The Blue Jay Jazz Festival

August 24 - 26, 2023

Presented by The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation

Proceeds help provide instruments, scholarships, equipment and music making opportunities for our local youth!

The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation’s Festival 2023 will be presenting an amazing lineup of world class jazz, big band, and dazzling virtuoso musicians. The BJJF is one of the most scenic jazz festivals for fans to enjoy taking place lakeside in the majestic mountains of Southern California.

The immersive 3-day live jazz experience includes two evenings: Thursday, August 24 and Friday, August 25 at Arrowhead Lake Association’s Tavern Bay Beach Club. On Saturday, August 26 the party moves to Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa for an early afternoon of live jazz overlooking the lake. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Exciting News for Jazz Fest Lovers!

The George Whitty Trio Show Featuring 4time Grammy Award Winning Keyboardist, George Whitty Has Been Moved Lakeside to the

Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa Outdoor Terrace

Experience sensational live jazz under tall pine trees overlooking the beautiful lake.

George Whitty Trio ~ TICKETS ON SALE!

Limited show seating. Get your tickets now. Shows sell-out fast.

The George Whitty Trio Live Show

Has Been Moved Lakeside to

Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa

Outdoor Terrace

27984 Hwy-189

Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352

Saturday, August 26th

New Showtime 11 am

Doors Open 10:15 am

Theater Seating

First Come ~ First Seated

No-Host Bar

Light Refreshments for Purchase

Coffee, Tea & Water Provided

Bring Your Sunhats, Sunscreen and Sunglasses

Original Tickets Still Valid

Refunds Available Until June 30th

Sorry, No Outside Food or Beverage Allowed

Buy Tickets Now!

Blue Jay Jazz Foundation

For more information:

Call (909) 336-3955

Email info@bluejayjazz.org

Visit bluejayjazz.org

The George Whitty Trio

George Whitty - Keyboard

Joel Taylor, Drummer

Andre Berry, Bass

*Click on each artist for YouTube Video

Multiple Grammy and Emmy winner George Whitty brings an all-star trio to the Festival’s Saturday show this year.

George, a Mountain resident since 2006, has played and recorded with Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, the Brecker Brothers, Celine Dion, Chaka Khan, David Sanborn and dozens of other top artists, producing 4 Grammy-winning CDs along the way. Read more.

This special performance will include bassist Andre Berry, a recent transplant to Running Springs and a first-call bassist with The Brothers Johnson, David Sanborn, A Tribe Called Quest, Dave Koz, TLC, Kirk Whalum and a long list of other great musicians.

On drums we have Joel Taylor, drummer for Gloria Estefan, Jeff Lorber, Herb Alpert, Josh Groban, Bobby Caldwell and a top recording choice of producer David Foster. He is also a mountain-lover with a second home in Big Bear.

George Whitty, Long-Time Local Resident & Advocate for Music Education in Rim District Schools

Raised in Coos Bay, Oregon George Whitty was encouraged from an early age to engage in music and the creative arts, so he began with piano lessons. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston majoring in jazz piano where he soon discovered many other talented musicians his age, which served as motivation.

Later he moved to New York where he lived with other musicians and searched for work. Soon he got gigs on cruise ships, corporate events, bar mitzvahs and weddings. His first break was with Chaka Khan's band and the rest is musical history.

Whitty won an Emmy for the work he composed for the popular daytime soap opera, All My Children. His discography includes more than 100 CDs as a producer or musician. Recently he worked with Grammy award-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal, a headliner at the Blue Jay Jazz Festival.

In 2006, Whitty moved to the Lake Arrowhead Mountain Communities to raise his two sons in a friendly community with good schools, fresh air and nature, yet close proximity to Los Angeles for business. He immediately got involved supporting music programs in the Rim Unified School District, and later the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation. Both of his sons attended Rim High School and like dad, music is a major part of their lives.

Whitty conducts master classes, clinics, and gives lessons and tours all over the world. He doesn't just play he arranges, mixes and masters, edits, optimizes and produces music, all while enjoying life in the mountains.

Get your tickets now for the George Whitty Trio performance on Saturday, August 26th. Proceeds go to the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation to help provide instruments, scholarships, equipment and music making opportunities for our local youth!

The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation

A Sound Future

The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation (BJJF) education programs provide annual jazz education scholarships, awards, instrument lending and live performance opportunities for students and other young people in the San Bernardino Mountain communities.

BJJF programs encourage both school participation and practice at home. The program provides parents and guardians with a partner to support their child’s overall development through an understanding of musical performance, theory, and discipline – all while facilitating the sharing of quality time together.

In recent years, school music programs have been gutted by budget cuts. The result has been that many schools are unable to provide enough instruments for all the students who want to learn music. The value of a music education goes far beyond the music itself. A study at the University of Kansas revealed that students with superior music education programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized tests. These efforts help those young people who choose to expand their potential for creativity, discipline, and academic achievement

Blue Jay Jazz Foundation Scholarships

Launched in 2007 the BJJF, a non-profit educational institution, has been making a substantial impact in the lives of families. The scholarship program, for instance, since 2016 has awarded over 30 grants with 10 accompanying grants from the Lake Arrowhead Rotary Club - totaling over $65,000.

Congratulations!

Blue Jay Jazz Foundation 2023

Future Generation Jazz Scholars

These Rim High students are recognized for exemplary commitment to their music and the performance groups in which they participated. Your community wishes you great success in your careers! Left to right:

Martina Urrutia (bass)
David Anderson (drum/sax)
Dylan Witter (guitar)
Chris Whitty, (piano)
Ara Tokatlian (sax/vocals)

Please Help Keep the Music Alive Locally

Donations, Sponsorships & Instruments

Get involved in sustaining live music in our mountain communities and support innovative music education in the Rim Unified School District. Whether it's a monetary donation, a music or event sponsorship, or donating an instrument, your help is needed to keep music alive as an essential component of a well-rounded education. Here are some ways:

Blue Jay Jazz Festival Event Host Sponsor
Adopt a Music Scholar: Future Generation Music Scholarships
Gloria Loring Vocal Excellence Award
Give to the Music – Benefit Rim of the World School Bands
Give an Instrument: Inspire a Musician – Support Instrument Donation
Play On’ Musical Instrument Lending Library (No cost to Rim District students)

"The efforts of the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation and its Board of Directors provide world class jazz and access to music education that is not the filling of a pot, but the lighting of a fire."

~ Chris Levister, BJJF President &

Co-Founder Since 2007

Meet the BJJF Board Members

BJJF Board of Directors (left to right): Wayne Austin, Gina Richardson, Jennifer Jenkins, Lori Semeniuk, Dr. Hugh Bialecki, Chris Levister, Dr. Ernest Levister, and Mike Kahrs (Front)