Organizers of the Winter Blues Jazz Fest hope locals and out-of-town guests alike will shake off the seasonal doldrums with four days of live music throughout the area.
The series of 12 events starts Jan. 15 and runs through the weekend at multiple locations, kicking off with an evening of jazz at the Muscarelle Museum of Art.
It also stars a beer and music festival, free community concert, and a collection of jazz brunches at local restaurants.
The project is the brainchild of Jennifer Raines, owner of the High Street gallery and shop Quirks of Art, and Steve Rose, president of nonprofit Eco Discovery Park and owner of Williamsburg Event Rentals, along with David Everett, chef and co-owner of Blue Talon Bistro, The Trellis Restaurant and DoG Street Pub.
“I feel like we’re starting to see that there are a lot of people who love live music,” Rose said of Greater Williamsburg residents.
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Winter Blues Jazz Fest events:
Art of Jazz: 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, $30. Good Shot Judy will provide an eclectic blend of jazz standards to accompany the museum’s artwork.
Jazz Jam: 6:30 to 10 p.m. Jan. 16 at the festival heated tent on Duke of Gloucester Street, $15. Three groups — The Dog Street Rhythm Kings, The Harris Simon Trio and Holly Hunt & Limelight — will perform individual sets followed by a joint, one-hour jam session.
#3BF The Big Bold Beer Fest: Jan. 17 at the festival tent, $50 for a VIP session from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and $30 for open session from 1 to 4 p.m. DoG Street Pub will offer rare and aged beers along with gourmet street food from Chef David Everett, with two stages of music from Herbie D and the Dangermen and the Mike Lucci Band, plus special appearances by Bobby ‘Blackhat’ Walters and Logan and Cole Layman from In Layman Terms.
Mixology & Music: 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Williamsburg Lodge, $60 or two tickets for $100. Michael Bellar and the As-Is Ensemble will play high-energy music to pair with samples of cocktails from the area’s top bartenders.
Jazz Brunch: 11 a.m. Jan. 18 at The Trellis, Le Yaca French Restaurant, Opus 9 Steakhouse, Waypoint Seafood and Grill and Blue Talon Bistro, $35. Different ensembles will perform at each of the five brunch spots for two hours while guests feast on food and a signature drink.
Community Concert: 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 18 at the festival tent, free. The William & Mary Jazz Ensemble will perform in the heated tent, with free hot chocolate for concert-goers.
Jazz Movies at the Kimball Theatre: Jan. 17 and 18 at the Kimball Theatre, free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis for the showings of “Bird” at 4 p.m. Jan. 17 and 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18, and “The Cotton Club” at 7 p.m. Jan. 17 and 4 p.m. Jan. 18.
Festival passes are available, at $155 each or $175 for a VIP Festival Pass. Click here for online ticket orders.
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He and Raines partnered on two jazz events last year, called Art & Soul, which drew upward of 100 attendees. The feedback was positive, Raines said, with guests clamoring to have more events like them.
“Having done those, we decided to team up with Chef downtown and come up with something bigger and more fun,” Rose said.
Winter Blues Jazz Fest loops in the culinary arts as well as the auditory, with nearly all of the events including some food or beverage element.
Mixology & Music, planned for Jan. 17 at the Williamsburg Lodge and featuring eight top local bartenders offering cocktail samples, will be as unique a program as having five different eateries hosting jazz musicians during Sunday brunch, Rose said.
But, he added, all the programs are designed so the music takes center stage rather than playing back-up. For example, at the beer festival Jan. 17 on Duke of Gloucester Street, there will be two stages set up so guests never experience a lull between live performances.
“We’re making sure that every event we do, the music is a key part of it, the focus of what we do,” he said.
Raines stressed this venture is different from the traditional music festival, where many acts are concentrated in one space on a few stages. Instead, the Winter Blues Jazz Fest will be spread throughout the variety of creative venues in downtown Williamsburg and on the campus of the College of William & Mary.
“We want everything to be done in a new and different way,” she said.
Rose would love to see the festival become an annual tradition, but is using this year as a guide to determine if it is sustainable for the future.
He said his long relationship with the community through Williamsburg Event Rentals has eased the planning and logistics process tremendously, and encouraged local residents to get tickets early – and urge their friends to do the same – to ensure its success.
See a full schedule and more information on the Winter Blues Jazz Fest website and Facebook page.
