Northpinellas: Jazz Holiday makes changes

CLEARWATER -- Ask Clearwater Jazz Holiday executive director Karen Vann about changes to this year's music festival, and the talk quickly turns to toilet paper.

A 40-foot Cottonelle trailer will roll into Coachman Park during the festival, she says, offering a comprehensive exhibit of the history of the bathroom.

True, that's new, as are the additions of some music attractions and other improvements to the festival, which runs from Thursday night through Sunday at Coachman Park.

But jazz lovers might want to know more about changes involving where they can sit for a good vantage point of the performers.

For the first time, the best spots will no longer be free. A paid-seating section has been added behind the VIP section that will push festivalgoers who don't pay away from the stage.

Festival chairman Wayne Garcia said he isn't sure how much space the reserved section will take up. He will know for sure Wednesday when the chairs are set up.

But he does have an inkling of how many people will be sitting in them. The festival is putting 500 seats up for sale per day. Garcia placed a call to TicketMaster last week to find out how sales were going and discovered they were sluggish at best.

"They haven't been flying out the door," he said. "One hundred tickets have been sold for Saturday, less than that for the other days."

All told, only 60 tickets have been sold for the Thursday, Friday and Sunday shows -- total.

Seats that are not sold will be removed before the performances, and the space will be made available to the nonpaying public.

Garcia said he "didn't know what to expect" when the Jazz Festival Foundation decided to cordon off an area behind the VIP section nearest the stage and put seats up for sale, but he said he doesn't see slow sales as an indication that people are balking at paying money for the privilege of sitting there.

Tickets cost $15 for the Thursday and Friday shows, and $25 for the Saturday and Sunday shows.

"Eighty percent of our sales will be in the last two days (before the festival)," Garcia predicted.

He said he expects to sell at least 450 tickets for Saturday's show featuring Boney James as the headliner. But all in all, he said, it "doesn't look like we'll fill up the 500-seat section" on any day of the festival's run.

The music schedule looks like this: from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, it's Bogus Pomp; from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m., it's Cecil Brooks III and the CB III Band; and from 8:45 to 10 p.m., it's Jane Monheit. From 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, it's Chuck Owen and Jazz Surge; from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m., it's the John Scofield Band; and from 9:15 to 10:30 p.m., it's Nnenna Freelon.

The weekend schedule shapes up like this: from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, it's Suzette Jennings and Moodswingz; from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m., it's Richard Smith; from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m., it's Bellevue Cadillac; from 5 to 6:15 p.m., it's the Russell Malone Quartet; from 6:45 to 8 p.m., it's Irvin Mayfield Quintet; and from 8:45 to 10 p.m., it's Boney James.

From 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday, it's the Michael Ross Quartet; from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m., it's Orquesta Infinidad; from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., it's Los Hombres Calientes featuring Irvin Mayfield and Bill Summers; and from 6:30 to 8 p.m., it's the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band.

Garcia said the configuration for the VIP and preferred seating areas that he and Terry Schmidt, the Clearwater Parks and Recreation Department events producer, discussed is preliminary. Garcia said he won't know until Wednesday what the final plan will be.

They have to survey the park by foot first.

"It's one of the last things we set up," Garcia said.

Jazz Holiday regular Ross Block, program director of jazz radio station WSJT-FM 94.1, said he supports the seating changes.

Block has been attending the event since 1995. He said his station receives an allotment of two to four passes each year in exchange for airing promotional spots for the event. But when he brings his family, he must sit in the grass like everyone else.

He defends the Jazz Holiday Foundation's decision to offer paid seating because his station puts on several jazz shows each year, and he understands the cost of signing top talent is "phenomenal."

"They (organizers) are kicking and screaming to keep it free," he said. "For them to put on a quality event, they have to look for alternate sources of revenue. It's not like anyone is getting rich off this. I hope the public understands."

He said if he "was not in the business," he would have no problem paying to see Jane Monheit and Boney James.

The paid seating section isn't the only change. The festival has made some significant additions, including:

Free jazz performances by as many as 50 school students at Harborview Center across the street from the park. Announcements about the times of the high school students' performances will be made throughout the Jazz Holiday.

A weekend-long art exhibit by students at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

New merchandise, including visors, embroidered sweatshirts and children's T-shirts.

A free performance by the Belleview Cadillacs, a band on the Jazz Holiday lineup, after hours at the Belleview Mido resort hotel. The band will jam from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday with some of the other Jazz Festival players staying at the resort at 25 Belleview Blvd., Clearwater.

Two new vendors: Freschetta Pizza will be selling its pies; and Panera Breads will be selling vegetarian and meat sandwiches, as well as flavored coffees and latte's.

A tent called "the Signing Stage," where willing jazz performers will sign autographs. After their set is finished, performers will sign CDs, napkins, hats -- whatever fans want.

An expanded selection of CDs for sale in the merchandise tent and several product giveaways. Busch Gardens will have its Rhino Rally vehicle parked on the grounds and will give away free tickets to the park. Delta Airlines also will give away free tickets to a jazz city of the winner's choice.

And, of course, there's the rolling toilet paper exhibit.

"A lot of little things make for a great festival," said Vann.

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