Jazz Festival Headliners 

2024 - Karl Hunter (Saxophone)
2023 - Alex Iles (Trombone) 
2022 - Lito Hernandez (Saxophone) and Willy Murillo (Trumpet)
2020 - Dave Weckl (Percussion) and Snarky Puppy (Horns)
2019 - Wayne Bergeron (Trumpet)
2018 - Eric Marienthal (Saxophone)
2017 - Gregg Bissonette (Percussion)
​2016 - Tom Scott (Saxophone)

2024 - Karl Hunter

Picture
Karl Hunter grew up in Goleta California, attending Dos Pueblos High School in the late 80’s. Karl credits his choice of a career in music to the late, great, Isaac “Ike” Jenkins, The legendary director of the Dos Pueblos band program, who inspired many Santa Barbara-based musicians. “I had no special interest in music in general, before being in Ike’s band. Ike was really gifted in the way he could motivate students through music. He would find out what you specifically liked about music, and then he’d send you home with records to check out. ​
 He was always supportive and encouraging. Ike’s jazz program was very successful in band competitions, and it was his passion for jazz that motivated me to switch from clarinet to saxophone, with the express purpose of being in Ike’s jazz ensemble. Ike sent me home with his own tenor saxophone, the summer after my sophomore year, and I played it incessantly and made the Jazz band the following school year. Ike discovered that I had a good ear and could pick up melodies very quickly. He immediately encouraged me to improvise. I found I had a knack for it and I knew within a few short months of being in Ike’s jazz band that I wanted to pursue music as a profession. It was nothing short of an epiphany.” 

After studying at Santa Barbara City College and earning a bachelor of music degree in jazz performance from California State University Northridge, Karl went on to become a multi-instrumentalist, Studio Musician, Clinician, and Music Educator. He is best known for being the featured saxophone soloist with the multi-Platinum-selling, grammy nominated, contemporary swing band, "Big Bad Voodoo Daddy", of which he has been a member for 28 years. 

Karl has played for four U.S. presidents and has performed on stage with Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Garth Brooks, Joey McIntyre, En Vogue, Little Richard, B.B King, Simon Philips, Solomon Burke, Hank Crawford, Bo Diddley, Duke Robillard, Ruth Brown, Jonny Lang, Kenny Logins, Arturo Sandoval. Asleep At The Wheel, Stephon Harris, Rick Nielsen, Will Kennedy, Tom "Bones" Malone. Brian Lynch, Jeff Coffin, Ron Blake, Steve Smith, and many others. While touring for more than three decades, Karl has played in all 50 U.S. states, and 20 countries Internationally.  As of January 2020, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has played over 3000 shows. Their touring schedule is so successful and extensive they were awarded the coveted Pollstar award from the concert tour industry, trade publication, Pollstar. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's Symphonic show has led to collaborations on stage with over 35 U.S. Orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, U.S. Air Force Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. Karl has recorded 10 studio albums with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy that have sold over 3 million copies.  

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's music has been featured numerous times on television and movie soundtracks including: "Swinger's", "Never Been Kissed", "Three to Tango", "Scooby Doo", "Phineas and Ferb", "The Wild", "Dancing With The Stars", "So you think you can Dance", "Friends", "Malcolm in the Middle", "Third rock from the Sun" (theme song), "Party of Five", "Ally Mcbeal", "Titans", and "Melrose Place". The band has even recorded post-humously with the Rat Pack legend Dean Martin on the Dean Martin album "Forever Cool."  Some of Karl's other studio work outside of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy includes recordings with Rap mogul, Dr. Dre, funk legends Blood Stone, and the Soul Legend, Solomon Burke. Karl's television appearances include Dancing with the Stars, Conan O'Brian, Jay Leno (8 times), Live with Regis and Kelly, ESPY Awards (house band 3 years), the Macy's Day Parade, Carson Daly (house band), Total Request Live, Ally McBeal, Melrose Place, heavily rotated videos on MTV, an animated guest appearance on Scooby-Doo and most notably, the 1999 XXXIII NFL Super Bowl Half time Show with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan. For 25 years Karl and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy have trumpeted the cause of music education. While official endorsers of the Selmer company, the band held an annual High School contest. The winning schools each year were awarded clinics and concerts from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s horn section. Since 2014, the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy horn section has played and endorses Yamaha musical instruments, and continues to share their passion for music Education through clinics and outreach.