Annual summer jazz fest returns to downtown San Jose

For years, thousands of music fans have packed the Latin Tropical Stage at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, turning downtown into an open-air dance floor where salsa has long been one of the festival’s defining traditions.

Christian Vela, associate artistic director with San Jose Jazz, the nonprofit group that hosts the annual festival, wants to keep people dancing. But as the group prepares for its first artistic leadership transition in 36 years, Vela sees an opportunity to broaden what audiences experience — not only through a wider range of Latino music, but by connecting visitors with the city’s restaurants, artists, hotels and nightlife.

“I don’t want to knock that, because that is such a good thing,” Vela told San José Spotlight about the festival’s longtime salsa tradition. “But I also want to expand on our Latin culture.”

When Summer Fest returns Aug. 7-9, Vela and longtime Artistic Director Bruce Labadie will unveil a lineup they created together before Vela officially succeeds Labadie later this year. Alongside salsa and Latin jazz, the festival will feature artists performing cumbia, Cuban music, Chicano soul and other genres that reflect the diversity of Latino music while preserving what audiences have come to expect.

The 36th annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest is expected to draw more than 30,000 attendees to downtown San Jose over three days. This year’s lineup includes Grammy-winning singer Patti LaBelle, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Zapp ft. Tuxedo and more than 100 artists performing across eight outdoor stages and downtown venues.

Growing up in East San Jose, Vela said he moved easily between cultures. His parents, who emigrated from Chihuahua, Mexico, filled their home with cumbias while he also gravitated toward classic rock. Later, he discovered Latin jazz through artists including Poncho Sánchez and Chucho Valdés.

“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel either, but I’m just trying to push the frontiers forward,” Vela said. “I always said that jazz is traditions in transition, and that’s kind of what I want. That’s the philosophy I want to live by.”

That philosophy extends beyond the festival’s outdoor stages. Summer Fest performances will stretch across downtown San Jose through Club Crawl concerts, intimate sets at the Break Room and events at local businesses, giving attendees more opportunities to experience music outside the main festival grounds.

John LaFortune, president and CEO of Visit San Jose, said Summer Fest is one of the city’s signature events, attracting residents and visitors while helping showcase San Jose as a world-class live music destination.

“Large-scale events like Summer Fest are great for our economy,” LaFortune told San José Spotlight. “They bring visitors who, in turn, create vibrancy and support jobs, especially in the hospitality sector.”

Downtown hotels are also preparing for festival visitors. Linh Pham, front desk supervisor at Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Downtown, said reservations typically increase during the week leading up to Summer Fest. The 86-room hotel is within walking distance of Plaza de César Chávez, where the festival takes place.

“Usually (music fans) don’t book right away,” Pham told San José Spotlight. “They’ll wait until about a week heading into the festival.”

For Adolfo Gomez, co-owner of Mezcal Restaurant and board chair of the San Jose Downtown Association, the festival has become one of the most important weekends of the year.

“It’s two events right now that really produce money for a restaurant like mine,” Gomez told San José Spotlight, referring to Nvidia GTC and Summer Fest.

Mezcal has celebrated Jazz Summer Fest weekend with its “Soul Sunday” tradition since 2009, after a local DJ encouraged Gomez to host music during the festival. This year, the restaurant is expanding to three days of music featuring cumbia fusion Friday, Afro-Cuban Latin jazz Saturday and DJs on Sunday, while taking over neighboring patio space to welcome more visitors.

Gomez said the festival has also built lasting relationships with customers who travel from cities such as Chicago, Miami and New York every year, stopping by Mezcal as part of their Summer Fest tradition.

Gio Alejandro is co-founder of Houston-based cumbia fusion duo Gio Chamba, which will make its San Jose Jazz Summer Fest debut on the Latin Tropical Stage next weekend.

“When it comes to Latin music in general, I feel like there’s always been a fusion,” Alejandro told San José Spotlight. “If you think about Latin jazz, a lot of that comes from … Afro-Cuban things mixed together with what Black jazz musicians were doing here in the States.”

For Vela, those partnerships are part of the festival’s evolution. He said he wants people to leave Summer Fest remembering more than a performance on stage. He wants attendees to discover a new neighborhood venue, hear a genre they haven’t experienced before or find a local business they’ll return to after the festival ends.

“It’s not just about the music,” Vela said. “It’s about creating a cultural experience.”

Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at [email protected] or @CasasPerezRed on X.