2018 SLO Jazz Festival has been canceled — but you can still catch some local shows

Sorry, music fans. The SLO Jazz Festival won't take place this month as planned.

Funding issues forced organizers to postpone the nonprofit music festival, now in its fifth year, until 2019.

"Unfortunately, several important cash sponsors did not follow through with earlier pledges, leaving us in a bind at the 11th hour," festival founder and executive director Scott Andrews wrote in a news release.

Unable to cover the shortage, the festival board "concluded we could not continue forward and offer the type of experience our fan base has become accustomed to," he added.

Grammy Award-winning Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes, Pacific Mambo Orchestra and Big Sam's Funky Nation were among the acts set to headline the 2018 festival, originally scheduled for May 18 and 19 at Mission Plaza in downtown San Luis Obispo.

Although those bands won't be performing in San Luis Obispo in May, Andrews said other acts originally slated to play the festival will perform local shows.

TrioKAIT, featuring pianist Kait Dunton, will perform May 18 at 4 Cats Cafe & Gallery, formerly Steynberg Gallery, in San Luis Obispo. G2 Project will open the show.

Saxophone player Anton Schwartz and his quintet will take the stage May 19 at 4 Cats Cafe and Gallery.

Also on May 19, Ricardo Levmo and Makina Loca will play Tooth & Nail Winery in Paso Robles.

Tickets for the shows range from $20 to $25. For more information, visit www.slojazzfest.org.

This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 2:48 PM with the headline "2018 SLO Jazz Festival has been canceled — but you can still catch some local shows."