Blue Street Jazz Band Headlines Fifth Annual Magic of the Coastside April 2nd: Mardi Gras Celebration Comes to Half Moon Bay

The Blue Street Jazz Band will headline the popular community event, Magic of the Coastside, April 2nd at the IDES Hall in Half Moon Bay. 2016 marks the 33nd anniversary of the Blue Street Jazz Band, a Dixieland jazz band. It’s a rare Bay Area performance for one of the top traditional jazz bands on the West Coast circuit.

The authentic Mardi Gras-themed performance promises a night of high-spirited entertainment for attendees.

Magic of the Coastside is the major fundraising event for the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay. Magic will feature appetizers and no-host bar, dinner, silent auction, music, and dancing. The goal is for the event to be casual, fun, and affordable for the Coastside community ($75/person). Funds raised will sponsor 30 local disabled veterans on a fishing trip through Purple Heart Anglers and other local and global projects. At this event, the Service Above Self Award will also be announced for an outstanding volunteer from the Coastside community.

Founded in 1983 by trumpet player Forrest Helmick and currently under the leadership of New Orleans-based trombonist Dave Ruffner, the Blue Street Jazz Band is considered to be one of the most innovative groups in traditional jazz. Original songs and creatively conceived arrangements have been the hallmark of the band along with the musical expertise displayed by each individual member on their respective instrument. The 8-member band features vocals by Sherri Colby, and New Orleans musician David Hull will make a guest appearance on piano. While traditional jazz is the cornerstone on which the band was built, the band earned the reputation as “The Bad Boys of Dixieland” for their eclectic tastes in music. In addition to Mardi Gras music, the audience is liable to hear various styles of music including swing, folk songs, marches, waltzes, Latin music, and hymns. http://www.bluestreetjazzband.com/

Details on the event and tickets are available online at http://www.rotaryofhalfmoonbay.com/SitePage/magic-of-the-coastside.

The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay is one of 34,000 clubs around the world and is proud to be a supporter of the Purple Heart Anglers. Rotary International’s signature cause is the eradication of polio, and the end is in sight with just two countries in the world with endemic cases. The Half Moon Bay Club meets each Thursday for lunch at the Portuguese Center at 724 Kelly Street in downtown Half Moon Bay.

Contact Mary Corcoran, Public Relations Chairperson, at mcorcoranhmb@gmail.com or 650-218-0436.