For a little over three decades Rainbow Promotions has delivered a plethora of music events for throngs of concert and festival goers to enjoy on an annual basis. It recently hosted its 34th annual Long Beach Jazz Festival, and for three days, festival goers experienced beautiful music, great food and libations and a number of workshops and vendors booths including health and wellness, particularly amongst the senior population.

The Long Beach Jazz Festival, which is the longest running jazzfest in southern California, kicked off Friday night with an up close and personal concert featuring performances by Maxi Priest, Erin Stevenson and the Soul of Jazz featuring Brian Simpson, Phil Perry, Jessy J, Marion Meadows and Jackiem Joyner. The ever so popular Maxi Priest proved to be a crowd favorite.

The grassy knolls of The Rainbow Lagoon were covered with colorful blankets, chairs and brightly hued beach umbrellas brought to accommodate the authentic jazz aficionados who came to partake in the festivities.

The lineup featured some of smooth jazz’s finest musicians. No matter who was on stage, they showed why they had been invited.

“I have been attending the Long Beach Jazzfest for the past 20 years, and it’s a new exciting experience each year,” said Wil White. I prefer the Friday night show, it’s a more laid back crowd, the setting is more intimate,” he added.

Although the genre of music is smooth jazz, mixed with a little grown folks R&B, the weekend crowd comes out to party. Over the weekend the Long Beach coastal peak temperature of 85 degrees made for a pleasant event. The Saturday line-up included some of the best artists smooth jazz has to offer. Kim Scott, Mike Phillips, Richard Elliot, Pieces of a Dream, who have been performing together for over 47 years, and the smooth vocals of Will Downing and Norman Brown who closed the show. Brown showed why he is a headliner, and one of the best closers in the business.

Sunday’s lineup proved to be just as good as the first two days. Some of the names from the third might not have been as recognizable as the first two days, but music was equally as good. The final day of the Jazzfest featured Lin Rountree, Al Williams, Myron McKinley, the smooth sounds of Najee, Marcus Miller and the beautiful vocals of Kenny Lattimore.

In addition to the the impressive lineup, the Long Beach Jazz Festival also offered multiple vendors featuring food, arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, African Art, a cigar bar as well as a health and wellness pavilion offering workshops, speakers and literature on health.

For the past 34 years Rainbow Promotions has continued to provide an outstanding jazz concert series. Each year the bar rises, let’s see what the 35th annual Long Beach Jazz Festival has to offer next year.