San Jose Jazz made an announcement this week that seemed both impossible and inevitable at the same time: Bruce Labadie would be stepping down as artistic director after this year’s Summer Fest in August.
Labadie has been the main programmer of the festival since it started 36 years ago, so it’s hard to imagine Summer Fest without Labadie being part of it.
“Bruce Labadie helped build San Jose Jazz into one of the country’s truly unique music institutions,” San Jose Jazz Board President Julie Ramirez said. “His artistic vision has shaped not only this festival, but the cultural identity of San Jose itself.”
Ramirez isn’t exaggerating. Labadie, who received San Jose’s Cornerstone of the Arts award for his work in 2019, has been steering South Bay cultural institutions for the past half-century. He started the Tapestry in Talent festival in San Jose for the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 and went on to turn the Mountain Winery into a concert draw and direct performing arts at Montalvo. He spent years booking San Jose’s Music in the Park, Los Gatos’ Jazz on the Plazz series and the Fountain Blues and Brews Festival.
If you heard a horn blow in Santa Clara County, Bruce Labadie probably had something to do with it.
When I chatted with Labadie at the Fountain Blues kickoff party a couple of weeks ago, he assured me he wasn’t retiring from everything, so he’ll still have his hand somewhere in the South Bay music scene.
But at least Labadie is leaving San Jose Jazz on a high note with a stellar Summer Fest lineup that includes Trombone Shorty, the Soul Rebels, the Afro-Cuban All-Stars and Patti Labelle, among a host of other Latin, Funk, R&B and Salsa performers. (The full lineup for the Aug. 7-9 festival is available at summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.)
Christian Vela, who grew up in East San Jose, will be the new artistic director for San Jose Jazz beginning in September 2026. He will succeed Bruce Labadie, who has held the position since 1990. (Courtesy San Jose Jazz)
And we should all be thrilled that he’s passing the torch to Christian Vela, currently San Jose Jazz’s associate artistic director and production manager. He’s been the lead programmer of the SJZ Break Room — helping make the downtown office lobby one of the smoothest jazz rooms in the Bay Area — and has worked alongside Labadie for the past two years, co-booking SummerFest last year and this year.
Vela was born and raised in East San Jose and spent 12 years with SF Jazz before San Jose Jazz Executive Director Brendan Rawson was able to lure him back home five years ago. More than being a homegrown talent, Vela understands how the festival works. Labadie says Vela not only knows musicians, he understands backline — the instruments and audio equipment on stage — as well as logistics and timing.
“Bruce built something truly special here,” Vela said in a statement. “My goal is to honor Bruce’s legacy while building upon the extraordinary foundation he created. San Jose Jazz has become part of the cultural fabric of this city, and I’m committed to helping ensure it continues to evolve in meaningful and exciting ways.”
Labadie said he’s been through some tough transitions before, but this one seems natural.
“I have been through a lot of changes, working for so many venues, but there was always a good time to move on,” he said, noting that he was always part of great teams. “So many friends, workers, musicians have loved what we do, and I’m very happy to have built that for San Jose Jazz to continue with.”
TEXTILE RESISTANCE: Historian Connie Young Yu will be at the Los Altos History Museum on Wednesday to discuss the creation and impact of the People’s Bicentennial Quilt, a project started in 1974 by Mountain View quilter and political cartoonist Gen Guracar.
Yu wrote “Patchwork History: The People’s Bicentennial Quilt” in 1976, going into detail about each of the 45 panels. Some of them depict traditional Bicentennial fare like the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, but the also cover women’s rights, the Watts riots, the Trail of Tears and other sometimes glossed over points in U.S. history.
A vinyl panel reproduction of the quilt is on display through Nov. 8 as part of the museum’s exhibition, “The Spirit of ’76: Reflecting on America’s Bicentennial,” and a 2010 color edition of Yu’s book will be available to buy. The program runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and costs $15 (free for museum members); get more details at www.losaltoshistory.org.
MOVING ONWARD, UPWARD: Lisa Andrew will be stepping down as CEO of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation in early August after eight years in the job, the nonprofit’s board announced recently. Manny Barbara, who has been serving as special advisor to the CEO, will step in as interim CEO. Barbara spent 36 years with the Oak Grove School District, including more than a decade as superintendent.
Board Chair Stasi Brown said Andrew has been an extraordinary leader for the organization. “Under her guidance, SVEF has continued to be financially sound, programmatically strong, and anchored by a staff whose commitment to students is unwavering,” she said. “We are deeply grateful for Lisa’s dedication to our mission and wish her the absolute best in her next chapter.”
Meanwhile, Nicholas Adams is taking on the new title of executive chairman of NINICO Communications, the firm he founded 15 years ago. Longtime executive Sarah Farrant has been promoted to president and will handle the day-to-day operations of the San Jose firm while Adams will focus on executive advising, putting clients in front of the right people and guiding the company’s long-term strategy. Adams says that while he’s been engaged in San Jose’s business and nonprofit community for two decades, he looks forward to getting more involved with his increased flexibility.
“It just felt like the right time to recognize the leadership Sarah has demonstrated over the past eight-plus years and position the firm for its next chapter,” Adams said. “She’s earned this opportunity, and I couldn’t be more confident handing her the keys to a car with a very full tank.”
SOCCER GEAR WANTED: With the FIFA World Cup tournament coming to a close in the next week, Westfield Valley Fair is capitalizing on the enthusiasm to host a donation drive for soccer gear. The first event, held in partnership with the Bay Area nonprofit Sports-Share, was from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 11, but there’s a second collection July 18 at the same time on the first floor near the Gap and Nordstrom.
Shoppers can drop off gently used soccer equipment and receive a redeemable parking pass in return. The donations are being distributed to youth by Sheriffs FC, an East Bay nonprofit and elite-level soccer club for underserved youth; FitKids; and Noe Guzman, a local coach who will be giving gear to kids in the South Bay and Mexico.