The Utah Symphony is getting ready to lay it on the people.
Keith Lockhart and the Utah Symphony will kick start this year's Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival with a concert in Abravanel Hall on Wednesday, with special guests the Brubeck Brothers.
Lockhart, who as conductor of the Boston Pops just closed out that orchestra's season, is looking forward to the Salt Lake performance.
"I might be a little tired," Lockhart joked during a telephone interview last week from his Boston office. "As soon as the Pops season ends, I fly into Salt Lake and begin rehearsals for the jazz festival."
He heartily endorses Mayor Rocky Anderson's idea for the Utah Symphony to be part of the jazz festival. "The mayor called me last winter," Lockhart said. "In the typical Rocky Anderson fashion, he called and said, 'Keith, this is Rocky. I'm calling from the airport. I think it would be great to have the Utah Symphony involved in the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival.' "
With an invitation like that, how could Lockhart resist? "When you think about it, the Utah Symphony is one of the largest musical organizations in Salt Lake City. So it made sense to be a part of the event," he said.
Lockhart said playing with the Brubeck Brothers is always a treat. "I enjoy the music of their father, Dave Brubeck, and I enjoy the Brubeck Brothers. I know Christopher Brubeck (the bassist), and look forward to working with him. And to have a chance to play with someone of (clarinetist) Eddie Daniels' caliber is also a nice opportunity."
Merging an orchestra that usually performs classical music with jazz musicians has its challenges, Lockhart said. "I'm used to it because of the Boston Pops, which plays jazz on occasion. But to combine a symphony full of classical musicians, whose main job is to read and play notated works, and perform with jazz musicians who have mastered the art of playing off the cuff, is an issue.
"But we're all musicians and we all play well. As a symphony, we have to make sure the jazz musicians stay within certain parameters so we can actually play with them."
Festival director Jerry Floor is glad Lockhart stepped up to the plate this year. "To have the Utah Symphony on board is exciting for us. With the Utah Symphony musicians as a part of the festival, we will have more than 200 Utah musicians participating this year. That's the way it needs to be, especially since we're called the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival."
When the festival started five years ago, there was no question about how much it should cost, said Floor. "Mayor Anderson was adamant that he wanted the event to be free. He wouldn't budge on the issue. He wanted to give something to Salt Lake."
Although the lack of admission money provides logistical puzzles to be solved, Floor is up for the challenge. "I knew this meant a lot to Rocky, and I knew it meant a lot for Salt Lake — and jazz music in general. So we got working on it and found an abundance of musicians and people who gladly volunteered their time and efforts to make sure the festival would take place.
"Now, five years later, we're bigger and better than ever."
In addition to the Utah Symphony, the Brubeck Brothers and the Eddie Daniels Quartet, this year's event will include Utah's own Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra, the Great Basin Street Band, Fat Soul, Spanky Wilson Quintet and Lalah Hathaway. Also performing will be the Clayton Brothers, Spyro Gyra, Freddie Hubbard, Kathy Kosins, Kevin Mahogany and the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
After each evening's performance there will also be special performances at the Grand America Hotel and the Little America Hotel, Floor said. "Those are not free. People would need to contact the hotels for admission prices."
If you go
What: Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival
Where: Downtown Salt Lake City, various venues
When: Wednesday-Sunday; times vary
How much: Free, but tickets required at some venues
Web: www.slcjazzfest.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com