SAN DIEGO JAZZ FANS SET FOR BOUNTIFUL SUMMER

It’s only March, but already the local jazz scene is bracing itself for an all out concert war this summer.

To the fans, the fact that the summer will bring to town up to three competing jazz concert series means a far greater selection of entertainment than ever before.

But to the promoters responsible for putting on those series, that same fact represents a gamble that hinges on the question of just how much jazz San Diego audiences are willing to support.

For the fifth year in a row, Southland Concerts is presenting its “Concerts by the Bay” series on Humphrey’s 850-seat outdoor stage by San Diego Bay.

And this time, said Southland vice president Kenny Weissberg, the series will be bigger than ever, with more than 50 acts--ranging from traditional jazz trumpeter Miles Davis to the more commercial Windham Hill family of pop-jazz instrumentalists--scheduled to play from late April through October.

Unlike previous years, however, Southland will no longer have a monopoly on local jazz audiences--nor on the roster of artists who routinely returned to Humphrey’s year after year.

A second series of summer jazz concerts at San Diego State University’s 4,500-seat Open Air Theater, produced by Avalon Attractions of Los Angeles, has already signed up two of Humphrey’s biggest headliners: Spyro Gyra and Shadowfax.

And a possible third series, produced by veteran local promoter Marc Berman and slated for either the 1,750-capacity La Jolla Village Inn or the equally large Kona Kai Club may take an even bigger bite out of Southland’s stable of mainstays.

But Weissberg, whose series is the undisputed leader, said the new competition doesn’t worry him in the least.

“I’ve always figured that because we’ve continually done so well, there are going to be other people trying to produce competing series,” Weissberg said. “And, accordingly, some of the acts that have traditionally played Humphrey’s are going to choose one of the other promoters.

“But to counter that exodus, we are again going to bring a number of new, up-and-coming acts to Humphrey’s, as we did last year with Whitney Houston, Stanley Jordan and Freddie Jackson.

“And because of that, people will continue to come to Humphrey’s, both out of habit and to keep abreast of what’s new in the worlds of jazz, pop, and rhythm-and-blues.”

Weissberg said his optimism is buoyed by the fact that for this summer, Southland has made more than $20,000 in improvements to the Humphrey’s facility, including the erection of a new, larger stage; the renovation of the restrooms and concert grounds, and the boosting of seating capacity from 800 to 850.

Also in Southland’s favor, Weissberg added, are 17 bookings that already have been finalized.

The first definite date is an appearance by pop-jazz group Hiroshima on May 15; followed by saxophonist-vocalist Ronnie Laws, May 31; vocalist Phoebe Snow, June 7; Miles Davis, June 13; B.B. King, June 14; saxophonist George Howard, June 15; Brazilian jazz trio Azymuth, June 19; a capella groups the Persuasions and the Bobs, June 20; pop-jazz group Pieces of a Dream, June 25, and the Generation Band with Tom Scott and Victor Feldman, June 28.

Also on the Humphrey’s agenda are Donovan and Jesse Colin Young, June 29; Brazilian vocalist Flora Purim and avant-garde percussionist Airto, Aug. 1; an evening of Windham Hill acts, including guitarist Alex De Grassi, Aug. 3; Chuck Mangione, Aug. 9 and 10; Ray Charles, Aug. 13 and 14; the GRP Jazz Festival, featuring such performers as guitarist Lee Ritenour and flutist Dave Valentin, Aug. 22-24, and keyboardist Ramsey Lewis, Sept. 6.

“The other facilities might be larger than ours, but that doesn’t necessarily give them an advantage,” Weissberg said. “Our experience has shown that jazz fans prefer a more intimate setting, and even though we’ve expanded we’re still able to offer that.”

Promoter Bruce Warren, assisting Avalon in the Open Air Theater series, is also optimistic.

“The reason jazz is doing so well in San Diego right now is mostly because of the track record of the Humphrey’s series and the promotional efforts of radio station KIFM-FM (98.1), which plays only jazz at night,” Warren said, adding that his two firm bookings are a concert by Shadowfax and various other Windham Hill acts on June 22 and another by Spyro Gyra on Aug. 16.

“And as a natural result of that increase in popularity, a lot of jazz acts have gotten too big to play a small facility like Humphrey’s.

“Groups like Shadowfax and Spyro Gyra are now faced with the choice of playing several shows at Humphrey’s, or one night at a larger facility like the Open Air Theater. And all I’m doing is making that alternative available to them.”

Promoter Marc Berman, however, feels that a side effect of all these concerts may be overkill.

So while he may produce a local series of his own, he’s adopted a wait-and-see attitude before announcing any definite lineup or even settling on a facility.

“Instead, I’m putting all my energies into launching similar concert series in seven cities throughout the West, including Santa Barbara and Scottsdale, Ariz., before I even start to think about San Diego,” Berman said.