2012 Lineup
The 2012 Festival will take place on Saturday June 30th and Sunday July 1st, 2012 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY USA.
Tickets
Tickets for the festival begin at $55 for general adult admission. Children 12 and under are free on the lawn. Tickets are on sale online for SPAC members now; online sales for the public start on March 12.
Adult Child under 12
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Saturday Amphiteatre $65 – $80* $40 – $65*
Saturday Lawn $55 Free
Sunday Ampitheatre $50 – $70* $35 – $55*
Sunday Lawn $55 Free
Two-Day Pass Ampitheatre $95 – $140* $65 – $110*
Two-Day Pass Lawn $90 Free
* Price varies with seating section
Lineup
Here are the artists performing this year!
Saturday – June 30th
Amphitheater
- Chris Botti returns to the festival for the third time, after performing in 2005 and 2008
- Esperanza Spalding returns to the festival after performing in 2007
- Christian McBride
- Maceo Parker returns to the festival for the third time, after performing most recently in 2000
- Michel Camilo with conguero Giovanni Hidalgo and bassist Charles Flores
- Mingus Big Band — celebrating the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus
- Mario Abney returns to the festival to perform on both the Main Stage and the Gazebo Stage, as he did in 2010!
Gazebo Stage
- Jeremy Pelt Quintet
Sarah Morrow returns to the festival after performing in 2004- Hailey Niswanger
- Mario Abney & The Abney Effect
- Catherine Russell
- Pedrito Martinez returns to the festival after performing in 2011
Sunday – July 1st
Amphitheater
- Diana Krall
- Trombone Shorty
- The Trio of Oz returns to the festival after performing in 2010
- The Yellowjackets
- Hiromi
- Arturo O’Farill
Gazebo Stage
- Steve Kroon Sextet
- Sachal Vasandani
- Trio of Oz featuring Omar Hakim & Rachel Z
- Brian Mitchell Band
- Edmar Castaneda
SPAC exterior photo on this page licensed via CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia.
We have had an artist change for the gazebo stage already. Sarah Morrow got a really nice offer to perform at a private event in Ohio hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and can’t make the festival. I am going to present her on the 2013 festival for sure.
So the new artist for Saturday, June 30 on the gazebo will be saxophonist Hailey Niswanger, who performed there in 2010. She recently graduated the Berklee College of Music and has a new CD coming out in April.
Hi Friends – check out this news!
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2012/feb/20/0220_spac/
Im looking forward to this lineup. Very happy to see Hiromi play the fest again.
This is the final artist list! All of the artists on the Gazebo stage have been there within the past 8 years and we brought them back for our first ever “Encore Series” as a “thank you” as so many festival fans have asked us to ‘bring back’ some of the great gazebo artists we’ve showcased at the festival.
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2012/02/18/entertainment/doc4f3fc2ea05ee1318801592.txt
“Just the Yellowjackets,” PRod? Perhaps you didn’t notice that MACEO is on the bill? And Esperanza Spalding? Have you listened to The Trio of Oz? Make that the astonishingly good Trio of Oz. Rachel Z kicks ass! And what about Mario Abney, who knocked me out the last time he appeared at the fest?
You need to expand your musical horizons!
I would agree that the bill doesn’t feel complete yet. But, come on! The line-up, as it stands, is WAY more than “just the Yellowjackets” who, quite frankly, I haven’t listened to in years.
@George
I truly hope the line up is better than last year 2011…It was a great disappointment…As I read some of the line up this coming year….I don’t think it’s that great…just the Yellowjackets …the Capital Jazz festival can give you a better way to produce…..
How about John Cocuzzi? Just saw him @ NCJF he was awesome Diana Bogart They both sing and play many Instruments!!!
How about Larry Carlton and Chick Corea.
Hi Friends – we are announcing the complete line-up next Sunday, Feb. 19. I think there will be a nice feature in the Albany Times-Union that day and all the info will be out by Monday, Feb. 20.
I absolutely love Mingus and Spalding. She is one fantastic singer and bass player. Chris Botti is great and I expect to be ther as always since I live nearby. Saratoga jazz Rocks!!
I thought this was a JAZZ Festival?
Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock and Dee Dee Bridgewater are REAL Jazz Artists. I like Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder but they are NOT jazz artists and I’d be disappointed if they were there. Looking forward to a great festival!
Herbie Hancock would be outrageous, George Duke, Phil Perry also rocks. Spanish Harlem Orchestra was hot a few years ago they would be great to return. Return to forever would be fly. Dee Dee Bridgewater can flat out sing.
Thanks for the heads-up on the lineup ! As 30 year veterans of this awesome event, we are looking forward to our annual summer kick-off. it’s nice to know that the musicians onboard so far are looking fabulous.
Milo z (NYC Blues/Funk/Jazz) would tear it up at the Gazebo. They have gigged at the Parting Glass Pub.
Ronny Jordan cancelled one year, but would be GREAT
Lalah Hathaway would be an excellent addition, if not HEADLINER, for 2012.
I had the chance to see Spyro Gyra and Jeff Lorber Fusion recently. Both would be a great addition to the lineup.
I would love to see Fourplay at Saratoga.
Stevie Wonder is WONDERFUL in concert!!!
BRING BACK GLADYS! SHE WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And i agree with the sonny rollins suggestion! What are you waiting for saratoga????? and p.s. last year’s lineup was terrible. we are expecting bigger and better things this year!
Roy Ayers would be a great headliner! Also, I think KJ Denhert who has been most recently at the 55 Bar in NYC and at Smoke would be a great act for the gazebo. This will be my 25th year, my husband’s 24th, our 18-year old daughter’s nineteenth year and my 13-year-old daughter’s fourteenth year. They love love love the festival , and Saratoga has become a summer home for a family from Pennsylvania. You do a great job. Thank you.
Dan, I hope that it will blow us a way this year…I’m going to hold you to your word.
The festival will certainly include some major vocalists, soul artists, Latin, blues and more. We are basically done booking the festival and announcing a little bit each week. Full line-up will be announced in mid to late February. I am confident it will blow everyone away.
@Romona
As any veteran of the festival knows, this lineup is far from complete! I appreciate that they announce things this far in advance, even though the lineup isn’t filled out yet, compared to the old way of revealing the lineup in its entirety later in the year. I strongly suspect that vocalists will be added to the lineup as more artists are announced.
apparently they have no clue how to book artist and are not listening to any suggestions. no vocalist as of yet are on the venue..
BRINGING JOHN LEGEND TO THE STAGE WOULD TRULY MAKE THIS YEAR’s FESTIVAL
phi-nomenal!
Randy Crawford is also another on my list of favorites !!!!
I’d love to see Harry Connick Jr. and Naturally 7.
I would LOVE to see Sonny Rollins. This will be my 10th straight year and he has yet to appear on the lineup. Lets get him before its to late.
The Boston Crew always enjoy the festival. We would like to see Randy Crawford and/or Pieces of a Dream. See you there.