The City of Las Cruces Parks & Recreation Department is excited to announce the artists for the 2020 Mayor’s Jazz Fest, which will be at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 24, 2020, at the Plaza de Las Cruces, 100 N. Main St.
Headlining this year’s Mayor’s Jazz Fest is award-winning R & B – Jazz Guitarist Adam Hawley, featuring singer and songwriter Lindsey Webster. The Border Jazz Orchestra will open the show.
Headliner Adam Hawley has been on a rocket ride in the four years since dropping his debut album. Six of his seven singles have gone to No. 1 in the U.S. Hawley’s debut album, “Just the Beginning,” sent three singles to the top of the Billboard chart and earned the guitarist Debut Artist of the Year honors from JazzTrax and Smooth Jazz News.
Two years ago, “Double Vision” confirmed Hawley as a consistent hitmaker when he notched his fourth Billboard No. 1 single and collected No. 1 singles on the Mediabase and Smooth Jazz Network charts. The success of these first two albums has set the stage for his third album, “Escape,” which was released on February 28.
Hawley has also been a guitarist to the stars, appearing with a who’s who list of artists in a wide variety of genres. Credits include Dave Koz, Jennifer Lopez, Brian Culbertson, Natalie Cole, Brian McKnight, and American Idol, to name just a few. Hawley has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California and currently teaches at Musician’s Institute, Chaffey College, and Saddleback College.
Lindsey Webster is a surprising and welcomed anomaly in the contemporary jazz world. The sultry and soulful singer and composer scored two Billboard No. 1’s on the Contemporary Jazz Chart, making her the first vocalist in the format to garner a No. 1 song since the iconic Sade.
Webster’s uniquely identifiable sound is fueled by potent messages of love that are timely for today’s climate. Webster made history in 2016 with her original “Fool me Once,” which was the first vocally driven song to top the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts since Sade’s Soldier of Love in 2010, beating Sade’s three-week run with a four-week stay at the top of the chart.
The Mayor’s Jazz Fest is a free family event that kicks off the Parks & Recreation Department’s Music in the Park Series featuring performances by local, regional, and national acts each Sunday from May 31, 2020, through August 30, 2020. Artists and locations will be announced soon. For information call the Parks & Recreation Department at 575/541-2550.