The third annual Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival is bigger and better than ever. In addition to the main event on Saturday, June 1st, we’ve added two more special events on Friday and Saturday nights.

Taste Outstanding California Wines

The Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival features some of California’s finest wineries. We believe some of the best wine in the world comes from California, and we hope you’ll come sample them for yourself. When you arrive, you’ll get a commemorative stemless wine glass, tasting tickets, and wristband – then you’ll be free to explore the many winemakers that will line Half Moon Bay’s historic Main Street.

Experience World-Class Jazz

It’s an honor to bring some of the finest jazz musicians in the world downtown for the Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival. Appearing on stage at the Main Event on Saturday are the Jahari Stampley Trio, Kim Nalley Band, Howard Wiley Quartet, and Ayo Brame Quartet.

Jahari Stampley Trio

Jahari Stampley, a 24 year old piano prodigy from Chicago, is the winner of the Herbie Hancock Institute International Competition and is considered one of the fastest rising stars in jazz. Jahari released his debut album entitled “Still Listening” which rose to #1 on Apple iTunes in the first weeks of the album’s release.

Kim Nalley Band

Dr. Kim Nalley has been called “legendary” and a “San Francisco institution” and is a fixture of the San Francisco jazz scene with her 3½ octave range and incomparable stage presence. The SF Chronicle says “She has been compared to all the greats, but in the end, it’s Kim Nalley and no one else – an unforced instrument with clarity and jazzy musicality, effortlessly delivered, and a sense of humor to boot.”

Howard Wiley Quartet

Howard Wiley is a Resident Artistic Director at SFJazz and has been heralded as “the most prodigious Bay Area saxophonist of his generation.” He has performed at jazz festivals worldwide, including the Monterey Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Fest, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, and SXSW.

Michela Marino Lerman

Michela Marino Lerman is the Artist-in-Residence for the 2024 Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival. She’s an internationally-known tap dance artist who has appeared everywhere from Sesame Street to a US postage stamp, and during Saturday’s event you’ll find her performing alongside Howard Wiley on the Main Stage.

Ayo Brame Quartet

Ayo Brame, at only 16 years old, is a talented, up-and-coming saxophonist out of Oakland, California and has been labeled “an emerging force” in jazz. In addition to the saxophone, he plays the clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and music production where he’s beginning to lay original tracks.

Beer and Cider Garden

It’s a wine and jazz festival, but if wine isn’t your thing, or you’re just craving a cold one to wash down that delicious food from the food court, beer and cider will be available for purchase from a some great local breweries and cideries!

SPECIAL EVENT

Celebrating Harlem of the West

In the 1940’s and 1950’s, San Francisco’s Fillmore District was the jazz center of the Bay Area, celebrated as the “Harlem of the West”. Friday night’s special event aims to capture the spirit of that place and time with an evening reminiscent of the supper clubs that were popular at the time. The multi-faceted show will weave jazz music, dance, and poetry together in an unforgettable performance.

The show will feature vocalist Kenny Washington, the Marcus Shelby Quintet, tap dancer Michela Marino Lerman, vocalist Chloe Jean, poet Enid Pickett, and historian Lewis Watts.

The entertainment will be paired with a delicious three-course culinary experience at Pasta Moon. Two seatings of the show are available, one starting at 5:30 PM and one at 8:00 PM on May 31st, as a separate ticket purchase.

Kenny Washington

Kenny Washington thrills audiences across the globe with his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and rapid-fire scatting. Described as one of “the Bay Area’s best kept musical secrets,” Washington’s astounding improvisational flights, inventive approach and emotional intensity are awe inspiring.

Marcus Shelby Quintet

Marcus Shelby is a composer, bassist, bandleader, and educator whose work focuses on the history, present, and future of African American lives, social movements and music education. Shelby is a jazz icon synonymous with Bay Area jazz and the spirit of collaboration.

Michela Marino Lerman

Michela Marino Lerman is the Artist-in-Residence for the 2024 Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival. She’s an internationally-known tap dance artist who has appeared everywhere from Sesame Street to a US postage stamp, and during Saturday’s event you’ll find her performing alongside Howard Wiley on the Main Stage.

Chloe Jean

Chloe Jean is an award-winning Bay Area recording artist and songwriter.  In May 2023, Chloe released her album, Fairy Tale Fail, to much critical acclaim. Her R&B background lends a unique take on jazz standards, while her original tunes draw from her experiences in both heart-ache and love. 

Enid Pickett

Enid Pickett is a poet and educator who in 2021 became the first ever poet laureate of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival. Speaking of Enid’s talent, Marcus Shelby said he was “inspired by her ability to weave words and sentences like a musician playing the blues — full of clear, articulate tension and release.”

Lewis Watts

Lewis Watts is a photographer, archivist curator, art historian, author, lecturer, and educator. He is a Professor Emeritus of Art at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His book, Harlem of the West — the San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era, celebrates a unique chapter in jazz history, and also inspired the theme of this special performance.

SPECIAL EVENT

Saturday Sunset Swing

For those who want to keep the party going after the main event, the Saturday Sunset Swing features Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.

The Grammy-nominated jazz singer and swing revivalist leads her all-star band of musicians to close out the festival at Half Moon Bay’s historic San Benito House on Main Street.

Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

Lavay Smith is the vocalist and bandleader of the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, one of the top swingin’ Jazz and Blues bands in the world. Lavay has become an internationally recognized Diva of Jazz and Blues, with a singing style influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Little Esther Phillips and other legendary greats.

Schedule of Events:

Special Event

Friday, May 31, 2024

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM: Celebrating Harlem of the West

A supper-club style show featuring vocalist Kenny Washington with the Marcus Shelby Quintet & more, plus a 3-course dinner by Pasta Moon.

Location: Pasta Moon, 845 Main Street

Get Tickets - $175 each plus service fee

Main Event

Saturday, June 1, 2024  |  12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Taste some of California’s finest wines and meet the winemakers from 50 different wineries throughout the state. Your ticket comes with a commemorative tasting glass and a punch card for tastings at 10 wineries.

Location: Downtown Half Moon Bay

Get Tickets - $175 each plus service fee

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Saturday Sunset Swing

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers perform at this special after-party event at the historic San Benito House on Main Street.

Get Tickets - $60 each plus service fee

Location: San Benito House, 356 Main Street

Date: Saturday, June 1, 2024

Time: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

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