Concert-goers cherish ‘Jazz in the Pines’

Out-of-towners say they love what the “Jazz in the Pines” Festival allows them to do.

“We both work down in the city in San Diego and we are used to the high stress area. When we come up here we can let all that go,” John Rodarte said.

Julian Geisinger lives in Idyllwild, and he hears the music differently.

“It’s a bit emotional because I almost lost my home. this is even more beautiful than it was before the fire, to me,” Geisinger said.

Julian referred to the Mountain Fire that came dangerously close to Idyllwild.

“Such a deep sense of gratitude for this beautiful place I live and that it could’ve all been wiped out and it wasn’t,” he said.

As the jazz music wrapped itself around the surviving pines, you can see the thousands of people wrapped into the 20th anniversary event.

Musicians come from around the world to play at the event which is the main fundraiser for the academy.

The recent Mountain Fire came so close to Idyllwild, but fortunately left it safe and untouched. Festival-goers are thankful for this, saying jazz and this festival, wouldn’t be the same without this beautiful forest.

“It’s influenced by itself and its environment. Jazz is always recreating itself. So when you come to an environment, it takes on a life of its own because of the influence around it. So jazz and it’s free flowing style mixes in so well with this nature around us,” Rodarte said.

“It’s all still here and green and it makes me appreciate this community even more,” Geisinger said.