Her music is mixed with equal parts of simmering soul fervor and two-fisted piano pounding. Between her deeply emotive vocals and her incisive, often poignant songwriting, Ball is in a class by herself. Her groove-laden New Orleans R&B and driving Gulf Coast blues have made her a one-of-a-kind favorite of music fans all over the world. Four-time Grammy nominee, singer/pianist Marcia Ball knows how to raise roofs and tear down walls with her infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional brand of southern boogie, rollicking, roadhouse blues and heartfelt ballads. Over the course of her three-decade career, Ball has earned a huge and intensely loyal following all over the world. Her exquisite piano playing and passionate, playful vocals fuse New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Austin's deep songwriting tradition into a sound described as "a little rock, a lot of roll, a pinch of rhythm and a handful of blues."

Hot Tomatoes Swing Band and Swing Dancing
One of the best swing bands west of the Mississippi, the Hot Tomatoes delights fans with authentic re-creations of music by the greats of the swing era, including Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Harry James. Completing the big band experience are award-winning swing dancers Tiffiny Wine and Kenny Nelson, who will not only perform their high energy, toe tapping swing dancing, but will also offer an opportunity for a swing dance lesson prior to the show. Dance lesson begins at 5 PM before the concert. Contact the Vail Jazz Foundation for more information and get your dancing shoes on!

19-Aug

Jacky Terrasson Trio
When Jacky Terrasson won the prestigious Thelonious Monk piano competition in 1993, he proceeded to lead one of the defining jazz piano trios of that decade. By the mid-'90s, Terrasson was being hailed as one of the bright young lions on the traditional jazz scene. His self-titled 1995 debut for Blue Note Records drew high praise from all corners of the jazz world. His feathery keyboard touch is coupled with a lot of power and passion, a complete understanding of the blues and improvisation, and Terrasson is also a gifted arranger. Terrason will be joined on stage by drummer Jamire Williams, a Vail Jazz Workshop alumni, and bassist Ben Williams, the winner of the 2009 Thelonius Monk Bass Competition.

THR

26-Aug

Curtis Stigers
For two decades, Curtis Stigers has demonstrated time and again that the lines between jazz, pop, soul, rock, blues and even country are not as clearly defined as they may seem. In a trajectory that began with pop/soul albums in the early ‘90s, the vocalist-saxophonist-songwriter has spent the past several years cementing his reputation as a formidable jazz singer – one who recognizes the value of the story within the song, and the countless ways in which that story can be told. An extensive traveler, Stigers is not a stranger to Vail: he opened the inaugural 2008 Jazz @ Vail Square concert series.  Appearing with Stigers will be Matthew Fries, piano, Cliff  Schmitt, bass, and Keith Hall, drums.

THR

2-Sep

The Clayton Brothers Quintet and the VJF All-Stars
The Clayton Brothers Quintet are lead by John Clayton on bass and Jeff Clayton on saxophone.  The Clayton Brothers are joined by Bill Cunliffe on piano, Terell Stafford on trumpet and Lewis Nash on drums.  These highly acclaimed musicians also serves as the educators/mentors for 12 of the most talented high school-aged jazz musicians in the country who have been selected to participate in the Vail Jazz Workshop, an intense 10-day learning experience which culminates with the students, the Vail Jazz All-Stars, performance on the Vail Jazz Festival stage.