The fifth annual Sonoma Jazz + festival kicks off Memorial Day weekend with top-notch entertainment all around the Plaza. The giant white tent that will hold the performances is being erected at the Field of Dreams, and Plaza restaurants are getting ready to throw open their doors to welcome patrons of the simultaneous weekend Wine & Song event.
Jim Horowitz is the president and founder of Jazz Aspen, the producer of Sonoma Jazz +. He and his crew love bringing the festival to Sonoma for many reasons, among them the picture perfect setting and unique proximity to Sonoma’s historic downtown.
“One of Sonoma’s great attractions is that it lends a pedestrian experience to the festival,” said Horowitz. “Festival-goers have the ability to walk to the festival from the core of historic downtown Sonoma where, at the same time, the Wine & Song event is happening. For visitors, the ambiance is unmatched as they are a party to world-class music while discovering secret spots like gardens behind buildings and restaurants and shops down little alleys. They wouldn’t have the opportunity to find these places if they weren’t drawn in by the festival.”
The festival commences on Thursday, May 21 and runs through Sunday, May 24.
Headliners this year include Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Joe Cocker, Keb’ Mo’, Lyle Lovett, Shelby Lynne, Ziggy Marley and Chris Isaac. Tickets are still on sale for all shows. And while general admission tickets for Ziggy Marley and Chris Isaac have sold out, there are still many other great seats available.
Wine & Song Around the Plaza will be held on Saturday, May 23 and Sunday May 24 from 1:30 to 5 p.m. The event features the pairing of the Bay Area’s best musicians with the Valley’s finest wines. Participating establishments include: Chateau Sonoma, Ledson Hotel and Harmony Lounge, Meritage, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Shiso Modern Asian and Sushi Bar and The Red Grape. Tickets for Wine & Song include souvenir wine glass and tote bag, eight live music performances, 12 beverage tastings and four food tastings each day.
The full musical lineup for both events is available at sonomajazz.org.
For the Love of Music
Sonoma Jazz + is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization whose central purpose is raising money to support the Sonoma community’s educational needs. In its first four years Sonoma Jazz + has donated nearly $400,000 towards new instruments, school musicians, percussion programs, guitars in the classroom and band and college scholarships.
Keeping the festival running smoothly is an enormous undertaking and wouldn’t be possible without the legions of local volunteers who willingly give up their weekend to take tickets, escort VIPs, pick up trash and do various other small but important tasks.
Local mothers and businesswomen, Mary Serafini and Marguerita Castanera coordinate all the volunteers for both events and have done so for the past three years. It’s a tremendous job and these two women pull it off effortlessly.
Over the years they’ve built an impressive database of e-mail addresses and, like a wheel-oiled wheel, come festival time they will send out their letter, soliciting volunteers for all fours days of the Jazz + concert and the newer Wine & Song event as well.
“We really do as much electronically as possible,” said Serafini who, with husband Gerard, owns Sonoma Valley Music. “The letter goes out to all the school principals, the teachers and the district as well as the Chamber of Commerce, so we hit as many community members as possible. And we really want community-minded people to step forward and help out with this great event that helps fund music in our schools.”
“We do ask for a two-day minimum from our volunteers so we have consistency and a smaller volume of people to train and manage,” said Castanera, a local real estate agent. “And people need to know that it’s a lot of standing. They’re on their feet from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. so they need to wear comfy shoes.”
Serafini and Casatanera say they have a group of about 50 “habitual volunteers” who help out year after year. However, they are always looking for more help as all told, volunteer staffing requirements number around 200 people including those for Wine & Song. Volunteer staff can defer rowdy or drunk patrons to security but are sometimes called upon to deal with seating issues. And while there is the occasional wayward college student who deserts his post, for the most part the volunteers are stellar and the event couldn’t happen without them, the coordinators say.
“It’s a fun event that really makes our town come to life,” said Sonoma local and festival volunteer Jenny Witous. “It’s also a great opportunity to help our town while being able to partake in some of the fun music. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
“The culture in Sonoma just fits this festival,” said Horowitz. “This town embraces music, which was clear from the first note of the first show five years ago. And the people who live here infuse the festival with a special kind of energy that is part of the magic.”
If you are interested in volunteering at the Sonoma Jazz Plus festival, contact either Mary Serafini or Marguerita Castanera at sonomajazzvolunteers@comcast.net or call 707-337-8183.
