Laid back

Mike Sciacca

Some laid back, soulful sounds will waft through the air when the 2002

Huntington Beach Smooth Jazz Series is presented at the Huntington Beach

Cultural Center.

Trumpeter Chris Botti, who has taken a break from his European tour,

will perform at the cozy, 319-seat state-of-the-art theater.

Proceeds from the March 24 two-show, dinner-optional evening will

benefit children with autism.

Organizers and Huntington Beach residents Betty and Corky Bennish

formed the company BB Jazz and said this will be the first jazz series

hosted by Surf City.

“When people think of smooth jazz, they think of elevator music,”

Betty Bennish said. “It is far from that. I would say to those people

that they shouldn’t put a label on it -- just come out and experience it

for yourself.”

Botti is the second of four acts comprising the first effort of the

Huntington Beach Smooth Jazz Series.

Saxophonist Michael Lington performed back on Feb. 9. His concert was

a success, Betty Bennish said, and the artist sold 117 CDs on site.

Following Botti, who has toured with Sting and whose only other

California playing date is the upcoming Playboy Jazz Festival at the

Hollywood Bowl, is a June 1 performance by a yet-to-be-named artist.

Pianist Keiko Matsui, a part-time Huntington Beach resident, will

close out the series with a June 8 performance.

“We have lined up some incredible talent for this series,” Betty

Bennish said.

Betty Bennish previously worked as an artist lineup consultant with

the Newport Beach Jazz Festival. She said that while passing out flyers

in Huntington Beach that advertised the Newport festival, many Surf City

residents inquired as to why the city didn’t have a jazz series of its

own.

“The idea was kind of in the back of my mind to stage a series here in

Huntington and one of my thoughts was to pair it with a worthy cause,”

Bennish said. “The idea behind this series and fund-raiser was to reach

out to people who don’t know much about this type of music and reach out

to those who might not know too much about autism.”

The Bennish’s began spreading the word about the Huntington Beach

Smooth Jazz Series with the help of a “team effort” consisting of their

three children, their children’s friends, and several other volunteers.

They went about it the unconventional way, in some manners, hitting

markets, car washes and nail salons, handing out flyers. Corky Bennish

also lined up an impressive list of sponsors, while Betty Bennish used

her expertise in securing the talent.

Those in attendance have the option of purchasing a dinner, which will

be prepared by Claim Jumper Restaurant.

A small exhibit will also be on display Sunday, and Botti’s CDs will

be available for purchase.

The proceeds from the evening will benefit children with autism, a

cause close to the Bennish’s heart: they have a 10-year-old nephew who is

autistic.

“These smooth jazz artists are artists who like to have contact with

their fans,” Betty Bennish said. “They mingle with those in attendance

and sign autographs. They make it a very personal evening.”

She said that BB Jazz plans on making the series an annual event.

Already, five performers have been secured for the 2003 series, which she

says will be a two-day festival on the grounds of Central Park.

For now, though, she is concentrating on staging a classy evening

Sunday, with solid entertainment value that is professionally packaged.

* MIKE SCIACCA is the education and sports reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.