The San Joaquin Valley Jazz Festival was founded in 1989 by trumpeter and educator, Paul Shaghoian. After being held at the D&D Ranch in Madera California, it was moved to San Joaquin Memorial High and later to Buchanan High School in Clovis California.
Paul Shaghoian passed away and since that time the festival has been under the direction of Paul Lucckesi. Lucckesi moved the festival in 2008 to the Shaghoian Concert Hall.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY JAZZ FESTIVAL
SJVJF has been anchored since its inception by Fresno based jazz musicians Brian Hamada, Craig Von Berg, and John Lauffenburger as well as a long list of Fresno State alumni including Dale and Larry Engstrom, Rick Helzer, Mike Dana, Meryl Wamhoff and Larry Honda.
During the festival’s 27 years in existence the Central Valley has seen some of the nation’s top jazz educators, as well as some of the greatest jazz musicians in the world.
Such luminaries have included noted jazz educators Larry Sutherland, Gene Aitken, Steve Owen, Neil Slater, George Stone, Matt Harris, Dave Glenn, Dan Gailey, Gary Pratt, Chuck Dotas, Aaron Lington, and James Miley.
The list of performers have been a virtual who’s who of artists from throughout the world and have included Bobby Shew, Frank Mantooth, Jim Snidero, Carl Saunders, Gary Hobbs, Dave Rickenburg, Lanny Morgan, Tim Ries, Michael Davis, Brian Lynch, Peter Epstein, Terell Stafford, Tigran Hamasyan, David Binney, Ben Wendel, Nate Wood, Kaveh Rastegar, Adam Benjamin, Dan Weiss, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Ben Allison, Nate Smith, Mark Ferber, Donny McCaslin, Josh Nelson, Gilbert Castellanos, John Daversa, Anthony Wilson, the Alan Ferber Expanded Big Band and John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble.
Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall
We are extremely proud to present the entire SJVJF in The Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall. The hall is a fitting tribute to a man who gave so much to jazz in the Central Valley.
Festival Admission for Friday and Saturday’s day events can be purchased at the door for $10 (without a convenience fee). All sales are final; no refunds or exchanges will be given.
For group orders to the Saturday Evening Concert (10 or more tickets), contact us at the festival 559-327-3225 or paullucckesi@cusd.com
