Steven Pope The Vail Jazz Festival is back for its 27th season with nine weeks of performances running from now through Labor Day Weekend. Overcoming obstacles After a year of uncertainty, festival founder Howard Stone and his team have been able to overcome the roadblocks of the pandemic to present 29 performances featuring some of the biggest names in jazz. “Last night I didn’t sleep very well because I was so pumped up from the energy and the music,” said Stone, following the opening night of the festival. Planning for this concert series usually takes place over the course of nine months, but this year Vail Jazz only received approval to proceed with the festival about eight weeks ago. It was a daunting task, but Stone was ready to do whatever it took to keep the music alive.