Annual festival set to shine light on city’s jazz culture

The 21st City of Lights Jazz Rhythm & Blues Festival is scheduled April 25-27, but promoter Michael Schivo is calling it the 22nd.

“I grew up in Las Vegas, and I didn’t want to have anybody even thinking about bad luck, so I skipped 13,” he said. “We went straight from 12 to 14.”

When the festival was founded, Schivo was best known as a rock promoter, but he worked other events from ballet to jazz.

“At the time we started it, there was a trend for cities the size of Las Vegas to have a big jazz event, not just as a cultural calling card, but as a tourism calling card,” he said.

Schivo said in the early 1980s, the jazz programs on 91.5 KUNV-FM were educating listeners about the finer points of jazz.

“There was an incredible group of guys working there,” he said. “A lot of the credit goes to them because they built an audience and made my job easier.”

For the first time in many years, City of Lights is doing promotion with the radio station.

“I’m glad to have them back as a presence with the festival,” Schivo said.

The festival has moved among three venues, but for the last few years, it has been at the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. Dozens of performers are set to perform at the open-air venue with headline acts wrapping up each night. Friday is set to feature modern Motown recording artist KEM. Saturday, Boney James is set to perform, and Sunday, Chaka Kahn is scheduled to finish off the weekend.

“We also have great vendors this year selling food, art and eclectic items,” Schivo said.

The gates are set to open at 6:30 p.m. daily, and tickets start at $95 per day. Visit yourjazz.com for tickets and schedule information.

The county’s Jazz in the Park series is set to begin May 10 in the same venue with five weeks of free Saturday concerts. Seating is scheduled to begin at 6 and shows at 7 p.m. The first four concerts are set to include the Las Vegas Academy Jazz Combo backing touring jazz artists. The schedule includes Marlena Shaw on May 10, Jimmy Cobb on May 17, the Sax Pack on May 24, Randy Brecker on May 31 and winds up with David Benoit on June 7. Patrons are encouraged to bring blankets and low-back chairs and leave pets at home. Picnics are welcome, but food and drink will also be sold on site.

For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov.

Contact East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.