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Letter to the editor

Great event can be better

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published October 23, 2007

A capacity crowd of 16,000 gathers at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday at Coachman Park in Clearwater on Sunday, the final day of the event when Natalie Cole was the headliner.
	[Douglas R. Clifford | Times]

Organizers of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday searched this year for a lineup of musicians that would appeal to a broader base of jazz fans and make every night a success. Judging from the crowds that swamped Coachman Park all four nights, they accomplished their goal.

From headliners with star quality such as Natalie Cole, George Benson and Arturo Sandaval, to hip-hop flavored jam band Medeski Martin and Wood, to the U.S. Air Force Academy Band Falconaires and a host of other artists, there was a musical style for everyone who enjoys jazz in its various incarnations. The lineup offered plenty of fodder for good-natured arguments among festivalgoers about whether this or that style "belonged" at the jazz festival.

But it was all in good fun and, unbelievably, still free to the public. And though the weather was too muggy to be October-like, at least attendees did not have to deal with chilly winds or days of rain as they have during some previous Jazz Holidays.

Organizers and the army of volunteers who plan and put on the festival and clean up after it should be reveling in their success this week while they rest their tired feet.

As always, though, the planning for the next Jazz Holiday begins almost immediately. Now that they have hit on the type of lineup that draws in the best crowds, festival organizers may want to concentrate on making the event as pleasurable as possible for those who attend. As the first letter to the editor on this page indicates, this year's Clearwater Jazz Holiday was not a happy experience for everyone.

Though this newspaper did not receive other reports of the kind of loutish behavior reported by the letter writer, the Jazz Holiday has in some ways become a victim of its own success. The laid-back atmosphere of the festival's early years, when families staked out a big spread of grass for expansive picnics with wine and even candelabra, and when the performers on the stage were virtual unknowns to all but the most educated jazz fans, has ended.

Today, huge crowds flock to the park on the waterfront, by the end of each night pushing the 16,000 capacity set by public safety officials and leading some to wonder if the event will outgrow its venue. Try to stake out too big a square of grass and your blanket may get overrun. Arrive late, and you will have to sit in the back of the park, your view of the stage obstructed by people passing back and forth from food tents to their seats.

No more picnics brought from home - you can bring neither food nor drink through the gates. Huge concession tents ring the park, which creates a carnival-like atmosphere and contributes to congestion around the park's fringes, but the business done in those tents helps to keep the Jazz Holiday free. So do alcohol sales, though some object to having to buy their alcohol rather than bring it from home.

As officials plan for next year, they may want to scrutinize even more thoroughly the layout of concession tents to see if there is a way to maximize the use of space in and around the park to free up more room for people to sit and walk, thereby lessening the risk of altercations in the crowd.

Those who attend the concert need to understand that as the day goes on, the park will get more crowded, so they should arrive early for best viewing. And they should keep in mind that the Jazz Holiday is a festival in a park, not a concert in a concert hall, so the environment and the experience cannot be expected to be the same.

Clearwater is fortunate to have an event of such caliber that it draws visitors and artists from all over the country. As the Jazz Holiday grows even more popular, good planning by officials and visitors alike will keep it a positive experience for all.

[Last modified October 23, 2007, 06:36:19]