For 19 years, Les DeMerle and Bonnie Eisele have been providing a rich, diverse cultural musical event on Amelia Island by exposing thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds to the sounds, excitement and vitality of great jazz at The Amelia Island Jazz Festival. This year, fans enjoyed sold out concerts during an entire week of musical headliners, jazz students from University of North Florida and the final evening with legendary singer/guitarist John Pizzarelli and trio.
Founded in 2001, the festival is fairly young in comparison with other nationally acclaimed festivals. But it is known as a world-renowned musical event — following in the footsteps of Newport and Monterey. Jazz is comprised of many styles, including swing, bebop, Dixieland, big band, Latin and contemporary. DeMerle selects the best and brings them to our area to help preserve the American art form of jazz through October’s eagerly anticipated dates.
A few of the festival’s weeklong events included Latin Jazz Evening with Trio Caliente, the 21-piece UNF Jazz Ensemble 2, Jump Jive and Wail Swing Dance, Longineu Parsons in Concert, Dixie to Swing Jazz Brunch and two late-night Jazz Jams. For nearly 20 years, Les and Bonnie have been proud of the legions of volunteers who work hard throughout the year to bring the festival to the Island, along with 60-plus sponsors and individuals who generously contribute their time and expertise.
The closing night audience cheered at every song during the three hour performance opening with Les DeMerle’s trio featuring bassist Dennis Marks (who has played with Arturo Sandoval on many recordings, including the Grammy Award-winning “Hot-House”) and pianist Doug Matthews (performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Branford Marsalis and DeMerle’s Big Band for many years). The exhilarating set was highlighted by Bonnie Eisele’s distinctive soulful vocals that she has been performing with DeMerle during decades of musical collaboration around the globe and their marriage!
When John Pizzarelli took the stage, the audience belonged to him alone as he thrilled with two solid hours of music from his repertoire that included the Great American Songbook, tributes to his collaboration with Sir Paul McCarney, Antonio Carlos Jobim and the Nat King Cole Family (stating “Nat King Cole is the reason I do what I do”). Hailed by music critics around the world, Pizzarelli’s trio of Isaiah J. Thompson on piano and Mike Karn on bass truly kept everyone on the edge of their seats with world-class jazz interpretations. Sitting comfortably centerstage, he set up each song with fascinating and fun stories interspersed with his own musical style as “a rare entertainer of the old school” (Seattle Times) and “the genial genius of the guitar” (Toronto Star). It was a rare night for jazz fans to remember.
The Amelia Island Jazz Festival’s 20th anniversary will be observed in 2023. Go to AmeliaIslandJazzFestival.com.
