San Jose Jazz Festival founder Bruce Labadie to retire, take final bow after 36 years

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Music fans gathered in downtown San Jose for the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, a tradition that has grown from a single stage in 1990 to an event featuring eight stages and 80 acts.

Festivalgoers described the event as an annual tradition. "We enjoy the food. We enjoy the music. It's just a good time," said Penny James, who was celebrating her birthday. "I always come with my girlfriends. We come every year."

Lori Debbs arrived early to find a shady spot under a tree. She said this event helps her discover new musicians.

"We do this every year. So it's every Friday, Saturday and Sunday it's automatic," Debbs said.

Bruce Labadie, the festival's artistic director, recalled how the event began 36 years ago.

"We were walking around downtown. We said San Jose is so dead. We need to do something. Let's have a jazz festival," Labadie chuckled.

The first festival featured only one stage. The event soon expanded. "We added two more stages, so three," he said, describing year two. Now in its 36th year, the festival spans eight stages in multiple venues downtown. The festival this year features 80 acts.

Labadie said performers from around the world are eager to participate.

"Musicians love it here. It's kind of easy to book positions from around the world that want to come here," he said.

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Among the most recognizable performers scheduled for the weekend are Patti LaBelle and Trombone Shorty.

When the festival concludes Sunday, attendees will begin looking ahead to next year.

For Labadie, however, the event marks the end of an era.

"Every year it's like that, you know, the Sunday you're sad, you know, because it's over," he said. But this year feels final. "This is my last year," Labadie said.

After 36 years, Labadie is retiring from his position as Festival and Artistic Director and handing leadership to incoming artistic director Christian Vela.

"He's so great. And I could call him any time," Vela said during a conversation about the transition. "He's introduced me to his Rolodex."

Vela said he has a personal connection to the festival.

"I've been coming here since I was a kid. It's an exciting thing. Yeah."

A San Jose native, Vela has overseen production for the festival for the past five years.

Before that, he worked at SF Jazz and the Presidio Theater.

"It's a super great privilege to be the steward of something that has been, built so well by Bruce Labadie and San Jose Jazz as an organization in San Jose, as a community," Vela said.

As one artistic director prepares to step aside and another takes over, Labadie is ready for his next chapter.

"It's time to turn it over to somebody else," he said.