31st annual Vail Jazz Festival tickets on sale Thursday

The Vail Jazz Festival returns to the valley on Labor Day Weekend and tickets go on sale April 10. Get set for three days of music under a big tent with views of Vail Mountain at the Manor Vail Lodge near Golden Peak with late-night sessions happening at the Fitz Lounge inside the hotel.

The holiday weekend tradition returns with big names like Terell Stafford, Bill Cunliffe, Wycliffe Gordon and John Clayton, but there are also up-and-coming artists in the lineup this year like Josh Evans, Philip Norris, Obed Calvaire and Summer Camargo.

“We’re very excited to have Evans, Norris, Calvaire and Camargo here this year,” said Anneliese Swift, executive director of Vail Jazz. “They are all acclaimed alumni of the Vail Jazz Workshop.”

The Vail Jazz Workshop brings the best high school and college freshman musicians to Vail for an intensive educational program taught by many of the performers who come each year.  

“Many of these talented musicians will be returning to Vail for the first time since they attended the Vail Jazz Workshop in high school and have now gone on to have successful careers in music,” Swift said.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

Another young artist coming is Gerald Clayton, son of John Clayton. Gerald Clayton was part of the 2002 Vail Jazz Workshop class and performed in 2004.

“We are elated to have him back for the first time in 21 years. He is a six-time Grammy nominee and one of the foremost pianists of his generation,” Swift said.

John Clayton, a Grammy nominee himself, is also the artistic director of the festival. He and the founder of the Vail Jazz Festival, Howard Stone, started the Vail Jazz Workshop in 1996, which has since then churned out hundreds of jazz musicians who have gone on to do great things in the industry. The Vail Jazz Foundation also hosts Vail Jazz Goes to School, which introduces fourth- and fifth-grade students in Eagle County to the fundamentals of jazz and blues throughout the school year.

“We are very privileged to have John Clayton as a part of this. He has been at the helm of the Vail Jazz Workshop for the past 30 years and knows Vail Jazz better than anyone,” said Robin Deighan, board chair for the Vail Jazz Foundation. “As one of the most important jazz bassists of his time, John is connected to the most exciting musicians in the field.”

The Vail Jazz Foundation almost came to a halt after Stone passed away in August of 2022. By the fall of 2023, the nonprofit was about to cease most of its operations. But, word spread and the support flowed in and the organization was able to put together a Vail Jazz Festival on Labor Day Weekend 2024.

“It’s safe to say that the festival is back by popular demand,” Deighan said. “Last summer at the 2024 Vail Jazz Festival, so many people — audience and artists alike — sought out members of the Vail Jazz staff and board to tell us: ‘this event needs to continue!’ Many people stepped forward then and there to offer their assistance to help us keep going. And it wasn’t just friends and family who were insistent. Many new faces weighed in with their dreams-and their dollars-in hopes that we’d be back in 2025.”

Never ask, “What should we do this weekend?” again.

Get a weekly rundown of all the best happenings in the Vail Valley sent to your inbox every Friday. Sign up here: VailDaily.com/newsletter

The Vail Jazz Festival has also received the support from many local sponsors such as Discover Vail and Alpine Bank, who are the presenting sponsors this year.

Deighan said the Labor Day Vail Jazz Festival is a reunion every year, not only for the artists but for the audience, with many people returning since its debut in 1994. 

“We have guests from all over the country and abroad who mark their calendars and make the trip year after year,” Deighan said. “But newcomers are always welcomed into the fold. It’s never too late to be part of the Vail Jazz family.” 

Keep the tradition going by attending this year’s festival. For tickets, a list of musical artists and lodging information, check out VailJazz.org.