazz & HeritageFestival, which is always

Eye Street30 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 7, 2015

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JAZZCONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 After the sudden death of

his wife, Adele Davis, inMarch, Bakersfield JazzFestival founder DougDavis discovered a credoof sorts among herpapers. He agreed toshare her thoughts withour readers as he gearsup for another jazz festi-val, which his wife helpedhim run for 29 years.

This I BelieveBy Adele DavisThis is a collection ofpersonal thoughts moti-vated by a book called“This I Believe” that I amreading. It prompted meto examine some of mypersonal beliefs and feel-ings about everyday, nor-mal things as well asdeeply personal, some-times spiritual thingsthat I rarely deal with in astraight ahead manner.This is an ongoingprocess.1. I believe that I am enti-tled to my own beliefsystem as are others.2. I believe that everyoneis entitled to the benefitsof a sound basic educa-tion and medical atten-tion.3. I believe that everyonemust be responsible forhis/her actions, andshould know it.4. Everyone should, atsome point in his/her life,do something for some-one else that is totallyunselfish but benefits theother in an unforgettableway.5. There is always a “flipside” to any and everyevent, whether it besomething negative orpositive. When it hap-pens, one cannot usuallysee the flip side. Some-times it takes years toreally realize these out-comes……6. Any and every gooddeed comes back to you“in spades.”

7. I believe that when oneis spoken to, there shouldbe some indicator of hav-ing heard the speaker —even if the one spoken tocannot respond at thatmoment.8. I believe that oneshould be recognized forpositive effort, creativity,and thoughtfulness evenif there is no immediateresult.9. I believe that the giveand take between peo-ple/peoples is what fos-ters understanding andforgiveness.10. I believe that weshould try to aid thosewho need help no matterhow small the effort is tobe of assistance. 11. I believe that everyonein a family should feelthat they are valued andeach should have someindication of the impor-tance of that value often,without falseness or pla-cation.12. I believe that teach-ers, in teaching some-thing to someone, shouldbe sensitive to the stu-dent’s way of learningand not base the stu-dent’s success on speedat which the studentlearns or the specific waythat proves successfulfor the student. We alllearn in our own way.

A CREDO FROM ADELE DAVIS

Please see JAZZ / PAGE 31

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOUG DAVIS

The Jay Smith Group will perform Saturday at the 2015Bakersfield Jazz Festival.

Doug Davis, left, direc-tor of the CSUB JazzProgram and organizerof the Bakersfield JazzFestival, with his wife,Adele.

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Eye StreetThursday, May 7, 2015 The Bakersfield Californian 31

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great because it is a musical reunion ofsorts as all the local bands that are usuallyon the road touring are home and we getto play together again.”

Eager to share his musical heritage withBakersfield, Williams plans to win over thecrowd with funky intensity pulling from hisvast catalog of party hits, including “FunkyDonkey,” “Ain’t Nothing But a Party,” “BigSam’s Blues” and “Coffee Pot.”

“We have been in many cities in Califor-nia but this is the first visit to Bakersfieldfor the Funky Nation. Expect to experiencea party and be prepared to dance. We wantthe audience on their feet.”

Also performing on the festival sidestage between main stage acts on Fridaywill be all-star Bakersfield Steely Dan trib-ute the Blue Deacons.

SaturdayWestern Standard Time Ska Orchestra

The 18-piece Los Angeles ensemblefuses the sound of big-band jazz with thesound of Jamaican ska.

“We definitely straddle both; it’s nottotally either,” trumpeter Eitan Avinerisaid. “What we try to do is keep the musicgrounded and not make it forced; to keepit a seamless combination of the twowhere the groove isn’t lost.”

Formed in 2011, the group will be pro-moting their just-released “Volume 2: A BigBand Tribute to the Skatalites,” which findsthem not just re-creating deep cuts by theiconic ska band but covers by other groupslike The Monarchs’ take on the jazz stan-dard “All of Me” that is almost unrecogniz-able from the traditional versions butundeniably upbeat and danceable.

“From an orchestration standpoint, jazzlisteners will be able to enjoy it and alsoappreciate its authenticity. We wanted itthat even if you took out the horns, it stillsounded like the Skatalites; and the hornshad more of a Count Basie/Duke Ellingtonapproach to the arrangements,” Avinerisaid.

If you close your eyes and listen to West-ern Standard Time, you’ll hear the perco-lating snare-ping sound of Jamaican ska,but when you open them, you’ll see a bigband in all of its matched-blazer-and-box-music-stand glory. Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band

Cannonball Adderley might have beeneclipsed in pop culture by the two giants— Miles Davis and John Coltrane — who

also played on the seminal “Kind of Blue”album, but the impact the alto saxophonisthad on both the instrument and jazzmusic in general is undeniable.

Or as Legacy Band leader and drummerLouis Hayes said, “He influenced with hismind and facilities.”

Hayes should know. He played withAdderley as far back as 1959 (Adderley diedof a cerebral hemorrhage in 1975) and hasbeen leading the Legacy band since 2000.Legacy Band saxophonist Vincent Her-ring’s tone doesn’t just sound like Adder-ley’s; it channels it. The group can turnfrom jubilant to sorrowful in an instantand the performances are as soulful as theman who inspired the band.

Besides his playing with Davis, Adderleywas a bandleader in his own right whose1966 recording of Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy,Mercy, Mercy” became a crossover hit.

“The members of the group love thismusic and art form, “ Hayes said. “Wenever tire of playing Cannon’s classics.”The Jonathan Kreisberg Quartet

New York-based guitarist Jonathan Kreis-berg, 42, has been making quite an impactas a bandleader and guitarist on the EastCoast. His outstanding new album “WaveUpon Wave” is a focused, harmonicallyconfident release.

Drummer Colin Stranahan’s playing isinsanely melodic, rolling and mischievous,or as Kreisberg said via email, “a greatcombination of organic risk-taking andstudied precision.”

From the start-and-stop playful inter-play on the title track, to the airy closer“Peace,” the album simmers at a high heatbut never boils over; a testament to thepower and control of the band. Thealbum’s best track, “Being Human,” man-ages to be menacing and mysterious andsentimental and beautiful, all within thespace of a few measures.

Kreisberg is hot at the moment, on theverge of a career breakthrough. That’s thebest time to watch an artist and his groupperform: right at the culmination of theirprevious work and at the start of a newascent.

As Kreisberg said, it’s “tough to differen-tiate the end of a chapter and the begin-ning of the next when you are a characterin the book!”

“Really looking forward to getting backto Bakersfield,” Kreisberg said. “I remem-ber from my last visit that there are somefolks out there that really like to think forthemselves and check out music that israw and alive. I think that this festival willbe a great opportunity to do just that and Ihope to see them soon.”

JAZZCONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

The Braxton Brothers will play the opening night of the Bakersfield Jazz Festival.

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