JazzTrax Festival on Catalina

The 24th Annual JazzTrax Brings 30 of the World’s Finest Jazz Musicians to Santa Catalina Island for Three Unforgettable October Weekends of Seaside Seranades
Twenty-six Miles Off the Southern California Coastline, Jazz Fans Attend Concerts in the Historic Avalon Ballroom While Looking Out To Sea

AVALON, Catalina Island, Calif.  — The first three weekends in October, visitors to  Santa Catalina Island will hear more than the sound of waves rolling onto the beaches or the rustle of the breeze through the palm trees—they’ll listen to top-notch jazz artists who perform in the 24th Annual JazzTrax Festival in one of the world’s most unique and beautiful venues: the historic 1929 Avalon Ballroom in the seaport village of Avalon.

On October 1 – 3, October 8 – 10, and October 15 – 17, forty of the world’s finest smooth jazz musicians will perform on the stage where Benny Goodman once played before thousands of adoring fans. Artists featured at the main event include Legends of Smooth Jazz Guitarists Peter White and Earl Klugh, Saxophonist Gerald Albright, Keyboardist David Benoit and Fourplay with Bob James, Chuck Loeb, Nathan East and Harvey Mason.  The festival also features such current fan favorites as Saxophonists Mindi Abair, Euge Groove, Everette Harp and Eric Darius, as well as Trumpeter Greg Adams and East Bay Soul. For a complete listing of jazz artists, visit the JazzTrax website.

For jazz fans who don’t want to wait until the main shows, the festival gets off to an early start each Thursday (September 30, October 7 and 14) when jazz artists Craig Chaquico, Nick Colionne, and Mindi Abair will perform Unplugged “Under the Stars”   at the Wrigley Ranch on the far side of the island. Concert attendees gather at the Tour Bus Courtyard at 4:30 p.m. to be transported to a BBQ dinner and a stop at the “Airport in the Sky” followed by the Unplugged Concert in the Ranch Courtyard.

Each Saturday after the concerts, guests who can’t stop swaying to the sound of the music can attend the After Party on Descanso Beach featuring DJ Jonathan Phillips and dancing until 1 a.m.

To take advantage of all the pre- and post-concert activities, lodging is available in Catalina’s newest accommodations, the beachside Pavilion Hotel.

Late boats back to the mainland depart after each Saturday and Sunday night final performances; no late boats are available Thursday and Friday. 

Ordering tickets online at www.JazzTrax.com allows guests to see exactly which seats and tables are available as well as the exact seat pricing.

For more information on lodging, visit www.VisitCatalinaIsland.com.