17th Gainesville Jazz Festival

Gainesville Friends of Jazz, along with Presenting Sponsor Tioga Town Center, Main Stage Sponsor Affordable Dentures and Jazz Sponsor Lowry Financial Advisors, proudly presents the 17th Annual Gainesville Jazz Festival. The festival this year is a one-day, free admission event being held on May 4, 2019. Marty Liquori, Vice-President of Gainesville Friends of Jazz, is the Executive Director for the festival.

The festival begins on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.at The Square at Tioga Town Center located at 13100 West Newberry Road in Gainesville featuring a big band extravaganza. Performing at the festival will be SILVERband at 7:00 p.m., Gateway City Big Band at 8:30 p.m. and Gary Langford and the EOS Big Band at 10:00 p.m. Also, performing between big band sets will be gypsy jazz ensemble Hot Club de Ville.

SILVERband, started in 2017, by upright bassist Gary Christensen, the Ocala-based big band has performed exciting arrangements from the great jazz big bands, including Count Basie, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton and Buddy Rich.

Featuring jazz improvisation, band members include on saxophone Mike Holt, Tyler Kozsey and Greg Snider, on trombone Fabian Gomez, on trumpet Sean Etheridgeand Randy Hickman, on bass Gary Christensen and on drums Jonathon Hurst.

The Gateway City Big Band has been bringing the smooth and swinging sounds of the Big Band Era to North Florida since 1993. Started by the former conductor of Walt Disney’s Top of the World Orchestra, Harry Wuest, the Band continues to echo the sounds of the great big bands of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as include more modern selections and contemporary arrangements. Under the current direction of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Matt Johns, this group of exceptional musicians will be sure to delight any audience. The Band’s extensive library contains selections from Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and many, many more!

The Band features on saxophone Ben Champion, Ben Grier, David Harris, Matt Johns, Andrew Little and Jacob Price, on trombone Ed Amaya, Mark Branham,Tommy Combass and Ed Henderson, on trumpet

Ron Baker, Warren Johnson, Ken Michal and Ron Smith, on piano Jennifer Bennefield, on bass David Ottenberg, on guitar Colton Stone, on drums James Deluca, and on vocals Matt Johns and Tammy Michal.

Gary Langford and the EOS Big Band features on saxophone Jimmy Anuszewski, Vadim Arsky, Ben Grier, Ajax McDonnell and Greg Snider, on trombone Kevin Dionne, Steve Kushmaul, David Smith, Geoff Spiegel and Brian Stevens, on trumpet Tiffany Elkins, Gary Langford, Doug Meyers, Dan Neal and Brendan Sweeney, on guitar Anthony Clark, on piano Ed Legare, on bass Jacob King, and on drums Rob Pelick.

Hot Club de Ville, a gypsy jazz ensemble, plays in the style of Django Reinhardt and the Quintet du Hot Club de France. Quintette du Hot Club de France was a jazz group founded in France in 1934 by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli.

Hot Club de Ville features Marty Liquori, and Larry Newcomb on guitar, Geoff Perry, on violin, and Gary Christensen, on upright bass.

Funding provided in part by the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs.