Ron King
The 15th Annual Temecula Wine and Music Festival took place on the scenic Hawk Ranch in Murietta, California on May 25, 2019. This amazing event is hosted and produced by Apaulo Productions and Platinum Sponsor 101. 3 FM The Mix (KATY). Michael Paulo is well known for his musicianship in the jazz community and has many friends who happily stepped up to be part of the annual Temecula Wine and Music Festival because it raises money for a good cause. This year’s beneficiary is The Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Riverside County.
Master of Ceremonies “MC Timmy D” did an awesome job keeping the train rolling and I loved how animated he became during the live auction where he managed to get the best bang for the buck. Last year they raised over $14,000! I’m not sure what the total is for this year, but it was quite substantial thanks to the great audience who contributed their support for such a worthy cause.
Grammy-nominated soloist Ron King–one of the finest trumpet players in the world opened the show. We were treated with his extraordinary talent and even a never before played song! The Allstar Jazz Band carried us forward featuring Yu Ooka (Jazz Guitarist), Barbara Morrison (Vocalist), Kimo Cornwell (Keyboard Genius), Andrew Ford (Bass Player, Composer, Educator), Ron King (Trumpet, Composer, Arranger), Land Richards (Veteran Drummer), and Arno Lucas (Bass Player, Writer, Composer, Arranger, Producer, Educator). Each musician has a long list of accolades and has performed with the “best of the best” artists in the world.
Kanzaki
Legendary Jazz Artist and Blues Vocalist Barbara Morrison added so much to the show with her no-nonsense “get happy or else” approach. She was delightfully funny and really warmed up the crowd. It’s easy to see why she was nominated for three academy awards! The Barbara Morrison Performance Arts Center is an entertainment complex that serves as a popular venue for many cultural and music events in Los Angeles. It supports the Harmony Project which helps children encounter music in an after-school program.
American Jazz Artist Saxophone Player Michael Paulo graced the stage, and I mean GRACED the stage. What a wonderful human being. You could tell his heart is big in everything he does, especially when it comes to performing and helping the underprivileged. It is easy to see why he has so many friends. He performed throughout the day with his exceptionally talented friends. At one point, his toddler grandson, Rio, watched his grandfather perform with such innocent wonder. Michael pulled him up on stage and danced. It was a very sweet moment and one of my favorites of the day.
Michael Paulo
Michael Paulo also made sure he acknowledged his beautiful wife, Terri Paulo, for all her hard work that went into making this event successful. There was no detail too small and it showed. All the stations were perfectly laid out. There were very nice bathroom facilities, food trucks, a wine tasting area, and vendors spread out, so nothing felt crowded. The venue itself, Hawk Ranch, was so beautiful. It is located in the heart of Temecula Valley. It felt as if we were entering a magical land as we drove into the venue which was surrounded by trees on either side. The sections were distributed nicely for VIP’s, Platinum, Gold ticket holders, and Sponsors. There were plenty of trees to sit under for shade for the general audience. The mountains (Santa Rosa Plateau) were in the background and a beautiful pond with ducks and geese added to the beauty behind the stage. If you are ever looking for a wedding venue or special occasion to have an event, this is surely the place. Anyway, Terri did a fabulous job and I hope she gets a “spa day” after a job well done!
Moving on to one of the day’s highlights—as if all day wasn’t a “highlight”, Famous Japanese Saxophonist and Composer Kanzaki lit the stage on fire with his fierce performance. He flew all the way from Japan to perform for us and it was a rare treat and a blessing to be able to hear Kanzaki perform live. He is famous throughout the world gaining widespread acclaim for his beloved compositions and songs. His self-entitled album hit it big on the U.S. jazz charts.
Kanzaki contributes greatly to these events, not only by performing but each year he brings a Yanagisawa Saxophone to be auctioned off in the live auction. Yanagisawa Saxophones is known for its quality craftsmanship and is an industry leader. This year all the artists playing at the festival autographed the saxophone case and there’s no doubt this memorabilia will be treasured for years to come.
Joining Kanzaki on stage was Michael Paolo, Freddie “Ready” Washington, Michael White (Drums), Hiroshima Band, Fred Schreuders (Guitarist), and Special Guest, Multi-Grammy Nominated Artist, Patrice Rushen! At one point all the band members of Hiroshima joined the stage and played a set and, as always, a great crowd pleaser! They have become a household name selling nearly four million records. For their upcoming tour dates click here.
Patrice Rushen
Patrice Rushen is an American jazz pianist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, musical director (Emmy and Grammy Awards Shows) among a very lengthy list of awards and accomplishments. Her single, “Forget Me Nots” put her on the map in 1982 when she received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance. She is also dedicated to providing educational music programs for inner-city youth. We were so lucky to be able to hear her perform on such a beautiful day amongst so many talented musicians. She was definitely “icing on the cake”.
There was a silent auction also going on in the background with lots and lots of great prizes people could bid on. Some of the items included weekend trips, picnic baskets, gift certificates, wine (of course), golf accessories, etc. One of the unique things which had a huge appeal in the live auction was an American Flag plaque made from wine corks! I think the highest bid was $1,000!
The wine tasting was going on all day long with about 10 or so wineries participating in this year’s event. This was a “mature” audience and very sophisticated. It was nice to be at a music festival where there weren’t any “problems” from people not able to handle their alcohol intake. It was a great crowd of happy people enjoying fine wine and great music. Some of the best wineries participated in this event!
Pablo Cruise
I was getting excited to hear Pablo Cruise, as I’m at the age where I grew up with their music. They opened with Find Your Place in the Sun, which if you weren’t sure what songs they sang back in the day, it was one you would definitely remember. They played a lot of their hits—Whatcha Gonna Do, World’s Away, Rio, and Love Will Find a Way to name a few.
The band has gone through a lot of changes over the years, but their songs stand the test of time. Three original bandmates Cory Lerios (Keyboards, Synthesizers, Vocals), David Jenkins (Guitar/Vocals), Steve Price (Drums, Percussion) revived the band along with the addition of Larry Antonino (Bass, Vocals), and Robbie Wyckoff (Percussion, Vocals). Robbie just came off the Roger Waters Wall Tour (which was why he looked so familiar to me). I got a kick watching his proud parents in the audience—another special moment that didn’t get past me.
Pablo Cruise was a great way to end the festival. Everyone was on their feet and dancing as the day ended on a high note. Be sure to catch them on tour this year!
Pablo Cruise
Thanks to all the artists, sponsors, and vendors who worked tirelessly to make this event a huge success! Also, thanks to the patrons who contributed generously to help The Boys and Girls Club continue to provide quality programs. It really was “a picture perfect day”, and I hope everyone marks their calendars for next year’s event!