Nathan East doesn’t want to give too much away. Yet even if he let slip more than “This is music fest meets music cruise” or “It’s a first in terms of putting musicians together and fitting the scene,” the Jazz Weekender at Quail Lodge would still boggle.
The event features seamless collaborative sets, with performers like Boz Scaggs, Maysa and Vincent Ingala rotating in with East’s house band. There are supper club shows and jazz-fueled wine tours, golfing with double-Grammy winner Paul Brown and other surprises that promise to fill the lodge’s entire 850 acres with music.
It’s a lot to take in.
“What we started to notice was that all the shows had the same format,” East says. Jazz Weekender takes a different approach. “It’s really what musicians like to do, anyway. It will be like a musical family reunion.”
Sandy Shore is responsible for the idea, with East serving as host. She is founder of smoothjazz.com Global Radio. And he is… well, even East’s own website apologizes for the scant name recognition. Yet when I reached out to Scaggs about the event, I was told East was much more important.
East is considered one of the most recorded bass players ever. “Chances are you’ve spent your whole life listening to Nathan East. You just never knew it,” is his web biography tease – and it’s fitting. He has laid down bass lines and vocals alongside Barry White, Eric Clapton, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Andrea Bocelli, Mary J. Blige, Elton John – the list of who he hasn’t appeared with may be shorter.
“I wanted to do it all,” East says with a laugh. “Be careful what you wish for. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since 1980.”
East is a founding member of the jazz group Fourplay. More recently, he has been focusing on solo projects, something he put off because of the demand for his work.
“Jazz gives you the background to go in all directions,” East explains. “Music is this invisible thing that gets inside your DNA.”
He observes how a song can evoke a time or place, releasing memories. And that’s why he is intrigued by Jazz Weekender.
“The first time is always ambitious and exciting,” East says.
JAZZ WEEKENDER Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 14-17. Quail Lodge, 8205 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel. $150-$425; $675/VIP three-day access. 596-6615, smoothjazz.com
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