Festival Really Down by the Riverside

Charles Johnston knew right away that producing the first Riverside Jazz Festival would be no cakewalk.

“People say to me, ‘You’re putting on a show in Riverside ? That’s strange,’ ” said Johnston, who was hired in June to produce the event taking place Saturday and Sunday in a grassy field in downtown Riverside. The impressive lineup features Lee Ritenour, David Benoit, Poncho Sanchez and Toshiko Akiyoshi.

“Besides giving people a good jazz event, I primarily wanted to create increased awareness in the Inland Empire and beyond for downtown Riverside’s function as a visitors and convention center,” said Joseph Prevratil, president of the corporation underwriting the event.

Prevratil favored a jazz production, as opposed to a rock or country event, because “there’s never been a jazz festival in the Riverside area,” he said.

Saturday’s show, which runs from 1:30 to 11 p.m., features Ritenour, Sanchez, Akiyoshi’s Jazz Orchestra, Benoit, Michael Wolff and the Riverside Community College Jazz Ensemble. Sunday’s presentation, which runs from 1 to 8 p.m., includes Spyro Gyra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, and Brasilia. Information may be obtained through TicketMaster.

Rim Shots: Saxman Buddy Collette, drummer Chet McCracken and pianist Milcho Leviev are among those playing a concert Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the El Rey restaurant. Proceeds will aid saxophonist Alexei Zoubov, the Russian expatriate who was robbed in August of expensive recording equipment and musical instruments. Donation: $10.

Critic’s Choice: In the realm of orchestral jazz, Toshiko Akiyoshi, who plays Saturday at the Riverside Jazz Festival, remains an immediately identifiable voice. The Japanese composer-orchestrator-pianist, who resides in Manhattan, is gifted with a keen ear, and she assembles such delicate groupings as deep trombone sounds against whispering flutes, or more robust combinations, such as roaring saxes that duel with biting brass.