2007
July
27, 28 & 29
About the Festival
The seeds of the Evergreen Jazz Festival were sown in 1999 at a birthday party for long-time Evergreen resident Sterling Nelson. Sterling had served as president of the Denver Jazz Club as far back as 1960, and his birthday party included unrehearsed performances by eight top Colorado jazz musicians. Inspired by the incredible music of this all-star band, party-goers expressed a desire to "do this every year."
Happily, Evergreen was no stranger to jazz. In the late '60s and early '70s, Evergreen hosted jazz greats like Count Basie and Duke Ellington at a club called The Red Ram. Now known as Little Bear, this infamous night club serves as one of our Festival venues. Another of our venues, the Elks Lodge, hosted the Evergreen Ragtime Bash throughout the '90s, thanks to the efforts of local jazz pianist George Keeler.
Building on this jazz heritage, along with 18 months of planning and preparation, Sterling and a small group of volunteers staged the first Evergreen Jazz Festival over the weekend of July 20-22, 2001. Nine world-class bands, including the birthday celebration all-stars (a.k.a. Celebration Jazz Band) and James Dapagony's Chicago Jazz Band performed for over 70 hours in front of enthusiastic audiences.
The success of that first Festival was tempered by financial realities that necessitated a one-year hiatus. But in 2003, armed with a business plan and better sponsorship, the Festival enjoyed an even bigger success. James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band returned to rave reviews and has been a part of the Festival ever since. Local teenager Liz Ager amazed audiences with the style, range and maturity of her vocals, while Queen City Jazz Band played an incredible Sunday morning gospel service that has become an annual Festival highlight.
Each year has seen the Evergreen Jazz Festival attract more jazz fans as word spreads about this weekend of great music, and the Festival continues to garner rave reviews not only from audiences, but from musicians and jazz critics as well. From the Rocky Mountain setting to the talented musicians playing in intimate venues, the Evergreen Jazz Festival offers an experience unparalleled in the musical world.
Evergreen's jazz heritage includes performances by such well-known stars as Duke Ellington.
The beautiful setting at Evergreen Lake House is always a hit.
Alpine wildflowers abound around Evergreen.
(Below, from left)
Rosalie Peak,
Epaulet Mtn. and
Mt. Evans. A
short drive from
Evergreen, Mt.
Evans Road
reaches 14,260
feet above sea
level, making it
the highest
paved road in
North America.
