You’d think we were passed the days of racist neighbors fearing a heavily black clientele that was expected to some to a place for a concert, but that’s what happened prior to the 2023 Blue Note Jazz Festival. Fortunately, the spectre of racism wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of 2023 Blue Note Jazz Festival attendees.
According to The Napa Valley Register, a July 13th meeting of the Napa County Zoning Administration reveled that County Staff “deemed the festival’s traffic, parking, security, medical and evacuation plans adequate for the Silverado Resort,” but the same opinion was not shared by some residents. As the Register reported…
A woman who gave her name as Sue Sparks, a 36-year Silverado member, called Blue Note “the most wonderful thing that’s happened in Napa Valley” — then added: “The clientele that’s going to attend this festival is not your golf enthusiast — it’s not the kind of person that we would like to invite to our homes.”
Sparks continued by decrying the afterparties at the Silverado Mansion House for the late-night noise and disturbances she expected would ensue.
“Who is going to be escorting those people?” she said. “They’re going to be loaded out of their minds!”
Another Silverado resident soon called her out on those statements.
Mel Preimesberger, while agreeing with locals’ traffic concerns, called for more sensitivity and, as a Black woman, expressed her frustration at the term “those people.”
“That’s the elephant in the room,” she continued. “It’s all Black artists.”
She criticized the assumptions made about the character of performers and those coming to see them. (Sparks later apologized as Preimesberger finished speaking.)
Source: Napa Valley Register
With that, patrons to the Blue Note Jazz Festival, including some A-list celebs, has a blast.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival was a spectacular fusion of music and comedy! Grammy Award winner and Artist in Residence Robert Glasper’s mesmerizing tunes met Dave Chappelle’s hilarious wit, igniting the stage at the Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa at the Silverado Resort, in Napa, Calif., on Friday, July 28, 2023. The small town festival boasts an impressive line-up of cultural icons to celebrate jazz’s influence during the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
Vibrant rhythms and infectious energy take center stage as festival goers sway to the soulful tunes on the opening day of the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Silverado Resort, Napa, California. July 28, 2023.
Comedy legend Dave Chappelle lights up the first day of the Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa, at Silverado Resort, in Napa, California, on July 28, 2023, as he engages festival goers with his signature humor and wit. A captivating blend of music and laughter sets the perfect tone for an unforgettable start to the event.
NBA legend Dwyane Wade, Director of Culture and Vibes, hosts a wine pouring event at the Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Wine Garden during the first day of the festival at the Silverado Resort, Napa, Calif., Friday, July 18, 2023. “I came to the festival last year, and the event had such a good vibe—like a family reunion—that I wanted to come back and be a larger part of it,” said Wade. “Wine isn’t so different from sports; they both bring people together.
Good vibes fill the air as festival goers embrace the jazz-infused spirit on the opening day of the Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa. Guests experienced a myriad of captivating activities at Silverado Resort in Napa, California. A euphoric celebration of music, culture, and camaraderie marks the unforgettable kick-off to this much-awaited event on July 28, 2023.
Big Freedia performs on the Black Radio Stage at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa, Calif., Friday, July 18, 2023.
And let’s not forget that the legendary Mary J. Blige was doing what she does better than most:
And new Golden State Warrior Chris Paul was partying with NBA Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade during the Blue Valley Jazz Festival
Stay tuned.