NEWS FILE PHOTO
Artist Yoslai De La Rosa performs one of his catchy salsa hits in 2017 as part of Medicine Hat JazzFest.
@MedHatJazz
This week, we’re taking a different approach. Two guests have been invited to tell why they go to JazzFest and what it means to them. Thank you Cheryl Lynn Whyte and Frances Barnes
I knew very little about jazz music until my sister and I bought our former restaurant. JazzFest was around the corner and we inherited the gigs that were booked for the clubs and pubs sector. Lyle (who I was already acquainted with) was a huge help during this transitional time. The week of the festival was phenomenal! The music was incredible, the restaurant and all of downtown incredibly busy. Lyle hooked us up with CDs of the artists to play, which we happily obliged. The seed was planted. Flash forward a few years of participating in the clubs and pubs, and MCing an event, I decided to buy a pass, knowing that the amount of shows I’d be able to make would be somewhat limited due to the restaurant being so busy (with five nights of live music scheduled), but still felt like I’d get the best bang for my buck by doing so. I would close up shop after our gig, and rush over to the Esplanade for the late shows. Now I was HOOKED. The live music, witnessing the artists’ passion in person, the vibe, the feel, it was incredible. The pass was beyond worth it. Since then, and especially after selling the restaurant, I have become more and more involved with the festival, MCing, volunteering for venue coordinator positions, sitting on the board and the committee and this year, working as the office manager. Our JazzFest is truly an incredible event for our city, one that I am so proud to be involved with. And I am living proof that you don’t have to be a fan of jazz to be a fan of JazzFest! (Although I certainly consider myself a fan these days, thanks to this festival.)
I’m going to JazzFest! Are you?
Cheryl Lynn Whyte
I don’t particularly like jazz music. But I LOVE the JazzFest. It’s the one time of year that I can feel “cool” and go out to a club at 10:30 p.m.! I went to my first Jazz Fest 16 years ago and I asked Lyle what I should see as a non-jazz person. He suggested a female performer who was at the Esplanade main stage. I went, I bought her CD and I haven’t looked back! What I love about jazz music and the festival is that no two performers are alike. Some bands are just instrumental while others include vocals. Some are great to dance to and others you just want to close your eyes, lean back, and let it soak in. The venues that are used for the festival are as varied as the artists. Where else, as a non-pilot, can you go to a hangar, have a beer and tap your toes to some amazing music, or dance on a rooftop? Then there are the smaller, more intimate venues like the coffee shops and black box theatre. The vibes are as different as the music. Every year I learn a little bit more about jazz and the pieces of it that I enjoy, but the experience is still what brings me back year after year.
I’m going to JazzFest! Are you?
Frances Barnes
Tickets as well as full festival passes are available through all Esplanade ticket outlets. You can listen to all JazzFest artists on the Spotify Playlist called Medicine Hat JazzFest 2019. JazzFest can be followed on Twitter and Instagram @medhatjazz and Facebook and Youtube by searching for Medicine Hat JazzFest. Brochures can be found at the Esplanade, the tourist centre, the public library and coffee shops around the city.
Lyle Rebbeck is the executive producer of JazzFest.
