Cotati Jazz Festival Draws Hundreds for 31st Annual Bash

Billed by the organizers as "the festival that celebrates community," the 31st annual Cotati Jazz Festival did not disappoint: hundreds of people converged on La Plaza Park Saturday for good food, company and some great jazz.

The event, hosted by the Cotati Chamber of Commerce, kicked off  at noon with music from the Gomez Counter Band. Throughout the day, downtown Cotati blared with the sweet sounds of saxophones and trombones, electric guitars, drums, flutes and more. 

Some festival-goers listened outdoors at the park, perched atop hay bales, while others checked out the music going on at Spancky's Bar, Dos Amigos, The Tradewinds, Friar Tuck's Pub and Redwood Café.

The air lingered with the burnt aroma of barbecue and hotdogs. Area vendors sold local crafts and wares such as Special Moments Honey, wine and beer, clothes and jewelry. Another booth offered up face painting for the kids.

Area businesses were an integral part of the festival this year. Each locale provided space for bands, such as Jazz Roots and Tumbao to jam for three-hour sets. With the venues being so close by, it was easy to sample each bands flavor and still have plenty of time to enjoy your favorite.

The Keith Andrew Band was followed by Gumbo West on the main stage during the afternoon. Other bands played the other venues with staggered times starting at 2 p.m. Near the end of the day the Tracy Rose Trio and Pamela Hamilton took the main stage to much applause as afternoon blended into early evening.

The 31st Cotati Jazz Festival was an amazing event thanks to the hard work and love put into it by so many people. A true testament to Cotati is that the festival remains a free concert series. It was a wonderful day for the community to enjoy a lazy afternoon together surrounded by good music, food, dancing, and people.