Friday, June 13, 2003 | 9:47 a.m.
Spencer Patterson covers music for the Sun. His music notes column appears Fridays. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-2309.
Jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater was halfway through a quiet version of Kurt Weill's "The Bilboa Song" Saturday night when the tranquility of "Jazz in the Park" was suddenly disrupted from the skies.
Two helicopters, one directly behind the other, flew over the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater, breaking the peaceful mood with a burst of noise.
The two choppers continued on their tour of the sights, flying close to the Stratosphere and the Strip, before looping back around to pick up new fares north of the outdoor theater. They were back several more distractions during the show, briefly drowning out Bridgewater and her band.
Since 1995, when the free summertime event arrived at the amphitheater, such scenarios have been commonplace at "Jazz in the Park." Helicopters have regularly wreaked havoc with performances, much to the chagrin of musicians, organizers and concertgoers.
But this year there's a noticeable difference in the frequency of those interruptions. Apart from the aforementioned chopper duo, the rest of the regular Saturday night helicopter fleet steered clear of the amphitheater, flying either to the east or west of the outdoor theater throughout the show.
What caused them to alter their flight patterns? Well, it wasn't a sudden appreciation of jazz. Only through the tireless efforts of Dorothy Wright, cultural programs administrator for Clark County, has the once-appalling frequency of helicopters during the bi-weekly event been reduced to a minor annoyance.
Several years ago, Wright began sending letters to every helicopter touring company prior to each "Jazz in the Park" event, and the strategy appears to be paying off.
"There's a definite difference when we contact all of the helicopter company owners," Wright said. "Most circle around, though there are some obvious, egregious exceptions. You can't relax or skip a show, because they'll forget."
Wright said she grew tired of bringing top-notch jazz musicians to town, only to see their performances marred by a steady stream of overhead interference.
"To a reggae band, it wouldn't be a big deal," Wright said. "But for somebody like solo guitarist Leo Kottke who's trying for some quiet time, it's pretty disruptive."
In past years Bridgewater would have fallen into the latter category. Though her amazing voice projected easily through the night air, it would have been far tougher for her to compete with a barrage of metal machinery.
Instead, thanks to the efforts of Wright and her staff, the occasional chopper was hardly more noticeable than the many other sounds that have become part of the background at "Jazz in the Park," be they kids playing, adults chatting or even the occasional cell phone ringing.
Music notes
Not so festive: Southern Nevadans who made the four-hour drive to Indio, Calif., for April's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival couldn't have known how lucky they were to be catching one of the summer's major U.S. music festivals.
In the weeks since, three other such events have been canceled or postponed: Los Angeles' All Tomorrow's Parties and the Field Day Music Festival and Bonnaroo NE, both originally scheduled to take place in Riverhead, N.Y.
According to its official website, ATP was pushed back from June 20-22 to Sept. 26-28 because of "slow ticket sales and other logistical problems" on June 2. The lineup for the eclectic event, which was to have included Patti Smith, Wire and the Fall, is now unknown.
The two New York festivals -- slated for June 7 to June 8 and Aug. 8 to Aug. 10, respectively -- were done in when organizers were unable to obtain permits to use Eastern Long Island's Enterprise Park. Officials there cited security and environmental concerns.
Field Day was ultimately scaled down to a one-day event at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and held on June 7. Radiohead, the Beastie Boys and Beck were among the acts.
Bonnaroo NE, which was to include the Dead, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Dave Matthews, reportedly will not be rescheduled. Its sister festival, the sold-out Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn., is still slated for June 12 to June 15.
Linkin update: Hard rockers Linkin Park are still planning on being in Las Vegas for their June 27 show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, despite a band member's illness that forced the cancellation of 12 European tour dates in June.
In an official statement this week, singer Chester Bennington said, "I plan on playing our warm-up show in Las Vegas on June 27 and ripping everyone's face off this summer on (the) Summer Sanitarium (tour)." Bennington has been suffering from "severe back and abdominal pains," which are said to be subsiding.
On sale
Tickets for three shows at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay go on sale Saturday at noon: Marilyn Manson on July 6 ($37.50, $50), Bruce Willis & The Accelerators on July 11 ($30, $40) and Pat Green on July 19 ($15, $20).
Tickets for another House of Blues concert, Peter Frampton on Oct. 24, are on sale now. Tickets for all shows at the venue can be purchased at the House of Blues box office, at TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 632-7600 and 474-4000 or online at hob.com and ticketmaster.com.
Country singer Tim McGraw returns to town for a pair of shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace July 18 and July 19. Tickets are $65 through $150 and are on sale now at the Caesars box office and through TicketMaster.
The five original members of 1980s New Wave band Duran Duran reunite for a July 19 date at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. Tickets go on sale June 14 at noon at the Hard Rock box office, by phone at 693-5066 and through TicketMaster.
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