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Jazzed in Jamesville
By now everyone knows what happened during the March 6 State of the County address, when County Executive Joanie Mahoney revealed the big announcement that this year’s Syracuse Jazz Fest would not be held atop the campus at Onondaga Community College, its home for the past 11 years. Instead, festival founder and director Frank Malfitano’s beloved jazzy blowout would relocate to Onondaga County Parks’ Jamesville Beach Park on the weekend of Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23, for its 30th anniversary celebration. And despite the initial roadblocks, things appear to have been shaken out rather well.
The major snafu came about when the college’s brand-new SRC Arena had previously slated the East Syracuse-Minoa High School graduation for the same weekend. Since it was deemed that the festival’s music schedule could interfere with ESM’s pomp and circumstance, the jazz cats had to find another place to play. (Jazz Fest isn’t the only one leaving OCC: The college’s president, Debbie Sydow, will exit her position and move to Virginia in July to helm Richard Bland College, a junior college connected with the College of William & Mary.)
Malfitano had to quickly make arrangements to find a new location for the fest, with various venues suggested, notably downtown’s Clinton Square where the fest last held court in 2000, and Long Branch Park, where it was held more than two decades ago. Jamesville Beach, also the longtime home of Balloonfest just two weekends earlier in June, fit the bill, even though the internationally known Ironman 70.3 Syracuse will also be at the park on Sunday, June 24. Luckily, musicians and athletes seem to get along.
“It’s really going to work out wonderfully,” Malfitano proclaims, “but we really need to thank the folks at the Ironman headquarters in Texas. They were really accommodating and we’re excited about that. And what’s great is that visitors for the Ironman are staying in the same hotel as our artists. We’re really excited that we’ve got something for them to do when they’re coming from all over the country.”
The Syracuse Ironman, now in its third edition and this year getting moved from September to its new June slot, will host visitors from near and far. Ironman race director Ken Hammond notes that in just two years nearly 3,000 participants have registered for the event and more than 15 countries and nearly all 50 states have been represented.
“They {County Parks} asked me if I thought it would be OK to do the event,” Hammond recalls. “I didn’t really get the sense that there was too much of an option, but I said it was OK. That’s all in a day of getting the job done. Jazz Fest will stay on their half of the park and we’ll stay on our half. All said and done, I think it will be beneficial for both parties.”
County Exec Mahoney also thinks the move to Jamesville was the right decision. “I’m a fan of it being downtown, but fortunately and unfortunately, Jazz Fest is too big for Clinton Square,” she says. “They can’t accommodate the number of people that come and that’s great for Jazz Fest, but it’s too bad that we can’t find a spot downtown. But I’m excited about Jamesville Beach. I have been at Jazz Fest many, many times, starting back as somebody in college going with my friends. I’ve experienced it a lot of different ways and, honestly, there isn’t a better location.”
With a beach, soft hills, a picturesque view, the waters of Jamesville Reservoir, ample parking and a wide open space to view the stage, both Malfitano and Mahoney noted the appeal of the ideal features. Hammond also sees the benefits for athletes participating in the half-ironman and ensures the experience will be amplified, not compromised, by the fest.
“We’re going to do everything possible to ensure the best experience for our athletes short of giving them the world,” he says. “We’ll do everything we can.”
That will include increased security around bikes left outside over night (an Ironman rule) for the race the next day, additional check-in hours on Saturday before Jazz Fest, and an open invitation for athletes to enjoy the free festival.
For Malfitano, while the location is critical, it’s still the music and the fans that compose the barometer of Jazz Fest’s
success. “We’ve had four great sites over the last 29 years and each
site has had some wonderful features and each has been great,” he says.
“But I think the common denominator for all those sites is that the fans
have followed no matter where it’s been. So while the site is a
fundamentally important part of the mix, it’s secondary to the fans and
artists who make the music. That’s what this event is all about.”
Rockin’ One More Time
Since its first battle of the bands was held on April 28, 2006, the annual Rockin’ the Red Cross has brought music groups consisting of workers from local corporations to the stage. And audience turnout to watch these bands has resulted in thousands of dollars in funds that are earmarked for the Red Cross’ emergency response organization that provides aid to millions of people every year. The seventh and final Rockin’ the Red Cross will take place April 20, 7 p.m., at the newly renovated Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St., in which bands representing 10 area companies will bring out their best to battle.
During a Feb. 29 press conference at the Landmark, Rockin’ the Red Cross founder Michelle M. Keib noted the annual competition’s tremendous success, yet she was also saddened that the show, for now, will soon be over. “Nationally, the Red Cross has changed their fundraising philosophy,” she explained. “It’s going more toward planned and major giving rather than event fundraising. Our chapter’s footprint has increased over the years from two counties to nine, with so many smaller events to manage.”
Keib was quick to mention her hope that another non-profit organization would pick up the event and keep it going. “The companies have a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s like the Friday-night pep rally for a football game atmosphere.”
Mark Gustavson, a musicmaking participant in the competition with his company, Wynit, chimed in, “Look at the price of a concert ticket today. This is a variety of material from some amazing, talented musicians for $10 or $20.”
The event also provides a way for employers and employees to see
their co-workers on stage as well as family and friends in an all-ages
environment.
“Everyone performing has family and kids coming, so you don’t have to
worry about profanity or anything inappropriate,” Gustavson said. In
other words, it’s all positive messages supporting a positive cause.
At the press conference, WNTQ-FM 93.1’s morning hosts Ted Long and Amy Robbins,
who are also the official emcees of the battle, helped introduce the
2012 contest and pick the order of the battling bands. The reigning
champs, CXTec Dinosaurs, the 2008, 2009 and 2011 winners, will be the fourth band to perform, although members Ashley Cox, Mike Featherstone and Shawn Sullivan will not be competing to win. Instead, they’ll be judging the other
bands which will perform 15-minute sets in the following order: Manlius Pebble Hill’s Old School; East Syracuse Minoa School District’s Staff Infection Band; Carrier Corporation’s The Chillerz; the aforementioned CXTec Dinosaurs; Inficon’s The Mosfets; Wynit’s The Distributorz; Raymond Corporation’s Side Shifter; C&S Engineers’ CSB; SRC/SRCTec’s Under the Radar; and Lockheed Martin’s Defense Mechanism.
Advance tickets are $10 and available at the participating companies’ offices, the Landmark’s box office, and at the American Red Cross of Central New York chapter office at 220 Herald Place. Tickets are $20 at the door.
—Jessica Novak
