JazzTrax in the Casino Ballroom is one of Catalina Island’s most popular events.
For nearly 30 years, October has meant jazz on Catalina Island. In 1987, event producer Art Good brought world class smooth jazz to the Casino Ballroom and JazzTrax has been a legendary event ever since.
JazzTrax on Catalina Island is held in the first half of October – this year it is scheduled for Oct. 8-11 and Oct. 15-18. For many jazz fans, the festival is an annual event – aficionados make their accommodations reservations for the following year before they even depart the island.
The weekends include headliner concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings and afternoon concerts on Saturdays and Sundays in the world famous Catalina Casino Ballroom. Unplugged concerts, with dinner and smooth jazz on the beach, are held on Thursday nights at Descanso Beach. After parties, with DJ entertainment, will also be held on Saturday nights at Descanso Beach. This year’s performers include Mindy Abair, Josh Vietti, Brian Culbertson and The Three Tenors. Additional performers are keyboardist Bob James, saxophonist and vocalist Marcus and Marcel Anderson and keyboardist Jonathan Fritzen with saxophonist Vincent Ingala. Single concert tickets and full-weekend tickets are available. Ticket purchasers can choose from ballroom floor tickets or table tickets. For more information, visit the Catalina JazzTrax website.