Last year marked the first Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont park since 2007. While it was great to see the 2010 Atlanta Jazz Festival back in Piedmont Park, various sound issues and questionable lineups gave the impression that the festival's organizers hadn't quite recovered from the 2008 and 2009 jazz festivals. As you may recall, 2008 and 2009 were a bit of a low point for the Atlanta Jazz Festival due to budget constraints and the Georgia drought, which forced the festival to move away from Piedmont Park.

Well, I'm happy to report that this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival was my favorite in recent memory. It was still just a two-day festival (2007 and previous years were 3-day festivals), but the festival had a strong mix of artists, great sound, and excellent weather. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from this year's festival. I accidentally left my camera at home and didn't like any of the shots I got with my phone.

GERALD CLAYTON

I attended the second day of the concert, which featured two of the best young trumpeters around, Sean Jones and Christian Scott. But as much as I enjoyed their performances, the real highlight was the Gerald Clayton Trio. I had seen Gerald Clayton a couple of years ago, but that was just a sideman gig. This time around he took center stage and as cliched as it sounds, I lost myself in his music. One minute I was looking around at the sea of festival goers, wondering if there were any better spots to sit, and the next thing I knew, I was off in a dream-like state. I was totally relaxed and at peace with the world. After a few tunes I turned to my wife, hoping she wasn't bored (these types of performances can go either way with her) and she too was off in her own little world. Afterward she said, "I'm not sure how jazzy that was, but it was beautiful."

NEXT YEAR

Next year is the 35th year of the Atlanta Jazz Festival. More than once, festival organizers told the crowd that next year will be a milestone celebration, with several big-name artists. Let's hope I remember to bring my camera!

FESTIVAL LINEUP

As in previous years at Piedmont Park, this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival had two stages of music. The main stage featured a few local Atlanta musicians and touring acts, while the second stage consisted entirely of local musicians. Here's the complete lineup:

SATURDAY MAY 28, 2011 - MAIN STAGE

• 1pm - JC Young Youth Jazz Ensemble
• 3pm - Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble Jazz Band
• 5pm - Audrey Shakir
• 7pm - Warren Wolf Quintet
• 9pm - Regina Carter's Reverse Thread

SATURDAY MAY 28, 2011 - SECOND STAGE

• 2pm - Rialto Jazz For Kids Jazz Band
• 3pm - North Atlanta High School Jazz Band
• 5pm - Sean Jones Quintet
• 7pm - Gerald Clayton Trio
• 9pm - Ninety Miles w/ Stefon Harris, David Sanchez, and Christian Scott

SUNDAY MAY 29, 2011 - MAIN STAGE

• 2pm - Marea Alta
• 3:30pm - Infinite Sound Family
• 5pm - Myrna Clayton
• 6:30pm - Oliver Santana & Ellison Jazz

SUNDAY MAY 29, 2011 - SECOND STAGE

• 2pm - Tropical Breeze
• 3:30pm - Neo 4
• Wild Rice
• Rua6