Musicians Will Play Sans Synths at Bash ’91 : Festival: The annual event, which is a celebration of live jazz, is scheduled for Sunday.

“You can catch every facet of the music business there,” says the leader of Joe Nappa & the All-Stars.

There is the 21st Orange County Musicians Festival, the annual musicians’ union event better known as the “Bash,” which will be held Sunday at the Red Lion Inn in Costa Mesa.

Nappa and his band, who will play at 7 p.m. in the hotel’s main lobby, will be one of more than 45 groups participating.

The Bash brings together big bands, jazz bands, Dixieland bands, variety acts and classical musicians.

“We find a lot of old friends,” Nappa said. “Everybody looks forward to it and donates their time.”

About 300 local musicians will participate. Most events begin at noon. The Bash will run until about 9:30 p.m., when it ends with a general jam session for all the musicians who want to participate.

One admission ticket at $14 (pre-sale) or $16 (at the door) allows admission to all the events. Proceeds go to the Musicians’ Emergency Relief and Scholarship funds. Last year, about 1,200 people attended, and the event cleared about $9,000.

“Live music is what we’re celebrating,” union president Frank Amoss said. “That’s how the whole thing got started and why people are so anxious to play in this--to show this is what live music is like. People are doing it--not machines.”

Machines--specifically synthesizers, digital sequencers and the like--have been “a threat, definitely, to good music and live music,” said 66-year-old bandleader Keith Williams, whose Big Band is scheduled to play at 2 p.m. in the hotel ballroom. “One can see the reason they invented synthesizers: economics. Certainly, it’s a lot cheaper. But it will never replace live music.”

Nappa sees a modification in the trend, however, which involves the use of both live musicians and synthesized music.

“When they started using synthesizers about 10 or 15 years ago, they cut out a lot of horn players,” he said. “But now they’re using a full horn section and augmenting that with a synthesizer.”

Thanks to more elaborate technology, Nappa said, “now you can take your sound and instantly reproduce it into harmonies or a background unison sound. It’s making a big difference. You get an authentic sound, augment it with a synthesized sound and it sounds great.”

The Orange County Musicians Union, Local 7, will hold Bash ’91 from 11 a.m. to about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Red Lion Inn, 3050 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. Tickets: $14 in advance; $16 at the door. Information: (714) 546-8166.

Festival Schedule Classical (in the Balboa Bay Rooms I and II): * Noon: Violinist Jane Lindsey; pianist Doug Lindsey * 1 p.m.: Leo Potts Saxophone Quartet * 2: Irvine Piano Quartet * 3: Saxophonist Leo Potts; pianist Jack Reidling * 4: The Artisan Brass Quintet (Cal State Fullerton faculty) * 5: Fred’s String Band * 6: Flutist John Barcellona; pianist Virginia Mitchell * 7: The International Strings * 8: Ausmus-Baker-Zeyen Trio * 9: Huntington Brass Variety Entertainment (Lobby Lounge): * 10:45 a.m.: The Swingers (Jim Parameter, director) * Noon: Too Many Bongos * 1:15 p.m.: Otis Brown and the Coolers * 2: Tommy Pederson * 3:15: Horn Dogs * 4:30: Jack Reidling Trio, with Karen Gallinger * 5:45: Yve Evans * 7: Joe Nappa & the All-Stars * 8:15: Tom Hynes Jazz Bands (Emerald Bay Rooms I, II and III): * 11 a.m.: Marina High School and Alumni Jazz Band * Noon: Simply Jazz (Charles Landis, director) * 1:15: Charles Otwell Latin Jazz Allstars * 2:30: Dr. Art Davis and Tony Guerrero * 3:45: Whizzard (Gerry Schroeder, director) * 5: Pocket Rockets (Bob Rinck, director) * 6:30: Bill Baker’s Wind Machine, with Ron Stout * 8: Alan Palmer Quartet * 9:15: Chiz Harris Quartet Big Bands (Red Lion Ballroom): * Noon: Saddleback College Big Band * 1 p.m.: Bernie Farr Band * 2: Keith Williams’ Big Band * 3: Al Latour Band * 4: Frank Amoss Orchestra * 5: Norm Major Band * 6: Tracy Wells Band * 7: John Henderson Band * 8: Tom Kubis Band * 9: Carl Scroggins Band Dixieland (Maxi’s Lounge): * Noon: George Carr Superstars * 1 p.m.: Golden State Dixieland Ramblers * 2: Dixie Rhythm Ramblers * 3: Bruce Gifford’s Jazz Generation * 4: Yankee Wailers Jazz Band * 5: Night Blooming Jazzmen * 6: Carl Scroggins’ Cotton Pickers * 7: Hyperion Outfall Serenaders * 8: Jazz Formula Roaring ‘20s * 9: Frank Amoss & the Mississippi Mudders The Orange County Musicians Union, Local 7, will hold Bash ’91 from 11 a.m. to about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Red Lion Inn, 3050 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. Tickets: $14 in advance; $16 at the door. Information: (714) 546-8166.