Six-time Grammy nominee saxophonist, Dave Koz, opens the Lake Tahoe Music Festival with a concert this Thursday, July 17th, at Homewood.  The 26th Year of the Music Festival is being held between a trio of North Shore ski resorts - Homewood, Tahoe Donner & Alpine Meadows and the West End Beach where Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will perform on August 7th.  The Festival is bringing in a wide variety of top performers this year and hearing them under the stars will be a real treat.

The Reno Philharmonic will be performing on three Saturday evenings and all of their performances will have the option of lawn seating.  They first appear July 19th at Homewood with jazz trumpeter, Christian Scott and the Christian Scott Quintet.  Their second appearance, August 2nd at Tahoe Donner, is a 60th Birthday Tribute to Andrew Lloyd Weber.  Then they wrap up the Music Festival back at Homewood with the “White Nights Finale” featuring renowned pianist, Jeffrey Biegel, and a rousing production of the 1812 Overture.

Lawn seating is also available for the Dave Mason concert which features Jim Messina and Band on July 31st at Alpine Meadows.  And, for a special mellow evening, consider smooth saxophonist, Euge Groove, appearing on Saturday, July 26, with acoustic guitar players Strunz and Farah.

Best selling jazz artist and Grammy-award winning jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti, appears Thursday, July 24th, at the ampitheater at Tahoe Donner Trout Creek Recreation Center.  (He’s one of my personal favorites.)

Even as I write this, I’m wondering if my husband would complain if I asked to go to all of the performances.  I think I’ll have to choose carefully and am leaning toward the Andrew Lloyd Weber tribute as second pick after Chris Botti. 

We’re so fortunate that productions of this caliber come to the Lake and if you have time to make it up to see a performance, I’m sure you’ll be pleased.  Call in advance for Bonus Time at 530.541.8022.  You can get more information and purchase tickets of the Lake Tahoe Summer Music Festival online at www.tahoemusic.org.
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Off and on for the last several weeks, the Tahoe Basin has become a catch-all for the smoke coming east from the fires throughout California.  The smoke has been a constant reminder of the difficulties going on in places far from our immediate sight.  Having been through our own fire last year, our awareness is heightened and our thoughts are with all the folks going through difficult times as fires approach cities and neighborhoods.  Our prayers and good wishes are with all the Fire and Public Service personnel who are doing their best to control the blazes.  We wish much good fortune to all of you who are dealing, in one way or another, with this California crisis.