By LORI BARTLETT Special to the Daily Press
Families, friends and music lovers alike can gather for more than the average picnic this Sunday, with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne headlining the fourth “Jammin’in the Canyon”festival in the Santa Monica Canyon.
The event was established as a fundraiser for the music, art and enrichment programs at the Canyon Charter School. The music fest is held every other year and the money raised is used to fulfill school needs such as a computer lab, a full time Physical Education coach and additional library hours. Event organizer Bridgid Coulter said the fundraiser has been of great aid to the school.
“It picks up the things that we think are really important to have in the school, but are not always in the full on LAUSD (Los Angeles United School District) budget,” said Coulter.
Funds are raised through ticket sales and with a diverse musical line-up; the show offers something for music appreciators of all kinds.
In the past, music artists such as David Crosby, Terence Blanchard and Paul Oscher were a part of the show.
This year’s musical performers include Jackson Browne, The English Beat, The Blanks, Jeff Young and the Youngsters, and Asi Son with Gabriel Gonzales. Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle (“Crash”) will host the event along with Black Thought, of the hip-hop act The Roots.
Browne headlines the show and has been a popular artist in the music biz for more three decades. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and having lived in Southern California since age 3, Browne is a supporter of the local community.
In contrast to Browne’s folky jams, The English Beat brings energy filled tunes under a heavy dose of ska and punk influence. The band entered the music scene in 1979, and became an influential part of the British ska movement.
The Blanks offer upbeat a cappella songs including covers of theme songs like “Charles in Charge.” The quartet is often recognized as “Ted’s Band” from the TV show “Scrubs.”
Soulful R&B should flow from the Jeff Young and the Youngsters performance. Young is a local singer/songwriter who has performed with musical heavy hitters such as Sting, Al Green and Alanis Morrissette.
Lead vocalist Gabriel Gonzalez of Asi Son provides some spicy salsa songs for the show. Gonzalez is a true performer as an actor, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer. His band was voted LA Weekly’s best salsa band, and he is a highly respected member of the music community.
Black Thought along with other special guests will perform some spoken word, hip-hop style poetry.
Doors for “Jammin’” open at 11 a.m., with DJ Grooves spinning some morning jams. The live musicians start at around 11:30 a.m. While the exact line-up will not be announced until the day of the show, the headliners are expected to play from 1 p.m. till 4 p.m.
“This year, we kind of have an issue that everyone is such a top notch performer that I don’t think any of the show is to be missed,” said Coulter.
While the parents groove to the tunes, the little ones can get their face painted or an airbrush tattoo. The playground will also be open all day.
Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic supplies and lunches. Pizza, gelato and other festival fair will be available. City Bakery lunches are available for $10 ordered via the event Web site at www.jammininthecanyon.org.
Jammin’ in the Canyon will be held at the Canyon Charter School field at 421 Entrada Drive. Tickets are $35 for adults in advance, $40 day of show, $10 for ages 12 to 17, $5 for age 5 to 11 and children under 5 get in for free. For more information, visit the Web site at www.jam-mininthecanyon.com or call (310) 285-8196.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 13, 2006. Read the original PDF.