Summertime is here officially, and with it comes all of the summer trimmings: swimming pools, Frisbee golf, barbecues and an overabundance of spare time for most students.
For students looking to fill those extra hours with some food, fun and extraordinary music, Norman's annual Jazz in June festival at Brookhaven Village and Andrews Park June 26-28 provides a break from the norm.
Jazz in June has been a community tradition in Norman for 20 years, and for the 20th anniversary show, the Jazz in June promoters have brought back the best and most memorable performers from previous years. With the exception of headliner Ellis Marsalis, every act in this year's Jazz in June has performed for Norman audiences at a previous Jazz in June.
Debra Krittenbrink, marketing consultant for Jazz in June, said this year's Jazz in June should be a real crowd pleaser.
"The big deal about the 20th is it's the best of the best, so all the performers are previous performers who are crowd favorites," Krittenbrink said. "That's why this is going to be such a killer year, because they're back because people like them so much."
Ken Bernier, president of Jazz in June, Inc., said although they have brought back the best of the best for the 20th anniversary festival, including several national and international acts, there will still be lots of local and regional talent involved in the show.
"What we've always tried to do is have room on our performance agenda for local and regional groups, as well as people at the national level," Bernier said.
Because of a generous grant from the city of Norman, Bernier said Jazz in June was able to go after a big name, and they came up with Ellis Marsalis, patriarch of a jazz dynasty.
Ellis Marsalis and sons Wynton, Delfeayo, Branford and Jason are some of the most recognized names in Jazz. Ellis Marsalis will play with his famed Ellis Marsalis Quintet on Saturday night at Andrews Park.
"Ellis is a whole different level than we've had previously," Krittenbrink said. "The city of Norman gave us funding to hire someone of that magnitude, and it kind of raises the bar on the whole Jazz in June."
Marsalis isn't the only big name taking the stage at this summer's Jazz in June festival. Internationally acclaimed classical and jazz guitarist Freddie Bryant is returning for his second performance after a three-year hiatus from Jazz in June.
Bryant, who played Jazz in June in 1999, had only good things to say about the festival.
"The fact that it's outside and pretty laid back is a great thing," Bryant said. "People are really receptive because it only happens once a year, whereas in clubs, they can decide to go to a club anytime. So it's a more festive thing. It's got a more festive vibe to it."
Bryant said the crowd at Jazz in June is one thing that makes it a favorable venue for performers.
"From a musician's point of view, you want the sound to be good, you want to be treated well by the organizers and have a nice response from the crowd, so that all happens with Jazz in June."
Bryant's current work incorporates a 12-string guitar into his performance, promising the crowd a different kind of music than they may be used to hearing.
"The sounds I get out of it are pretty different," Bryant said. "That's particularly this project. But I still play straight-ahead jazz. The difference is less obvious, but I hope my personality comes through and that's what makes me different."
Freddie Bryant and the Kaleidoscope Trio take the stage Friday night at Brookhaven Village.
The Norman North High School Jazz Choir, under the leadership of director Tony Gonzalez, has been a local tradition at Jazz in June since 1998. Gonzalez has been bringing choirs to Jazz in June since 1988. Like Bryant, Gonzalez enjoys the audiences at the festival.
"It's wonderful for the community of Norman, and it's wonderful if you're a jazz aficionado," Gonzalez said. "The crowds are large and they are appreciative. There's a great reciprocity between performers and the crowd."
Jazz in June isn't all about watching performers, however. The three-day jazz festival will wrap up on Saturday night with a jam session held at the Holiday Inn starting at 11 p.m. The session, led by the Eric Leonard Band, is open to anyone, and usually the performers from Saturday night will drop in and lend their talents to the session.
"Anybody who wants to play is entitled to come in and play," Bernier said. "We try to work everybody in. It may be local musicians, or it may be musicians that are coming out to just hear the concert."
Also, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. performers will be holding free clinics at Norman North High School in which they will talk about and demonstrate their various instruments and talents. Bernier said the clinics are open to anyone, but it is primarily high school and college-age people that attend.
Reservations are appreciated, but not required.
Jazz in June has been a community staple in Norman since 1984, and the 2003 festival is set to top the previous 19 performances.
"To me it's going to build on past successes," Krittenbrink said. "You know that if a lot of your performers are crowd favorites that this show is going to be really, really good. And now that we've brought Ellis in, there's an expectation that the public is going to expect us to keep bringing in better and better acts, and that's our goal."
Sam Magid, mathematics sophomore, is a Norman native and has been to Jazz in June in the past.
"The atmosphere is definitely really cool, just because it's not something that happens in Norman real often," Magid said. "There's a real nice sort of night-life atmosphere going on. Lots of people of all ages come out."
The atmosphere at Jazz in June is something that both performers and audience members alike seem to appreciate.
Krittenbrink enjoys the show at Andrews Park because of the outdoor atmosphere.
"The park is a different feel," Krittenbrink said. "It's just more casual than being at a shopping center, and so that's its own kind of fun to me. It lends a lot to it, especially if it is a pretty night."
Freddie Bryant also enjoys the outdoor feel of the festival.
"You have to deal with nature, heat and sunlight and the sunset, but I really like the heat, and I like playing at that time of day when the sun is going down," Bryant said.
Perhaps what makes Jazz in June such a phenomenal event is the mix of community charm with national acts.
"It's a grassroots thing," Krittenbrink said. "It takes over 150 volunteers basically to get this done, so there's a lot of community involvement, and that's what makes it fun. It's free, it's laid back and it's terrific, incredible music."
Whether for the music, the atmosphere or the home town ambiance, this year's Jazz in June gives Norman residents a reason to come out and celebrate 20 years of community and music in Norman.
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