Kauai’s sixth annual Red Clay Jazz Festival gets under way tomorrow
Kauai’s sixth annual Red Clay Jazz Festival, slated to get under way tomorrow (Wed., June 26) will feature live performances on the beach, music workshops and jam sessions, and a “Meet the Artists” fundraiser on the Garden Isle’s south shore. Award-winning group Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers will headline this year’s main concert at Kauai Lagoons, alongside the Kauai Pro-Am Show Band and the Maui Jazz Quartet. The oceanfront venue offers both lawn and tent seating as well as several specialty restaurants and beverage booths.
This year, the four-day fest (June 26-30) will kick off with live jam sessions with local artists happening tomorrow and on Thursday at various locations. Click here to see the full schedule for artists, hours, and locations.
There will also be a blues workshop on Thursday, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Kauai Community College taught by featured headliners including: vocalist/bandleader Lavay Smith and her pianist Chris Siebert; Paul Marchetti from the Maui Jazz Quartet; and Kauai jazz musician, Kirk Smart. Other fest highlights include Friday’s meet-the-artists party (a fundraiser for jazz education) at The Shops at Kukuiula in Poipu, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the main concert from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Kauai Lagoons.
First presented in 2008, the Red Clay Jazz Festival comes from a long history of music and music education. The Kauai Concert Association (KCA), established in 1974, aims to bring world-class music to the community, with the mission of exposing listeners to one of America’s favorite original music cultures. The festival format showcases a Kauai-based ensemble, a group from the State of Hawaii, and a headliner artist from the US Mainland or abroad.
General Admission to the main concert costs $40, $20 for students with valid ID Tickets to the “Meet the Artist” Party costs $50. Blues Workshop with Festival Artists costs $20. For additional information about the Red Clay Jazz Festival, click here.
