Jazz! festival keeps the capital city jumpin'

The Jazz! Carson City 2010 music festival continues tonight with Sample of Soul playing 7-9 p.m. at Canyon Creek Grill, and keeps hopping through the next two weeks.

The festival features 40 concerts with more than 25 bands, 100 musicians and a dozen venues. All, except the Sunday Jazz Brunch on Aug. 15, are free.

Friday night, Flipside will play an outdoors concert 7-11 p.m. for Fridays@3rd Street, in front of Firkin & Fox. And down the street, Actuum with Louis Laurain plays 8-11 p.m. in Plan:b Microlounge.

Saturday, Ten Dollar Pony catches the early risers from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Downtown Farmers Market, 3rd and Curry streets.

The Millennium Bug quintet entertains for the Foreman-Roberts House Museum Ice Cream Social from 6-8 p.m. And the Jazz Combo ties up the evening from 7-9 p.m. at Plan:b Microlounge.

Sunday, Aug. 15 starts off with a Jazz Brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Plan:b Microlounge and B'Sghetti's. The incomparable vocal stylings of Latisha Lewis and her quartet, with Rocky Tatarelli on sax, Dave Kubin on keyboard, Mick Valentino on guitar, and Bill Heise on drums, provide jazz up the brunch.

The brunch buffet includes specialty breakfast and lunch items, mimosas, coffee, desserts and gratuity. Tickets are $22.50 in advance and $25 at the door and are available at Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall, and online at jazzcarsoncity.com. For information, call 775-461-0520.

The rest of Sunday is filled with the sounds of jazz at the Legislative Plaza for Sunday Concerts in the Park. Martin & Vargas play from 4-5 p.m.; Fiscus from 5-6 p.m.; and Carson High Jazz Band from 6-8 p.m. Bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy the music.

The city will be jumping through the following week with free concerts every night, and all day Saturday, Aug. 21 (9 a.m.-midnight) and most of the day Sunday, Aug. 22, culminating in a concert 6-8 p.m. with the Reno Jazz Orchestra with vocalist Cami Thompson.

Bands through next week also include, Delta Wires, Mile High Jazz Band, New World Jazz Project, Colin Ross, Blues Assault, The Champagne Singers, Warren Walker Group, Jazz Guys, Ake-Roth-Laurain Trio, George Hanepen & Dallas Smith, Rick Metz with First Take, Dave Fritz and Lake Effect, the Johnny Hamlin Trio, JB Gravity and many more.

The festival began in 2004 and is sponsored by the Mile High Jazz Band Association, Carson City, For the Love of Jazz, local businesses, and jazz lovers.

For a complete schedule, see jazz carsoncity.com.