Valley Cultural Center’s First Annual Jazz Festival

June 3, 2012 | 4 to 8 PM

Features Freddie Ravel’s TuneUP to Music Celebration and other featured artists

Launching our 2012 summer season is keyboardist extraordinaire, FREDDIE RAVEL featuring stellar guest artists and a world-class ensemble.

The L.A. Times writes: “Ravel masterfully blends jazz textures, rock energy & tropical rhythms,” acknowledging a career that spans two decades across six continents with such icons as Earth, Wind & Fire, Sergio Mendes, Madonna, the Boston Pops and Rock legend, Carlos Santana.

Universal Music released the L.A. native’s three top-charting solo albums including the #1 hit in America, “Sunny Side Up” while his upcoming book “If Music Could Speak”, and subsequent CD are to be released Fall 2012.

This “TuneUP to Music Celebration” will also feature the sultry saxophone master, Everette Harp, the renowned, 12-piece band, BERN, and CSUN’s Enderman Quintet. Don’t forget your dancing shoes.

Everette Harp

From  his TV appearances on the  ”TONIGHT Show”, ”American Idol” and the ”GRAMMY Awards Show”  to his recordings with such iconic artists as Quincy Jones, Babyface, Carole King, Billy Joel, Michael Bolton and Alicia Keys, Everette Harp’s brilliant saxophone playing always leaves listeners entranced with his unmistakable soulful signature sound.

BERN

BERN, a 12-piece supercharged funk band, was created out-of a desire to emerge from the studio and get out and play groove music live in public. With four lead vocalists boasting strong harmonies, and leads, a tight horn section and a fat & ferociously groovin’ rhythm section made up of some of the edgeiest players the city has ever heard,  BERN has become a scorching 70’s funk musical phenomenon that is taking the city of Los Angeles by storm.  Utilizing the same fervor, they also merge other genres of music, mixing that funk with rock and latin edges, while always bringing a strong blend of nostalgia and “now”!

Endermen

Endermen is a 5 piece band composed of some of the finest “young lions” on the west coast jazz scene. Their music is highly creative and easily approachable while including all musical genre’s in their creative process. Endermen believes strongly in a “group identity” and that the group is only possible when all members are present, this concept has allowed the group to become unbridled and unbounded by categorization.