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THE 10 THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND
WHILE PACKING FOR JAZZTRAX ON CATALINA ISLAND
1 Your iPhone or whatever your Smart Phone. We want you E-Mailing and Face booking Pictures of JazzTrax Performances from your seats in the Avalon Ballroom and from Descanso Beach while watching Mindi Abair, Peter White, and Gerald & Selina Albright Under the Stars. We want you filming short video on your Smart Phone and uploading them to You Tube of Catalina Island JazzTrax Performances this October. Help us Stack the Social Media with images of the Best Jazz Festival in America.
2 Sun Glasses and Sun Block. The Sun won't be that intense but look at ALL THAT WATER
surrounding you at JazzTrax. The Pacific Ocean, Avalon Harbor and the water in all your DRINKS. Whereas it might be getting cold and ready to snow back home in Minnesota or Colorado.....it's still Summer in October in Southern California, including 26 miles further West here on Catalina Island. 75 degree days. 65 degree nights.
3 Your Credit Cards and ATM Cards. Yep there's a bank (US Bank) on Front Street with an ATM machine. Might want to bring those credit card balances down to Zero cause you'll be buying JazzTrax Festival T-shirts, Festival Caps, Festival Blankets, Festival 25 year celebration Wine Glasses. Oh and most of all you'll be buying the CD's of all the Stars of Smooth Jazz on the Island after their performances and getting their autographs on the CD's. Heck you might even decide to Zip line.....or Para sail.
4 Jogging or Walking Shoes. Just saying. Gotta take advantage of Jogging down a Boardwalk alongside an Ocean! Golf Clubs for the historic Country Club 9 hole course where Howard Hughes and Katherine Hepburn once played together. Tennis Rackets especially if you are staying at Hamilton Cove. Tennis in the morning before the concerts begin at Noon. Fins? Mask? (snorkeling) Air Tank? (scuba diving) Paddle Board? Kayak?
5 Casual Clothes maybe even sweats. Everybody remembers the slightly dressier stuff they'll wear to the Avalon Ballroom for the after dark evening performances, but remember you've got all morning for breakfasting out. Plus everybody comes to the Afternoon Sessions much more casually dressed. Some like changing to Sweats for the After Party on the Beach. There are no dress codes. Once had a lady arrive in a see through dress. We had to ask her to leave, (but we waited 20 minutes). We'd suggest a light jacket or sweatshirt as the evenings on the ocean sometimes turn cooler. But save the space in your suitcase. You'll need it for the JazzTrax Festival Fleece Jacket you'll be returning home with. Avalon has plenty of shops so leave some suitcase space as well to buy Island clothing. There is a UPS/Fed Ex outlet for shipping home but not open till mid morning on Monday. Called Catalina Flying Boats.
6 I-Pad for your Morning Newspaper and Sports although your hotel room will have L.A. television. There's now internet access everywhere. You can even link in if your accommodations are one of the floating hotel rooms IN THE HARBOR. That would be the many many sailboats and yachts many festival goers from Southern California arrive in. Don't worry about missing an MLB play-off game (you know the Nationals or Reds are going to win the World Series don't you?) because we always have a TV in the Marine Room Bar on the Casino Mezzanine next to the JazzTrax store for play-offs or football.
7 Your Dinner Reservations. One of the Most Asked Questions is "Do We Need Dinner Reservations?" It is a very good idea as a huge festival audience are all trying to eat between 4:30 pm and 7 pm when the Evening Sessions begin in the Ballroom (7:30 pm Friday Night, extra 30 minutes). Then you have peace of mind knowing you aren't going to run into full restaurants or long waits. After all you CAN'T miss the opening notes of Booker T. Jones, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band or Eric Darius. Steve's Steakhouse, Portofino and the Avalon Grille all take reservations. Armstrong's Fresh Fish doesn't but take note this very famous Avalon restaurant will close permanently after this October's JazzTrax. A new Blue Water Grille will be built on it's site awaiting you October 2013.
8 Bring a Book....nope, don't bother. You won't have anytime to read. (unless you're comin' in for Unplugged then you can read all day Friday.......................on the beach.
9 Swimsuit. Haven't you been swearing every year you'd jump into the Pacific Ocean on Catalina Island? You might want to Kayak, Paddle Board, Snorkel or Scuba.
10 Your JazzTrax Tickets. We'll help you out if you forget them, but hey, it's the reason you're coming. Pack your Tickets with your toothbrush and get that suitcase rollin' towards the airplane and boats departing for Santa Catalina Island and the 26th annual JazzTrax Festival.
If you forget something you'll find about everything you need on Smooth Jazz Island. Leo's Drugstore,
2 Von's Grocery Stores (more and more are renting Houses or Hamilton Cove Villa's and COOKING),
Sun glass Store, Rent Golf Clubs
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NOTICE THE TROMBONE
Just 1 week to the start of the 2012 Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival as I head for the Island this Weekend. Setting up shop a week in advance. The JazzTrax Programs are on UPS flights into the Island's Airport in the Sky right now. Although you can read the program on line right now. The beautiful new JazzTrax Festival merchandise some which you've seen above is also en route. Some of you who watch KCET Public Television in Los Angeles the past week have seen their special 'Wings Across the Channel.' A documentary on the history of 50 years of Catalina Island Aviation. Inside of which we have donated JazzTrax Festival tickets for their Pledge Drive. I took several phone calls last week from friends who not only were watching the special but said a lot of video from last year's JazzTrax Festival was airing within the special. KCET is the largest public broadcast station in the U.S. This has been great exposure for our upcoming festival. It has been a god send advertising-wise for us in this current economy and we appreciate that so much. Thank You KCET and John Mazur. 
Another change happened months ago when Basia unceremoniously dumped out of her contract with us and simply canceled her Fall Tour. She unfortunately is so flaky on her scheduling I'm pretty sure I would never trust booking her again. I mean when you have a contract and she has your money and she still bails out with nothing you can do about it. Just saying. Michael Lington was about to bail as well when his boss, Michael Bolton,
