Hollywood - December 2013 – Musician, producer and radio personality Bruce Nazarian has announced the Lemonade Weekend 2.0 and Citrus Music Awards will be held March 27-30, 2014 in Hollywood, CA.
This celebration of all that is good in contemporary jazz promises not only to be a wonderful showcase for the genre as a whole, but also a coming together of all those who wish to channel their love of this music into an event intended to do charitable good.
The original Lemonade Weekend was born out of necessity yet, against all odds, triumphed over adversity. Back in early 2011, a certain Music Awards program in San Diego completely collapsed and the gathering of smooth jazz fans who had travelled from all over the world to be part of it were left, as the saying goes, to make lemonade from what had clearly turned into a ‘lemon’ of a situation. The Lemonade Weekend was thus born.
Quite simply, and at ridiculously short notice, Nazarian and friends mobilized musicians, secured venues, and triggered a communications strategy that resulted in three fabulous days of music in the temperate climes of Southern California.
It demonstrated to Nazarian the passion that the fans have for the music and the spirit of community that exists amongst the musicians who play it. He knew he had to do more and Lemonade Weekend 2.0 and the Citrus Music Awards is his way of bringing that ambition to life.
From the Thursday night VIP kick-off show at Loew's Hotel Hollywood Ballroom, featuring artists including Brian Simpson, Andrew Neu and the excellent Jazz In Pink, the weekend will traverse a variety of showcase events, a Sunday Brunch and of course the Friday night first annual Citrus Music Awards where guests from around the world will be making the presentations. With music from the likes of Bob Baldwin, U-Nam, The Groove Messengers and the incomparable Greg Adams & East Bay Soul this will be a star-studded night to remember. Not only that, Saturday’s proceedings will be anchored by The Motortown Revue where performers, some of whom participated in the original recordings, pay their respects to the music of Detroit.
Worth noting is that the Lemonade Weekend is being produced to raise funds to support Charity Music, Inc and school music programs in Burbank, Glendale, and Hollywood, CA, as well as Detroit, MI.