The Dos Pueblos Instrumental Music Program will present Jazz in Paradise, its 54th Annual Jazz Festival, Saturday, March 2 at the Elings Performing Arts Center on the campus of Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Ave., Goleta.
Talented jazz bands from schools and colleges all around the central and south coast will participate in a competition, judged by some of the most experienced music educators in Southern California. The students also receive instruction throughout the day.
The festival will culminate with an evening concert that is open to the public. Tickets will be sold at the door and online at Jazz Festival General Admission Tickets.
Dos Pueblos alum Karl Hunter of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is this year’s special guest artist this year. He will conduct a mid-day master clinic for all festival contestants. Later, at 7 p.m., he will be accompanied by Dos Pueblos High School’s Jazz Band and Santa Barbara City College’s Lunch Break Big Band for an concert.
Hunter is a Southern California-based multi-instrumentalist, studio musician, clinician and music educator. He is best known for being the featured saxophone soloist with the multi Platinum selling, grammy nominated, contemporary swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
He has been a member of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy for 27 years. He and the band have long trumpeted the cause of music education.
Hunter has played for four U.S. presidents and has performed on stage with: Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Garth Brooks, Joey McIntyre, En Vogue, Little Richard, B.B King, Simon Philips, Solomon Burke, Hank Crawford, Bo Diddley, Ruth Brown, and Kenny Logins.