By Will Hobson, Times Staff Writer
Monday, March 19, 2012
CLEARWATER — Nancy Blacklin checks the lineup for the Clearwater Jazz Holiday every year.
If the 80-year-old grandmother sees someone on there she likes — like trumpeter Chris Botti or pianist Dave Brubeck — she makes sure to keep the third weekend in October clear for the free four-day concert in Coachman Park.
That routine will include one significant change this October, if Blacklin likes the lineup: She'll need to hand over $10 to get through the gate at the waterfront park.
One of the largest free jazz festivals in the country will no longer be free. The Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation announced Monday that, for the first time in the 33-year history of the event, a general admission fee will be charged.
Admission will cost $10 per day for the festival, scheduled for Oct. 18-21. There will be no charge for ...