The Savannah Music Festival, which is running from March 18 through April 3, has earned international plaudits for its mix of top-drawer jazz, classical, blues, rock, bluegrass, country and gospel performers from across the nation and world.
But Rob Gibson, director since 2002, isn’t one to overlook significant talent in the festival’s own hometown. That’s why Savannahian Ben Tucker, a venerated jazz bassist and composer, was invited to join the festival’s lineup of 100-plus shows with a concert in celebration of his 80th birthday. Tucker leads a band performing at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1, at the Charles Morris Center, one of the chief downtown venues for music festival performances.
“He’s a very important musician and artist in Savannah,” Gibson said of Tucker. “He’s had a tremendous impact on jazz and the musical arts scene in Savannah.”
The Tennessee-born Tucker, who moved to the city in 1972, boasts a 60-year career, recording with dozens of big names in jazz while composing more than 300 songs, including the hit “Comin’ Home Baby,” which was recently covered by popular vocalist Michael Buble. Tucker’s new album, “Sweet Thunder,” is his best yet, Gibson said.
Tucker has pitched in over the years to help with festival-related activities, such as school music workshops and fundraising concerts. He calls the festival “one of the best in the Southeast corner of the United States in the last 30 years. I can give it nothing but an AAA rating.”
The festival, opening with a March 18 concert by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra featuring pianist Lang Lang, also introduces Savannah-born vocalist Kristina Train, performing shows with blues and soul singer Ruthie Foster on March 20 and 21.
Other festival highlights include star jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, a festival regular and friend of Gibson, bringing the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to town on March 28.
Fans of alternative rock, meanwhile, should note the March 25 show by Wilco. Also noteworthy:
- Country vocalists Patty Loveless and Kathy Mattea, March 20
- The New Orleans Blues Party, March 28
- Classical music with the Emerson String Quartet, March 30
- Southern blues rockers Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, performing a one-time set of soul music, April 1
- Bluegrass with the Del McCoury Band, April 3
Last year, the festival sold more than $1 million worth of tickets, Gibson said, and as of mid-January, was on a record sales pace for this year. So is live music recession-proof, in terms of consumer spending? “There’s a big difference between a $3,000 flat screen TV and a $30 ticket,” he says.
When/where: Performances run March 18-April 3 at theaters, churches and other venues across downtown
Cost: A few shows are free; tickets average $25-$35 for other performances
For more information: For a complete festival schedule, including links for buying tickets, go to:
www.savannahmusicfestival.org/calendar18.php
