June 14th, 2008

SOUTH COAST WINERY

Temecula, California

• The Shriners
• Festival Store
• Event Photos

The 2008 Rhythm on the Vine poster is available at the Festival Store.

Experience an afternoon of smooth and progressive jazz from some of the most talented and honored musicians today. From piano to saxophone, you'll be listening to over four hours of incredible music on our main stage. And don't forget that throughout the day on our Marketplace Stage we'll be featuring new up and coming musicians starting at noon.

MAIN STAGE
2008 Grammy Award Winning Jazz Legend
HERBIE HANCOCK
Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while still maintaining his unique, unmistakable voice. Herbie's success at expanding the possibilities of musical thought has placed him in the annals of this century's visionaries. With an illustrious career spanning five decades, he continues to amaze audiences and never ceases to expand the public's vision of what music, particularly jazz, is all about today.

Herbie Hancock's creative path has moved fluidly between almost every development in acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B since 1960. He has attained an enviable balance of commercial and artistic success, arriving at a point in his career where he ventures into every new project motivated purely by the desire to expand the boundaries of his creativity.

Yet for all Hancock's accomplishments both in and out of music, there's one thing he'd never done. "I had never thought about lyrics before," he says. "Never." "River: The Joni Letters" is Hancock's journey into the world of words, his initiation as a man of letters. "I wanted the lyrics to be the foundation for this whole project, for everything to stem from the lyrics and their meaning." The album won the 2008 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and also won best contemporary jazz album.

There are few artists in the music industry who have gained more respect and cast more influence than Herbie Hancock. As the immortal Miles Davis said in his autobiography, "Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven't heard anybody yet who has come after him."

Herbie Hancock also maintains a thriving career outside the performing stage and recording studio. Since 1991, he has been the Distinguished Artist in Residence at Jazz Aspen Snowmass in Colorado; a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and performance of jazz and American music. Herbie also serves as Institute Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the foremost international organization devoted to the development of jazz performance and education worldwide. He has taken on a number of roles on behalf of the institute, from competition judge to master class teacher, to guest performer with the Institute's prestigious college program.

Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: in the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Though one can't track exactly where he will go next, he is sure to leave his own inimitable creative style and imprint wherever he lands.

Jim Brickman (4:45pm)
Jim Brickman revolutionized the sound of Adult Contemporary music with his pop-style solo piano and the romantic popular song. Jim's remarkable career includes six Gold and Platinum selling albums, three #1 and twelve Top 10 Adult Contemporary radio hits, consistent debuts at #1 on Billboard Magazine's New Age chart, a Grammy nomination in 2003, SESAC "Songwriter of the Year" award, a Canadian Country Music Award for "Best Vocal/ Instrumental Collaboration," a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association for "The Gift."

Along with his career highlights, Jim's best-known compositions include the chart-toppers "Valentine," "The Gift," "Love of My Life," and "Peace." In November 2005, he held the top three spots on Billboard's New Age chart for his albums The Disney Songbook, Grace and Greatest Hits.

He has been equally successful in other artistic endeavors, including a weekly syndicated radio show, Your Weekend with Jim Brickman, and two best-selling books of essays, Simple Things and Love Notes: 101 Lessons from the Heart. Jim performed at ABC's Gala for the President at Ford's Theatre, was music correspondent for NBC's Today, and hosted the A&E special Winter Solstice on Ice.

Kirk Whalum (3pm)
From his beginnings in Memphis, where he played in his father's church choir, Kirk Whalum drew inspiration from the rich musical traditions of that city, including gospel, R&B, blues, and eventually jazz. He received a scholarship to attend music school at Texas Southern University, where he formed a band in 1979 and began playing on the local club circuit. When he opened for Bob James in Houston in 1984, the pianist was impressed with Whalum's expressive style and invited him to play on his album 12. Whalum signed with Columbia and released his first solo album, Floppy Disk, in 1985.

A duet with James titled "Joined at the Hip" took Whalum's career to a new level with his first Grammy nomination. The fan base that Whalum had been building throughout the '80s and '90s exploded with his 1998 release, For You, which spent nearly two years at the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and yielded four Top Ten NAC hits. His self-produced album, Hymns in the Garden, which followed in 2000, made a much quieter impact, but was critically acclaimed and earned Whalum a second Grammy nomination. Also in 2000, Whalum recorded again for Warner Brothers and released Unconditional, his third album for the label. Unconditional returned to the contemporary jazz style that had marked his early releases, with a few unexpected covers, including versions of Macy Gray's "I Try" and N'Sync's "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You." "Can't Stop the Rain," a song written and sung by Shai, is the only other song on the album not composed by Whalum.

Since 2001, Whalum has released four studio albums, including his second volume of gospel songs The Gospel According to Jazz: Chapter 2 and Kirk Whalum Performs the Babyface Songbook released on Rendezvous Music in 2005.

Sheila E. & The E. Family featuring Pete Escovedo, Juan Escovedo & Peter Michael Escovedo (6:45pm)
The Escovedo Family is one of the most versatile and gifted families worldwide. Their amazing talents crosses cultural and musical barriers each time they perform from the Northern California Bay Areas, to the island of Venice Italy. Native Californian Pete Escovedo discovered and cultivated a love and passion for music, which soon led him to embrace Latin jazz and pass it on to his sons and daughters as his father did for him. Pete has performed and toured with such respected artist as Mongo Santamaria, Bobby McFerrin, Cal Tjader, Woody Herman, Billy Cobham, Boz Scaggs, Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, and Chick Corea to name a few with his signature sound on timbales. Not to mention Pete and his brother Coke were the founders of the history-making band Azteca, and was one of the original members of Santana.

Today, the Escovedo Family leads one of the top orchestra's in the country, performing their own unique brand of Latin jazz.

The collaboration with daughter Sheila E., who's roster is a who's who of the industry, performing with artist such as Ringo Starr, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, George Duke and countless others keeps the rhythm solid on drums & vocals. First born son Juan Escovedo on congas & vocals brings his flavor of Pop and R&B to the table with his roster of noted artist such as Patti Labelle, Lou Bega, En Vogue, Herbie Hancock and many more captivates the audiences with his versatility. Youngest son Peter Michael, who received an Emmy nomination for his work as Music Director & Producer for the Wayne Brady show assists Pete in leading the band, while his list consist of Mariah Carey, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Nicks, George Michael, MD for Martin Short Show but to name a few electrifies the crowd on bongos, drums and vocals.

The Escovedo family is a force to be reckoned with. Their memorable performance with the late Tito Puente was also chronocolized beautifully in the Latina Familia performance. In addition, this family can be seen in the Latin pop culture movie, "Chasing Papi" performing their original track "Escondia" with the title track "Favorite Fantasy" co written by Sheila E. Collectively they are the latest evolution of one of the most amazing musical family dynasties that continues to deliver a colorful and powerful concoction of music to soothe the soul.

The Escovedo Family's contribution to the community is exemplary as they take pride in giving back by assisting families and children in need through introducing the power of healing through music.

ARTISAN MARKETPLACE STAGE
Wendy Alane Wright
Esther Yoon
And many more!