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A little bit country, a little bit Kenny G As usual, Britt Festivals� summer lineup spans musical spectrum By Bill Varble JACKSONVILLE � Country crossover star Lyle Lovett, jazz-lite maven Kenny G and soft rockers The Wallflowers are among the headliners of the 2001 Britt Festivals season. The lineup was announced Saturday night at the Britt Bash, the popular music festival�s annual membership party and auction. In typical, motley Britt fashion, performers come from all over the musical map, from the blue-eyed soul of The Righteous Brothers to the updated swing of Brian Setzer and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, from the soft rock of Kenny Loggins to the rockabilly of The Everly Brothers, and from the coffee house folk of David Bromberg to the disco marching anthems of The Village People. The Afro-Cuban All Stars kick off the season June 8, and Kenny G wraps it up Sept. 12. In between are 38 shows with 35 headlining jazz, pop, blues, folk, country and dance artists. The Britt classical season � the event that started it all 39 years ago � was announced earlier. It runs Aug. 3 though Aug. 19 with eight concerts and several associated activities. Tickets go on advance sale to Britt members only March 15 to April 30 and to the general public after that on a first-come, first-served basis. Get in touch at 541-773-6077, or visit www.brittfest.org on the Web. Britt is a nonprofit festival held on a hillside that accommodates 2,200 people on county-owned land in Jacksonville. With an annual budget of more than $2 million, Britt drew some 70,000 people last year, solidifying its status as one of the premier summer festivals in the Northwest. Ticket prices continue upward, reflecting a national trend. Kenny G tops the season with a premium reserved ticket of $68 (and $38 lawn seats), but fully a half-dozen shows break the $50 barrier. The days of a premium reserved seat for less than $30 are apparently gone. Lawn seating is still under $20 for many shows, and most children�s tickets are $12 to $18. If the season has a personality, it�s the crossover appeal of the artists, many of whom straddle categories of rock and pop, folk and alternative, blues and country. The season probably has a bit less of a country flavor than some recent seasons, with no Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard or Johnnie Cash. Still, there�s Lovett and His Large Band July 10, The Everlys July 20, Rodney Crowell and Jerry Jeff Walker July 27, Nancy Griffith Aug. 20 and Jo Dee Messina Sept. 2. To the rock side of the spectrum there�s Wallflowers, Loggins, David Sanborn, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy. Singers and songwriters such as Rickie Lee Jones, Janis Ian, Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls, John Prine, David Bromberg and Patty Larkin mix folk and original songs with a wide variety of pop and rock stylings. Jazz and blues lovers can look forward to the Righteous Brothers, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Al Jarreau, Robert Cray and Chuck Mangione, while Dr. John and The Neville Brothers lend a strong New Orleans flavor. Exotic and world music evenings include New Age pianist Jim Brickman, the camp/macho Village People, Cape Verde diva Cesaria Evora, Irish/Celtic stars Solas and the white-hat cowboy tunes of Riders in the Sky. Throw in perennial favorites Peter, Paul and Mary and guitarist Lee Ritenour. Add two dance troupes, the acclaimed, traditional American Indian Dance Theatre and the contemporary BodyVox, and you have a season that covers a lot of bases. Britt schedule June 8 � Afro-Cuban All Stars 9 � Lee Ritenour 10 � Rickie Lee Jones 13 � Righteous Brothers 15 � Dr. John, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown 16 � Riders in the Sky 17 � Jim Brickman 21 � Al Jarreau 22 � The Village People 23 � Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 24 � Wallflowers 25, 26 � Kenny Loggins 28 � Brian Setzer�s �69 Comeback Special 30 � Janis Ian, Richie Havens July 6 � Cesaria Evora 7 � Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy 8 � Ani DiFranco 10 � Lyle Lovett 17 � Prairie Winds Quintet (Southern Oregon University) 20 � Everly Brothers 21 � Indigo Girls 26 � Neville Brothers/Steel Pulse 27 � Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker 28 � Peter, Paul and Mary 29 � Chuck Mangione August 3-19 � Classical Festival 20 � Nanci Griffith and the Blue Moon Orchestra/Britt Orchestra 23 � Body Vox 24, 25 � American Indian Dance Theatre 30 � Solas 31 � David Sanborn/Joe Sample 1 � John Prine 2 � Jo Dee Messina 7 � Robert Cray 8 � David Bromberg/Tom Rush/Patti Larkin 11, 12 � Kenny G Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.