The 2nd Annual Ultimate Jazz Festival | Aug. 7th & 8th, 2010

The 2nd Annual Ultimate Jazz Festival Supports a Worthy Cause
By Natasha Ferguson

The premiere jazz event of the summer is just around the corner. The 2nd Annual Ultimate Jazz Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday August 7th and 8th at the beautiful Fairmount Park in downtown Riverside. Gates open at 11 a.m. both days with concert starting at Noon.

This year, Jazz to be Green has partnered with the Lupus Foundation and will be contributing a percentage of the proceeds from the 2nd Annual Ultimate Jazz Festival towards this worthy cause. Lupus is a chronic disease which attacks the autoimmune system. An estimated 5 million people suffer from this life-threatening illness, and an estimated 16,000 new cases of lupus are reported world-wide each year.

The 2nd Annual Ultimate Jazz Festival brings two full days of chart-topping musicians. Saturday’s lineup features Jazz pianist Marcus Johnson; saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa; guitarist/vocalist Joyce Cooling; saxophonist Steve Cole; the Latin jazz sounds of Pete Escovedo & family; and the funky soulful sounds of Con Funk Shun. Sunday, August 8 will feature Soul jazz pianist Gail Johnson; saxophonist Michael Paulo; American jazz fusion guitarist Stanley Jordan; Internationally-acclaimed Latin jazz percussionist Poncho Sanchez; and the high energy R&B/funk group ZAPP.
In addition to these incredible talents on the main stage, attendees will enjoy local jazz and R&B acts on the second stage between headliner performances. A host of vendors selling various items, as well as a variety of delicious food and refreshments will also be available for concertgoers to enjoy.
Festival Director and Jazz to be Green President Darryl Bundridge is passionate about the cause. Ultimate Jazz Festival ticketholders will not only have an opportunity to hear chart-topping musicians, but the satisfaction of knowing that they will also be supporting a worthy organization for future research and development in hopes of finding a cure to help those inflicted with this devastating disease.

For more information, visit HUwww.theultimatejazzfestival.comUH.