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600 volunteers, 300 more to go
It's a good year for Jazz Holiday volunteers. Already hundreds have stepped forward. Still, the festival could use more.
By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published October 12, 2005
CLEARWATER - Despite a last-minute change in the lineup, courtesy of Hurricane Katrina, organizers promise this year's Clearwater Jazz Holiday should be as smooth as a Boney James song.
The admission?
Free, as always.
The weather?
"It looks like it will be golden," said Larry Gerwig, president of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation.
The music?
Hot, he said, especially the much-anticipated Bela Fleck and Irvin Mayfield.
It appears that any problems that have vexed the four-day event in the past seem to be a thing of the past.
Especially when it comes to volunteers.
Last year, organizers were frantically trying to entice volunteers to work the show.
As of Tuesday, two days before the first performance, "we're doing well," said Sherri Callahan, the concert's volunteer coordinator. "We have about 600 (slots filled). We need 900."
Each slot lasts for about three to four hours. Callahan said she still needs people to pour wine, check ID"s and sell drink tickets and merchandise, especially on Thursday and Sunday. They are paid in Haagen Dazs ice cream, free dinners, T-shirts, posters and pins.
Prospective volunteers should check in at the blue and white striped tent behind the Clearwater Main Library.
"We have a lot of return people from last year," Callahan said. "They want to help keep jazz free."
For eight months, organizers have been lining up an impressive list of 43 sponsors.
"These are the most sponsors we've ever had," Gerwig said. "It's become a community event. It's a social thing. Sponsors want to participate."
Many of them are high-end, most notably MarineMax, the title sponsor, and Mercedes-Benz, the presenting sponsor. Sponsors also include the city of Clearwater, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Costco Wholesale, Brown & Brown Insurance, Fifth Third Bank, Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water, Hooters, Shells, Pepsi and the St. Petersburg Times.
Each pays $1,000 or more, or supplies in-kind services to help defray costs.
MarineMax will have several boats on display at the park, including a $1.6-million 62-foot Ferretti yacht, a 50-foot Sea Ray Sundancer and a couple of Boston Whalers.
Toward the back of the park near the pond, a 20- by 20-foot showroom tent will be set up. Roving salespeople will sell Mercedes and boats. On Sunday evening, someone will win the chance to have a year's free use of a 2006 Mercedes Benz M-Class and a Sea Ray 200 Sundeck.
Unlike last year, admission will be free to the children's play area, which is sponsored by Publix.
The Publix Tot Spot will feature bungee jumping, a rock climbing wall, a bounce house, an obstacle course, a slide and arts and crafts.
Also new this year is the Clearwater Jazz Holiday calendar. Selling for $10, "each page is dedicated to a Jazz Holiday poster," said Gerwig.
"I think it's going to really take off," he said, adding that organizers ordered 5,000 of them. "We think you should get your calendar early because they are going to be a hot item."
Last year, during the Neville Brothers set, the venue was filled past capacity for the first time in festival history.
Fans were lined up around Stein Mart.
Gerwig hopes to do it again.
"We're prepared for a crowd," he said. "We want to max the park out."
Eileen Schulte can be reached at 727 445-4153 or schulte@sptimes.com
IF YOU GO
The 26th annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday takes place Thursday-Sunday at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater. Admission is free. Here's the lineup:
THURSDAY: Fred Johnson, 6:30 to 8 p.m. and Brian Culbertson featuring Eric Darius 8:30 to 10 p.m. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: ABCD with Billy Norris, 6 to 7:15 p.m., Nestor Torres, 7:45 to 9 p.m., and Trio! made up of Stanley Clarke, Bela Fleck and Jean-Luc Ponty 9:30 to 11 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m.
SATURDAY: Les Sabler and Citiheat, 1:45 to 3 p.m., Sakesho with Andy Narell 3:30 to 4:45 p.m., Rayford Griffin 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., Koko Taylor 7 to 8:30 p.m., and Boney James 9 to 10:30 p.m. Gates open at 11:45 a.m.
SUNDAY: The Ruth Eckerd Hall/Clearwater Jazz Holiday Jazz Youth Band 1 to 2:15 p.m., Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers 2:45 to 4 p.m., Liquid Soul 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., the Ramsey Lewis Trio 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. and Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz 8:15 to 9:45 p.m. Gates open at noon.
CAN'T BRING LIST
No pets, except registered, Seeing Eye dogs
No grills, hibachis, or open flames of any kind
No glass containers or bottles
No beer balls, six packs or kegs
No tents or pup tents
No overnight camping
No videotaping
No video cameras
No audio recording devices
No inline skating or skateboarding
No unattended infants or small children
No littering
No guns, knives or weapons of any kind
No cell phones or pagers during performances
No backpacks
No coolers
DO BRING
Lawn chairs
Blankets
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Umbrellas
[Last modified October 12, 2005, 12:38:07]
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