Telluride Jazz: Line-up for #38

16 Mar Telluride Jazz: Line-up for #38

Dragon Smoke (Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville, Rob Mercurio & Eric Lindell), Claudia Villela, and Young Razzcals Jazz Project set to perform 

The 38th Telluride Jazz Festival, set to take place Friday, August 1 – Sunday, August 3, 2014 in Telluride Town Park, welcomes additional artists Dragon Smoke, Claudia Villela, and Young Razzcals Jazz Project to its lineup. The annual event located in the aesthetically charged San Juan Mountains of Western Colorado makes these additions on top of recently announced Grammy Award winners Snarky Puppy, and the initial lineup  that includes Lettuce, Grupo Fantasma, Monty Alexander & Harlem­-Kingston Express, Jon Cleary, The Nigel Hall Band, DVS (Dillon, Vidacovich & Singleton) with Carly Meyers, Red Baraat, Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band, Telluride All­-Stars 20th Reunion Group, and Telluride Student All­-Stars Jazz Ensemble. Poncho Sanchez (and His Latin Jazz Band) is Guest of Honor.

Poncho Sanchez

Formulating their name during a Superjam session at The Dragon Den in New Orleans, Dragon Smoke is a first class supergroup formed by drummer Stanton Moore and bassist Rob Mercurio of Galactic, keyboardist Ivan Neville of Dumpstaphunk and The Neville Brothers, and famed guitarist Eric Lindell.

With a dual vocal approach coming from standout singer/songwriters Neville and Lindell, and the notorious Galactic rhythm section all­-stars Moore and Mercurio bringing non­stop pocket grooves, the band quickly realized, “We are on to something” during their first performance. As the band played more shows and evolved, the music itself became centered around Lindell’s signature blue-­eyed soul, Neville’s classic funk and R&B, and the Moore/Mercurio progressive groove connection. Except for a handful of trips to the West Coast, the band has strictly played in New Orleans, and have performed at every New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival since its inception in 2003.

Dragon Smoke

Given all of its members are bandleaders in their own right, it is rare that this group of Big Easy icons is able to get together outside their hometown. Their unprecedented appearance at the The 38th Telluride Jazz Festival as headliners for the annual New Orleans Day celebration (Sunday, August 3) is a sure frontrunner for weekend highlights. As the band says, “If you see smoke, you know you will see fire!”

Claudia Villela is a singer and composer from Rio de Janeiro with a surprising five­-octave range that she uses to execute haunting improvisations and vocal deliveries over rich Brazilian beats. She will be performing as a trio with Ricardo Peixoto on guitar and an additional pandeiro player. Her compelling performances have earned her a consistent following at events and venues such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Jazz at Filoli, Yoshi’s Nitespot, and Kimball’s. Audiences are drawn to the dimensions and playfulness of her jazz singing, which has its own memorable character.

Claudia Villela

The Young Razzcals Jazz Project has been a performance unit since 1995 with the intention of mentoring over 125 young musicians from diverse backgrounds. Under the directorship of devoted music educator and jazz performer Dave Adams, along with the help of numerous volunteers, these gifted youth have been inspired, taught, and challenged to reach their higher musical potential. The Young Razzcals Jazz Project last performed at the Telluride Jazz Festival in 2008, and over the years, at least 12 Young Razzcals participants have been accepted into the Telluride Student All­-Stars Jazz Ensemble.

Venue Info: Primarily taking place in the 36 acre venue outfitted for choice live music experiences, the legendary Telluride Town Park concert space sits adjacent to downtown Telluride at the end of an incredibly scenic box canyon bordered by high elevation peaks. The festival’s Jazz After Dark late night concert series puts artists from the Main Stage into historic venues for an intimate live music experience. Special sit-­ins, artist collaborations, and incredible improvisation are commonplace during these exclusive performances.

Ticket Info: Buy now here.