sa国际传媒官网网页入口

During the month of September, sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Santa Fe will be filled with jazz music, thanks to the New Mexico Jazz Festival, now in its 19th year.

鈥淲e kick off the festival with two of the local greats, Hillary Smith and Glenn Kostur, here at Outpost,鈥� Tom Guralnick, festival director, said. He is also the executive director of Outpost, which presents jazz music all year long.

Although sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Santa Fe may not have the same reputation for jazz as cities like New Orleans, New York City and Chicago, Guralnick said 鈥渢here are a lot of great local musicians playing jazz here.鈥�

Guralnick founded Outpost 37 years ago and created the New Mexico Jazz Festival 19 years ago.

鈥淭he Jazz Festival used to be in July for many years, but we moved it to September after COVID. It鈥檚 a more hospitable time in New Mexico,鈥� Guralnick said. 鈥淎nd we wanted to align it with some of the festivals on the West Coast, like the Monterey Jazz Festival, which happens in September, so we could maybe take advantage of people being out on the road.鈥�

This year鈥檚 lineup also includes Grammy winners, such as Billy Childs, Linda May Han Oh and Jeff Scott, and musicians working in a wide range of subgenres, from the blues to Brazilian jazz to jazz-inflected experimental music.

鈥淚n terms of style, we have everything from Fred Frith, who鈥檚 one of the originators of avant-garde guitar playing, to a blues night on Civic Plaza with Shemekia Copeland to the great jazz singer Dianne Reeves,鈥� Guralnick said.

The wide variety reflects Guralnick鈥檚 broad-minded approach to music.

鈥淭hat (variety) is definitely my goal, and my view of music and of what fits under quote-unquote 鈥榯he umbrella of jazz鈥� and what should be in a festival. And I鈥檓 really happy with this lineup,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hope other people will come and experience some things they might not have thought they would enjoy.鈥�

At the same time, Guralnick said it was important for the festival to maintain its jazz roots.

鈥淚 mean, there are festivals like the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 鈥� and I鈥檓 not critical of them, it鈥檚 just a different thing 鈥� where really, the emphasis is on really huge pop music names, like Bob Dylan. And that鈥檚 great. But I think you can really call our festival a jazz festival,鈥� Guralnick said. 鈥淎nd we are, I think, one of the best jazz festivals in the Southwest.鈥�

In addition to music, the festival will feature jazz-influenced visual art, poetry and film.

On Sunday, Sept. 7, Outpost will host a reception for the artist Greg Tucker, whose work is inspired by music.

鈥淎t his opening will be a legendary poet, the 90-year-old Larry Goodell, who鈥檚 been doing performance poetry here in New Mexico for 60 years,鈥� Guralnick said. 鈥淗e鈥檒l be doing bursts of poetry during the opening.鈥�

Then, from Tuesday, Sept. 9, through Thursday, Sept. 11, the Guild Cinema will present a double feature of jazz films 鈥淥rnette Coleman: Made in America鈥� and 鈥淭helonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser,鈥� as part of the festival.

Guralnick said Outpost was one of many arts organizations to have a National Endowment for the Arts grant rescinded this year, and he has been appreciative of individual donors and local government sponsors for helping to make up for the shortfall.

鈥淎 very important partner in the festival is the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 鈥� the mayor and Shelle Sanchez of the Arts and Culture Department 鈥� who support our free concerts at Summerfest in July and on Blues Night on Civic Plaza on Sept. 13,鈥� Gu ralnick said.

Shemekia Copeland

Headlining Blues Night is multi-Grammy-nominated blues vocalist Shemekia Copeland, with The Pleasure Pilots and Russ Green opening for her.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe I ever played the Jazz Fest, but I鈥檝e definitely been to New Mexico, and I love it,鈥� Copeland said. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 always about the people and the food. We鈥檝e always had such warm feelings playing there.鈥�

Copeland has been performing professionally for over three decades to great acclaim. Her most recent album, 鈥淏lame It on Eve,鈥� received three Grammy nominations.

鈥淵ou gotta stay relevant, and I鈥檝e managed to be able to do that, which is great,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 constantly challenging myself to do something new, to do something different. So, I鈥檓 constantly evolving and changing.鈥�

Copeland grew up in Harlem, New York City, learning the blues from her father, the legendary Texas blues guitarist and singer Johnny Copeland.

鈥淚 started super young, so I鈥檝e kind of been able to grow in the business, and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 been cool,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen that happens, you have natural progressions, because that鈥檚 what naturally happens as you age.鈥�

Copeland said the themes of her music have changed over the years.

鈥淚 always dealt with issues of some sort, especially about empowering women. You know, doing songs about domestic violence. And I was doing songs about religious hypocrites and race and all different types of things,鈥� Copeland said. 鈥淏ut after I had my son, it was really apparent to me that I wanted to try to make the world a better place.鈥�

鈥淪o the first record I did after I had him was called 鈥楢merica鈥檚 Child鈥� (2018). And on that, I did a song called 鈥楢in鈥檛 Got Time for Hate.鈥� And for me, that鈥檚 when everything sort of changed,鈥� she continued. 鈥淏ecause I was like, OK, I鈥檓 gonna make songs, and I鈥檓 gonna make this world a better place for him to live in. That became my goal.鈥�

Although Copeland鈥檚 music sometimes addresses difficult social situations and relationship issues, she said it鈥檚 a common misconception that the blues is all about pain.

鈥淧eople hear 鈥榖lues鈥� and they think it鈥檚 like, 鈥極h Lord, my wife left me, my dog died, I鈥檓 miserable, blah blah blah.鈥� But that鈥檚 not it at all,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he blues is about life experiences in general, and it鈥檚 not always pain. I mean, I鈥檝e had a great life. Unlike my mom and my dad, I did not have to struggle in the way that they did. So, the music is different for me.鈥�

Copeland sees storytelling, not pain, as the essence of the blues.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about your life story, whatever that may be,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about your truth.鈥�

Over the years, Copeland has played with many legendary musicians.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nobody in blues, really, that I haven鈥檛 worked with,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he biggest one, for me, was Koko Taylor. I was super starstruck when I met her, because I was 100% obsessed with her and her voice.鈥�

Copeland said Taylor knew how to put her at ease.

鈥淭hese people are so used to folks being starstruck by them,鈥� Copeland said. 鈥淪o, she was very helpful. Then, I went out on the road with Buddy Guy and B.B. King and Robert Cray. They all know how to handle the starstruck.鈥�

鈥淎nother time, I remember standing backstage with John Prine, and he could see that I was like, 鈥極h my God, this is freakin鈥� John Prine!鈥� Like, he noticed my nervousness. So, he immediately said, 鈥業 really like your shoes,鈥欌�� Copeland said. 鈥淭he great ones, they get it.鈥�

In recent years, Copeland has begun to encounter young musicians who are just as starstruck by her.

鈥淚鈥檓 starting to get that more and more, and it鈥檚 very weird for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, I find myself doing the same types of things, just talking and letting them know that I鈥檓 just a normal person over here. People were always kind to me, so I鈥檓 kind to everyone.鈥�

New Mexico Jazz Festival returns for its 19th year