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Vail Library poster exhibit through Nov. 30

VAIL, Colorado ” In honor of the Vail Library’s 25th anniversary celebration, the Vail Jazz Foundation is displaying a collection of annual Vail Jazz Festival posters, dating back to the first Vail Jazz Party in 1995, in the library’s community room.

The exhibit is available for public viewing now through Nov. 30 during library operating hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Vail Jazz Festival was born when Vail homeowner and life-long jazz fan Howard Stone decided to bring a jazz party to Vail. In the early ’90s, Stone traveled around Colorado attending a number of jazz parties, which bring musicians and fans of jazz together to enjoy back to back live jazz performances.



Stone’s experiences inspired him to carry on a 20-year Colorado tradition by creating a Jazz Party in Vail over Labor Day Weekend. The first event was attended by 500 guests and received rave reviews.

The Vail Jazz Party has since grown into a summer-long festival that includes a variety of indoor and outdoor events in and around Vail.

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The 2008 festival included Byron Stripling and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, co-presented with Bravo! at the Ford Amphitheater, weekly live concerts on Thursdays in Lionshead, weekly live concerts on Sundays at the Vail Farmers’ Market and, of course, the Labor Day Jazz Party at the Vail Cascade, which featured 24 hours of music over four days with more than 30 musicians, each of whom played virtually every day.

The resounding success of the initial Vail Jazz Party lead Stone to create the Vail Jazz Foundation.

“I envisioned a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and sustaining jazz music, with specific emphasis on supporting young musicians and young audiences,” said Stone.

“You can’t support the music without supporting the artists that are carrying on the jazz tradition, which is why we educate young people about jazz, and instruct budding jazz musicians.”

In 2009 the foundation will enter its 15th season of jazz performances and education, anchored by the annual Vail Jazz Festival.

The exhibit at the Vail Library includes annual festival posters from the first Vail Jazz Party through the 2008 Vail Jazz Festival. Designs were either created with jazz icons such as the saxophone or piano, or in some cases were commissioned for the festival. Many of the posters on display are autographed by the musicians in attendance that year.

Across the hall, visitors to the library can enjoy the Louis Armstrong exhibit created by Gary Thornton for the Vail Jazz Foundation. In addition to information about Louis Armstrong and books about jazz, the exhibit also includes materials on the Vail Jazz Festival and jazz education programs, including Jazz Goes to School and the Vail Jazz Workshop.

Visit http://www.vailjazz.org for more information.


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