Getting jazzed: The Utah Symphony will kick off this year's Salt Lake Jazz fest

The Utah Symphony is getting ready to lay it on the people.

Keith Lockhart and the Utah Symphony will kick start this year's Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival with a concert in Abravanel Hall on Wednesday, with special guests the Brubeck Brothers.

Lockhart, who as conductor of the Boston Pops just closed out that orchestra's season, is looking forward to the Salt Lake performance.

"I might be a little tired," Lockhart joked during a telephone interview last week from his Boston office. "As soon as the Pops season ends, I fly into Salt Lake and begin rehearsals for the jazz festival."

He heartily endorses Mayor Rocky Anderson's idea for the Utah Symphony to be part of the jazz festival. "The mayor called me last winter," Lockhart said. "In the typical Rocky Anderson fashion, he called and said, 'Keith, this is Rocky. I'm calling from the airport. I think it would be great to have the Utah Symphony involved in the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival.' "

With an invitation like that, how could Lockhart resist? "When you think about it, the Utah Symphony is one of the largest musical organizations in Salt Lake City. So it made sense to be a part of the event," he said.

Lockhart said playing with the Brubeck Brothers is always a treat. "I enjoy the music of their father, Dave Brubeck, and I enjoy the Brubeck Brothers. I know Christopher Brubeck (the bassist), and look forward to working with him. And to have a chance to play with someone of (clarinetist) Eddie Daniels' caliber is also a nice opportunity."

Merging an orchestra that usually performs classical music with jazz musicians has its challenges, Lockhart said. "I'm used to it because of the Boston Pops, which plays jazz on occasion. But to combine a symphony full of classical musicians, whose main job is to read and play notated works, and perform with jazz musicians who have mastered the art of playing off the cuff, is an issue.

"But we're all musicians and we all play well. As a symphony, we have to make sure the jazz musicians stay within certain parameters so we can actually play with them."

Festival director Jerry Floor is glad Lockhart stepped up to the plate this year. "To have the Utah Symphony on board is exciting for us. With the Utah Symphony musicians as a part of the festival, we will have more than 200 Utah musicians participating this year. That's the way it needs to be, especially since we're called the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival."