The Jazz Aspen Snowmass June fest winds up today with Trey Anastasio and Maceo Parker. So here comes the scoop on the Aspen Labor Day fest, Sept. 1-4 – a diverse lineup that includes LeAnn Rimes, Susan Tedeschi, Kanye West, Robert Randolph, Raul Midon, John Mellencamp, Los Lonely Boys, Del Castillo and Matisyahu.
Starting with the country tunes of Rimes, into the blues of Tedeschi, then the steel-guitar gospel of Randolph – peppered with the hip-hop of West and closing with the popular Hasidic reggae/rapper Matisyahu – yes, you read that right – well, that’s one crazy crowd.
“It’s a wildly eclectic set of artists,” says JAS boss Jim Horowitz. “Kanye is very new and very big. Matisyahu, well, we’ve had reggae here before but never in a package like this. We want to be hitched to the buzz and see what it feels like.”
Tickets on sale Monday, call 866-527-8499 or go to jazzaspen.org.
Arts in them hills
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival kicks in Friday through July 3 – and it plans to take its act on the road to Telluride. The CCAF will produce a smaller version of the fest at the Telluride Culinary and Arts Festival, Aug. 18-20. Sixty artists will be in the mountain resort in 13 categories.
The new Gaylord
Old South Gaylord Street is going through some big changes. Reivers, which has served up casual college-grub for decades, got a total makeover. It’s now one big room with a gleaming new bar. Las Margaritas across the street is all torn up. It’ll open some time next month as Chi, an American/Asian bistro.
And Hemingway’s is shuttered. A sign on the door says the estate of Papa told them to quit using the name, after more than six years in business. It’ll reopen as Max Gill & Grill, run by the guys at Washington Park Grill, with seafood, a raw bar, rotisserie and BBQ.
On the Rocks
Matchbox twenty’s Rob Thomas played Red Rocks Wednesday with Jewel and recorded it for a DVD and for PBS’s “Soundtrack.”
Why Red Rocks? “It’s an easy choice,” he told The Post. “Do you play any amphitheater in the world or do you play a place where the scenery has been set up for you?”
His favorite thing about Red Rocks? “The dressing rooms, it’s like you’re in the caves. The walls are actually made out of rocks.”
City spirit
Aspenites Christopher Cain and Carole Whang Schutter hosted a sneak showing of their movie “September Dawn” at the Isis Theater in Aspen on Tuesday night. Jon Voight and Dean Cain, who appear in the flick, were at the screening. The movie should hit theaters this fall … I ran into travel guru Peter Greenberg at Aspen Food & Wine, showing off how he lost 42 pounds while on the road. It’s all in his book “The Traveler’s Diet” … Ski area CEOs are Riding the Rockies this year. The bikers include: Roger McCarthy, Breckenridge; Bill Jensen, Vail; John Garnsey, Beaver Creek; Chris Diamond, Steamboat; Greg Finch, A-Basin … Ace Young from “American Idol” gets a full-page nod as Colorado’s “Hot Bachelor” in the current People. He says people are surprised to discover “how normal I am,” and fans go crazy for “my butt, my hair and my face.” … Sez who: “As a general rule, nobody has money who ought to have it.” Benjamin Disraeli
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-820-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com.
