JazzFest Melts Sioux Falls

Jul 15, 2011

By Rebecca Johnson

Bonerama, a trombone quartet from New Orleans, performs at JazzFest in 2007. This year's headliners include Indigenous, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience and Little Feat. Photo by Chad Coppess.

Sioux Falls’ weekend of hot weather and hot music is here! JazzFest kicked off last night in Yankton Trails Park with headliners Indigenous and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. The annual event, organized by the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society, started as a backyard party with 250 fans and musicians. The free festival now draws up to 100,000 people from around the region with two stages, a kids’ area and a 5k run/walk. And it’s a “party with a purpose.” Proceeds from beer, pop and water go towards the educational programs put on by SFJB.

If you’re not into jazz there are a lot of other genres performing – even rap. My husband and I plan to check out our favorite folk/pop band, We All Have Hooks for Hands, on Saturday night. Here’s Friday and Saturday’s schedule if you’re going. I’ve tried to classify their sounds, even though it’s getting harder to do these days.

Friday:

Main Stage
6:00 pm – Sharon Little (blues/soul)
8:00 pm – Anders Osborne (blues)
9:30 pm – Little Feat (rock)

Second Stage
6:00 pm – The Union Grove Pickers (folk/bluegrass)
7:30 pm – Wumpus (alternative rock/psychedelic country)
9:00 pm – Pasque (Americana/rock)

Saturday:

Main Stage
12:00 pm – Elisabeth Hunstad (jazz)
1:30 pm – JazzFest Jazz Camp featuring Allen Vizzutti
3:00 pm – Mike Miller Trio (jazz)
4:30 pm – Maraca (jazz fusion)
6:00 pm – Jeff Lorber Fusion (jazz fusion)
8:00 pm – funky METERS (Afro-beat/funk)
10:00 pm – Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience (zydeco/cajun)

Second Stage
1:30 pm – Diischer-Pederson Trio (jazz)
3:00 pm – Kepler’s Theory (fusion pop)
4:30 pm – Charles Sanders Quintet (jazz)
6:00 pm – Chris Champion Group (jazz)
7:30 pm – We all Have Hooks for Hands (folk/pop)
9:00 pm – Soulcrate Music (hip hop/rap)

Children’s Area
1:30 pm – Washington Pavilion’s Science of Sound
2:00 pm – Phil Baker
3:00 pm – Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco with Terrance Simien
4:30 pm – Phil Baker
5:30 pm – The Coopers/Instrument Petting Zoo
6:30 pm – Washington Pavilion’s Science of Sound

Visit the JazzFest website for information.