THE 2025 LINEUP
Saturday September 27th, 10:30am - 9:30pm
Rebirth Brass Band
GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING HEADLINER
MAIN STAGE 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
“ Just saw THE REBIRTH BRASS BAND, unbelievable. hard as hell, free as a ray of light, there is not a band on Earth that is better. Stunning.” - Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers
For almost 4 decades, the Grammy winning Rebirth Brass Band has been “stunning” fans with a fiery live show and a rich musical catalog. Their trademark sound pays homage to the New Orleans brass band tradition while weaving a tapestry that combines elements of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and the sounds from the streets they grew up on. From their legendary 25+ year run of Tuesday nights at the Maple Leaf to stages all over the world, Rebirth is the soundtrack of the Crescent City and her premier musical ambassador.
Founded by brothers Phil and Keith Frazier over 35 years ago, Rebirth began their career playing on the sidewalks of the French Quarter, and quickly landed gigs at second line parades. Those auspicious beginnings have led to thousands of shows to music aficionados everywhere, including heads of state and royalty.
The bands unique “soundtrack of New Orleans” has also garnered admiration from artists of all genres. They’ve shared the stage and collaborated with everyone from the Grateful Dead to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maceo Parker, Green Day, U2, James Brown, 311, G-Love, MuteMath, Juvenile, Train, Big Freedia, Ani Difranco, Galactic, Allen Touisant, Neville Brothers, Quincy Jones and Trombone Shorty.
Euphoria Brass Band
SAN DIEGO’S ORIGINAL BRASS BAND
LAWN STAGE SECOND LINE 6:45 PM
MAIN STAGE 7:15 PM - 8:00 PM
Euphoria is an acclaimed and award-winning San Diego based musical collective that serves up a contemporary mix of old school New Orleans traditional brass band jazz, funky street beats and new school edginess with a West Coast feeling!
EBB was created in 2011 by two New Orleans transplants, Ron Bocian and David Bandrowski and local jazz radio DJ, Drew Miller. They quickly assembled a top notch, hard-hitting horn section: Steve Ebner (trumpet), April West (trombone), David Jackson (tenor sax), JP Balmat (baritone & alto sax, clarinet) and Wayne Rice (sousaphone). Euphoria Brass Band is proud to have been nominated 5 years in a row for various San Diego Music Awards since their inception in 2011!
Embracing the exciting spirit of improvisation with a hard funk edge, Euphoria Brass Band has become known for their incendiary high energy shows…. guaranteed to get a crowd smiling, dancing and having a good time. EBB always leaves ‘em wanting more!
Gilbert Castellanos Latin Jazz Ensemble
SATURDAY 6:00 PM
Gilbert Castellanos, is a nationally renowned San Diego-based musician, composer, curator, educator and arranger, and one of the country’s top-call jazz trumpeters. For over a decade, Castellanos has been a member of The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, performing around the world and recording with the acclaimed big band. He is a San Diego Music Awards six-time Best Jazz Artist and Artist of The Year, and most recently became SDMA’s first ever Jazz Artist to win Album of the Year for his 2022 release Espérame en el Cielo, which also spent the first several months of it’s release on the top 50 Jazz Charts. Gilbert is celebrated for establishing San Diego as a national Jazz destination through his jazz-centric partnerships with The San Diego Symphony (Jazz @ The Jacobs/Bayside Summer Nights Jazz), The San Diego Museum of Art (Portraits In Jazz/The Wednesday Jazz Jam & Young Lions Series @ Panama 66), and The San Diego Ballet (Resident Composer). He founded The Young Lions Jazz Conservatory in 2016 and continues to explore new opportunities to fulfill his personal mission - keep jazz alive.
Starsign
SATURDAY 4:45 PM
Starsign is a 10-piece progressive jazz-funk-fusion group from San Diego, California. They have taken influence from Snarky Puppy, Steely Dan, FORQ, and Rush, and blended it into a multi-genre, multi-regional, and multicultural blend that can only be described as “Starsign.” With an award-winning funk guitarist, a pianist straight from the Miami Latin and techno music scene, a drummer steeped in metal tradition, and a whole section of horns who have studied all jazz from Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock, Starsign effortlessly blends genres from every corner of the country into a unique and incredible vibe that can’t be heard anywhere else.
MAIN STAGE 3:30 PM
Chunky Hustle Brass Band
Originally dubbed Crew D’Etat Brass Band, The Chunky Hustle Brass Band (CHuBB) began in 2018 as a group of musical citizens wanting to support the equality march and women’s march ...... we gathered on Mission Bay late afternoons through sunsets and under full moons creating a palette of New Orleans street funk and classic and contemporary R&B. The joy the music brought evolved our desire to form Crew D’Etat Brass Band now a notable outfit in the San Diego music scene.
Jazz Evensong Quintet
MAIN STAGE 2:15 PM
The Jazz Evensong Quintet is comprised of Gunnar Biggs (Bass), Keith Bishop (Saxophones and Woodwinds), Joey Carano (Guitar), Leonard Thompson (Piano), and Bob Weller (Drums and Piano). Members of the group have a wide range of experience: performing with world-renowned jazz artists, teaching at major universities, and authoring books and compositions.
The group is currently in its fifth year presenting free jazz concerts every Sunday at 4:00pm at St. Michael’s by the Sea in Carlsbad, Brief interludes of plainsong chant delivered by Fr. Doran Stambaugh in a totally unique style with improvised jazz accompaniment. Each week the quintet features the music of a different jazz composer. The guys can also be heard on the weekly Jazz Legends podcast, discussing the music and trading personal anecdotes.
Sue Palmer Swing Orchestra
MAIN STAGE 1:15 PM
Known world wide as the Queen of Boogie Woogie, Sue Palmer has been a presence on the live music scene in San Diego and the world for over 30 years. She was inducted into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame in 2018, had a day named after her by the city in 2008, and won numerous San Diego Music Awards for her bands and albums. She has recorded over 12 albums under her own name, securing an international award from The International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis for Best Self Produced Album (Sophisticated Ladies). She was the beehive wearing music director and longtime pianist for blues diva Candye Kane, through the 90s, appearing on many of her albums, touring world wide (France, Germany, England, The Czech Republic, Turkey, South Africa, Australia, and more) as well as all over the US and parts of Canada.
Her current Motel Swing Orchestra won the San Diego Music Award for Best Local Recording in 2021 for EP/Vinyl Recording "Movin' Along," and have now released a new 45 vinyl album called "Looking for a Parking Place," featuring 2 original songs, and also a video of the same name. She had a radio show for 3 years on San Diego's local Jazz station KSDS 88.3FM, hosts a podcast called "The Motel Swing Happy Hour,"occasionally spins vinyl shows in local clubs (Parttime Lover, Til Two, The Lafayette Hotel), and now writes a column called "Sue's Spotlight: Women in Jazz & Blues" for the San Diego Troubadour, San Diego's music magazine.
1st Marine Division Band
MAIN STAGE 12:00 PM
Marine Corps Fleet Bands like Camp Pendleton’s 1st Marine Division Band perform at ceremonies, parades, festivals, professional sporting events, concerts, and other public events across the United States and around the world. Marine Corps Fleet Bands entertain and educate their audiences; inspire patriotism and represent American values through music; and represent the discipline and professionalism of the Marine Corps itself.
On July 4th of this year, U.S. Marines from the 1st Marine Division Band marched down Disneyland’s Main Street in Anaheim, California. The 1st MARDIV Band was featured in several parades and stationary performances during the park’s annual Independence Day celebration.
Kainga Music
SATURDAY 11:00 AM
Kainga Music was established in 2014 with this mission: Creating Music, Uniting People, Building Communities. The featured instrument, the steel pan, is played throughout its country of origin, Trinidad & Tobago, in community centers called “Panyards” that welcome members in the surrounding neighborhoods to find a common place and common voice. Kainga Music’s Founder, Keli Ross-Ma’u, has a vision for the school to be modeled more like a Panyard. Keli chose the word “Kainga” from his Tongan heritage, which means “extended family,” to help embody the intention of community-building as the core goal of Kainga Music. The music school has a focus on learning and performance of music as an extension and expression of that shared bonding experience between the students and audience members alike.
Atkinson Warrior Band
MAIN STAGE 10:30 AM
The Atkinson Warrior Band is an integral part of the history and tradition of the Army and Navy Academy going back over 100 years. The band members consist of about 50 musician Cadets of all levels of experience. Both the High School and Advanced Bands perform together during concerts and parades throughout the year.