April 10, 2014
Originally Posted to the Press Enterprise by Shann Carr If you’ve done as much of the Dinah Shore Weekend kind of stuff as your heart can handle, the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival at the Escena Golf Club just might be your hot, female knight in shining armor.
The jazz festival is the creation of producer duo Lucy and Gail, who have crafted a music festival designed with a soulful woman’s delight in mind.
The four-day event is layered to offer times, dates, venues and talent to suit everyone’s taste.
The festival kicked off April 3 with A Tribute to Jazz Cabaret, which offered a quirky combination of jazz music, comedy and spoken word.
A legitimate headliner’s cabaret show is one in a million these days, and this one was a hot ticket.
As the sun set over the hills of Escena Golf Club, the energy in the room was buzzing and every seat occupied.
The dulcet jazz tones of Yve Evans lulled everyone into communal swaying and head-bobbing during dinner.
Next up, spoken-word artist C.C. Carter began to move her body in rhythm with the background music as her flowing words spread over the crowd like warm butter.
Carter entranced the audience as she crooned about women, age, race, body image and love and sexuality.
And finally, holding true to the sensual vibe of the evening, 30-year comedy veteran Karen Williams to put the cherry on top of this dish.
The host and artistic director of the entire jazz festival is Sweet Baby J’ai, a world-renowned artist whose talent steers this ship with confidence and love. She silenced the rowdy room full of flirting women instantly as she stepped up and began to sing.
Everyone was instantly entranced.
The resonance of her voice felt like a loving hand on the small of my back, each note like a kiss down my neck.
The weekend’s events range from a jazz brunch to live music under the stars.
There is cabaret, dancing, a film screening and more than 40 individual musicians and bands performing.
The event has continued to evolve alongside Dinah Shore Weekend, and is now slated to make its mark on its own next year, moving its dates to October.
I can’t wait to go again.
If you are going to the jazz festival, you are in for an amazing weekend.