The Clearwater Jazz Holiday has confirmed the rumor:
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Branford Marsalis have been signed as two of the headliners for the October festival at Coachman Park.
Saxophonist Marsalis will play Oct. 15; swing band Voodoo Daddy will perform Oct. 17.
Fans of electric bassist Victor Wooten, who played funk jams for for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, will be glad to see him back at the festival, as well.
It was supposed to be a secret. But somehow the lineup thus far ended up on Pollstar.com this week. Jane Olds, the president of Jazz Force, the organization that runs the event, said she will keep the rest of the players at the free event Oct. 14-17 a mystery - for now.
"I'm not going to reveal the rest of the lineup until Aug. 24 to build the anticipation," she said. "But just the fact that Victor Wooten is not a headliner should indicate that we have a really great lineup this year."
The rest of the 11-slot program will be announced at an invitation-only event hosted by Bracci restaurant in Clearwater. WTSP-TV Ch. 10's Reginald Roundtree will emcee the event.
"We want it to be a big blast on the 24th," Olds said. The party is for a group of financial backers of the annual event called the High Note group.
Concerning the headliner, if you're a straight-ahead jazz fan and saying "Voo who?" you're not alone.
Jimmy Lyons, co-host of the Charles Vann Jazz Show on WMNF-FM 88.5 and president of the Tampa Jazz Club, said he does not play their tunes on his show.
"I don't know what they are, but they're not jazz," Lyons said. "It's something that's more of a commercial act."
Voodoo Daddy was formed in 1992 in Los Angeles where band members played the club scene. Wearing pinstripe suits, wide ties and fedoras, the act started breaking out in the mid 1990s, bringing back the days of the 1940s and 50s to a new generation of swing dancers.
Using an upright bass, they shared the swing spotlight with Cherry Poppin' Daddies, the Brian Setzer Orchestra and other revivalist groups.
A song by Voodoo Daddy was featured in the 1996 comedy film Swingers soundtrack. One of their last Tampa Bay area performances was at Ybor City's Masquerade in April.
Overall, Lyons said he gives the lineup so far a C-plus.
"There's no bebop, there's no straight-ahead jazz," he said. "If that's the lineup, they've tilted away from (traditional) jazz."
Bassist Wooten (Live in America), could put on a good show, Lyons said, depending on the material he chooses to play.
"I don't know what he's going to do," Lyons said. "I don't know if it's going to be commercial."
He was initially tempted to give the lineup a D, but the inclusion of former Tonight Show bandleader Marsalis ensured a higher grade.
"Marsalis is very good," he said. "His (new) record Romare Bearden Revealed is very good. If he does something in that vein, it will be a good show."
For information about the Jazz Holiday and High Note group, which offers special privileges including VIP passes, exclusive parking, framed posters and other perks, visit www.clearwaterjazz.com and click on High Note or call 727 461-5200. Memberships range from $100 to $2,500.
