Davis, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/27/2007 -- The First Annual Davis Jazz Artists’ Festival will offer a wealth of sparkling musical gems and a selection of exciting performance painters for families and fans of all ages. Whether you’re looking for the haunting tones of a jazz chanteuse, the sounds of cutting edge, or hard-driving big bands, or classical jazz combos—or just a great cultural experience, surrounded by music and art—the Davis Jazz Artists’ Festival will deliver it all. Mounted as an event to provide a collaboration between music and the visual arts, the festival will serve as an educational event for younger artists and musicians and will benefit the Davis High School Bands Program.

This is the most unique jazz festival in the country, representing the first festival featuring jazz musicians in collaboration with performance painters. Painting to jazz has a history beginning, at least, in the early part of the twentieth century with Henri Matisse, the French Fauve painter. In the ‘30s. ‘40s, and ‘50s many contemporary painters, including Jackson Pollock, followed Matisse’s example, finding inspiration and fresh rhythms from working to improvisations of jazz.

All three venues at this year’s Davis Jazz Artists’ Festival will feature artists painting to the music of jazz bands. Much like the earlier jazz painters, these young artists express themselves at a rapid pace in a public venue—something not seen anywhere else in the country. This ground-breaking event will include 150 jazz musicians, 20 visual artists and one well-known jazz poet.

The Capital Jazz Project, the number one jazz group in the Sacramento Valley region will play on the main stage. Special guest, world-class jazz painter, Nancy E. Ostrovsky, will perform in the gallery Saturday evening to a live jazz combo.

The evening opening will also celebrate the performance painters and their paintings of the day, which will be on exhibition. The winner will be announced and awards given out. Also the evening reception will celebrate the work of African American artist and civil rights activist Larry Clark, whose paintings of jazz musicians will be on view in the main gallery.

Performers
World-class jazz painter Nancy E. Ostrovsky from Boston, Massachusetts, the premier jazz painter in the country; UC Davis Jazz Combo, Davis High School Jazz Band and Combo, Adam Jenkins and The Ganbare Spirits Ensemble, Race!!!, Capital Jazz Project, Latin Jazz Ensemble CSUS, Gerry Pineda Trio, featuring Rob Lautz on vibes, Steve Roach, on trumpet and Gerry Pineda on bass, Lambazz, and a reunion performance by Free Association.

Three Venues: Davis Commons, John Natsoulas Gallery, Boy Scout Cabin
521 First St., Davis, CA
530.756.3938
Contact: Nancy Resler
October 6, 2007, 12:00 noon to 6:00 PM
Reception, 7:00 to 10:00 PM
All events are free
jazz@natsoulas.com, http://www.natsoulas.com