Miami Jazz Fest Canceled "Due to Poor Ticket Sales"

Despite once being "an essential mid-20th century] stopover on the Southern tour circuit for legends like Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole," Miami was never a straight-up jazz town. Our city's always been more about the crooners, salsa, disco, booty bass, freestyle, street rap, and electronic dance music...

By S. Pajot

November 13, 2012

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Despite once being "an essential mid-20th century] stopover on the Southern tour circuit for legends like Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole," Miami was never a straight-up jazz town.

Our city's always been more about the crooners, salsa, disco, booty bass, freestyle, street rap, and electronic dance music.

Want further proof? With just four days till showtime, the inaugural edition of the Miami Jazz Fest, starring Jamaican jazzman Monty Alexander, just got canceled.

-Interview: Monty Alexander, Jamaican Jazzman: "I Was There Before Reggae"

In August, event founder and producer Carmen J. Cartiglia was hyping the Miami Jazz Fest as "the start of an annual jazz festival that will grow with each year and establish Miami as the home for 'True Jazz.'"

But today, organizers issued a brief statement, nixing the festival:

Due to poor ticket sales, the Miami Jazz Fest scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday Nov. 17th & 18th at the Klipsch Amphitheatre at Bayfront Park has been cancelled. Refunds are available through point of purchase.

Too bad, daddy-o.

Miami Jazz Fest 2012. Saturday, November 17, and Sunday, November 18. Klipsch Amphitheater at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. The show starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Single-day tickets cost $45 to $90 plus fees and two-day passes cost $65 to $295 and up plus fees via livenation.com. Call 305-405-JAZZ or visit miamijazzfest.com.

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