Decades of Jazz
Patrice Rushen and Lao Tizer Band headline San Antonio's premier jazz fest
The next Jazz’SAlive Music Festival is coming up on September 27 and 28.
In San Antonio, jazz isn't relegated to moody bars and concert halls. The San Antonio Parks Foundation is returning with its free 41st Annual Jazz’SAlive Music Festival on September 27 and 28, and a new announcement brings headliners Patrice Rushen and The Lao Tizer Band into focus.
Patrice Rushen is a four-time Grammy award nominee, best known for the 80s song "Forget Me Nots," which made the rounds again in the past few years on social media thanks to Yung Gravy and a user appreciation for the funky bass groove and claps. The jazz pianist and producer is comfortable in the pop world, serving as musical director for major award shows, as well as the academic world at Boston's Berklee College of Music and USC's Thornton School of Music.
The Lao Tizer Band is a large group of highly accomplished musicians who have played and collaborated with all-time greats including Chick Corea, Elton John, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Kamasi Washington, and more. They're touring in support of their new, live-recorded video album Amplify. A release promises "a high-energy musical ride through a variety of flavors and styles."
Other featured performers include the big band-styled Dirty River Orchestra, Houston vocalist Kate Kortum, the smooth jazz guitarist-led Dan Ryan Quartet, and more.
The 2023 festival doubled as the grand opening of Civic Park at Hemisfair, which is a result of the first phase of a two-phase project that stretches at least into 2025.
Although the Jazz'SAlive Music Festival is a free event, VIP tickets are available via Eventbrite. They include seats or tables at the main stage. More information about the festival is available at saparks.org.
