An all-star lineup has been announced for the three-day Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival, which will take place in the city of Palm Springs from the 2-4 September 2016. Directed by jazz superstar Sweet Baby J’ai, who was recently honoured with a Living Jazz Legend Award by the city of Los Angeles, the festival is made up of a number of free and ticketed events, and is set to be a swinging success.
The festival, which has been one of the highlights of the Palm Springs calendar since it was launched in 2013, was founded to promote women in jazz, and has since hosted over 100 of the world’s best female jazz musicians and performers. The diverse lineup has long been one of its finest features, and this year over 30 of today’s jazz greats and rising-stars will perform at a variety of Palm Springs’ venues including the Annenberg Theater, Indian Canyons Golf Resort and Hard Rock Hotel.
Headliners for the event include three time Grammy® Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater and multiplatinum-selling artist Ann Hampton Callaway, as well as artists such as Sweet Baby J’ai, Sabine Pothier and Sherry Luchette to name a few. Many of the all-stars performing at this year’s festival have released albums of their own, as well as collaborating with an impressive list of artists, including global super star John Legend, both live and in the studio.
Since its inception, the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival has brought a global audience of jazz lovers to Palm Springs, helping to position the city, which is also the home of Coachella Music Festival, Stagecoach Country Music Festival, and the one-time Desert Trip Festival, as a go to destination for music lovers from around the world.
The perfect setting to enjoy this fantastic festival, Palm Springs offers year round sunshine and a huge variety of hotels to suit any taste, from large scale venues to more private boutique locations. Those looking to explore in between jazz events have a huge number of options, from exploring the beautiful Mid-Century Modern architecture and celebrity history of the city, to enjoying its exceptional shopping destinations and spas. For anyone looking for a bit of adventure, a horseback trek into the San Jacinto Mountains, drive into the San Andreas Fault or trip on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway provide some ideal opportunities to while away their spare time.
Along with the announcement of the star-studded lineup, the festival organizers have also released the schedule of events as follows:
Friday, September 2, 2016;
Chill Out, noon-3 p.m., Hyatt Palm Springs. Free. Welcome event for festival attendees. Atrium at the Palm Springs Hyatt, 285 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival Opening Night Reception and Jazz Maters Award Presentation, 5-7 p.m. Annenberg Theater, Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive. Award to be presented to Dee Dee Bridgewater and entertainment by Gina Eckstine Trio. Eckstine is the daughter of swing/jazz legend Billy Eckstine.
Ann Hampton Callaway, 8 p.m. Annenberg Theater. Callaway is an award-winning singer/songwriter with roots in jazz, Broadway and pop music.
Saturday, September 3:
Cool Soul Jam with Pamela Williams. Indian Canyons Golf Resort, 1097 Murray Canyon Drive; lunch available (not included), cash bar. Williams is known as “The Saxtress.” Her first album spent nearly five months at the top of the Billboard jazz charts when it was released in 1996.
Dee Dee Bridgewater, 8 p.m. Annenberg Theater. Dee Dee Bridgewater has two Grammys for her jazz vocals and a Tony for her work as Glinda in the original cast of The Wiz on Broadway. She has been a popular jazz performer since she started out in the 1960s. A true jazz legend.
Sunday, June 4:
Divas Tribute Brunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Hard Rock Palm Springs, 150 S Indian Canyon Drive. The brunch honors the divas of jazz and soul. This is one of the most anticipated events for the PS Women’s Jazz Festival. This year’s honorees are Aretha Franklin (Pam Trotter), Rickie Lee Jones (Sascha Dupont), Elena Burke (Rosalia de Cuba) and Julie London (Cathy Egal Garcia).
