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Every evening was electric. My husbandand I were front and center, bare toes buried in thecool sands of Mexico’s shores. There’s an unstop-pable energy in the air, not unlike that found walk-ing the streets of Manhattan. Only take that throttleand kick it up a notch. Wrap it up in star-lit ocean-front nights. Toss in family-, pooch- and picnic-friendly, along with a pulsating backdrop of theworld’s most cutting edge music and mind-bogglingspecial effects. Now we’re jammin’.

MUSIC IN PARADISEEach November, 14,000 “jazzophiles” make a pil-grimage to Playa del Carmen—the heart of the Riv-iera Maya, located just south of Cancun, Mexico—forthe explosive concerts at the world-renowned Riv-iera Maya Jazz Festival. Living legends wow thecrowds with musical performances ranging fromold-school swing to hip hop and fusion. During our visit, the festival once again featured

greats from across the globe as well as several na-tionally known Mexican bands, among them,Narima, Malo Agua and The Royal Band, one of thecountry’s most popular. All are wildly creative andformidable contenders for the most sought aftersounds in the international jazz scene.But the major draw for us was being able to get up

close and personal with some of our own jazz heroes:Al Jarreau, Herbie Hancock, Sergio Mendes andSpyro Gyra. We were privileged to be among the 60journalists from around the world permitted in theroped-off press area near the stage to photographand videotape one minute (only) from each per-formance, capturing some of the best national and

international jazz acts of all times.Al Jarreau opened to deafening cheers with his ren-

dition of Elton John’s “Your Song,” ended with his clas-sic “Take Five,” and playfully engaged the crowdthroughout his set. Sergio Mendes brought down thehouse with an updated, hip hop version of “Mas QueNada,” a 40-year-old mega hit reborn in a recent col-laboration with Black Eyed Peas. Pat Martino’s riffswere spot on, despite serious health issues and mem-ory loss that forced him to re-learn the guitar mid-ca-reer. Spyro Gyra rocked with funky, urban sounds, andHerbie Hancock gave us delicious tastes of the manymusical phases he’s moved through over the years.

WHAT TO EXPECTThe Riviera Maya Jazz Festival takes place outside onthe beach at Mamita’s Beach Club. “Doors” open at 6p.m.; the first concert begins at 7; the last usually endsat midnight. Entrance is absolutely free, and thoughthe festival typically draws a crowd of 10 to 14,000,people are friendly and respectful of each other andthe grounds. Bring a blanket, towel or chair to sit onthe beach; alternately, if you arrive early enough, youcan claim a table at one of two restaurants with alfresco dining. We varied our viewing venues nightly.Since the stage is built to include a super sound-sys-tem, multiple mega-screens and strategic lighting,there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.

MI CASA ES SU CASAThe evenings were magical, but so too were the days,as we simply luxuriated at Secrets Maroma BeachRiviera Cancun, an all-inclusive resort located 30miles south of Cancun. A complimentary 40-minute

The Yucatan Peninsula is host to the sizzling Riviera Maya Jazz Festival each year during Thanksgiving week

By Lisa Codianne Fowler • Photography By Patrick Fowler and Judy Eberspaechen

Riviera Maya and

ALL THAT JAZZ

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shuttle ride brings guests to and from Playa del Car-men for the festival. Most afternoons we sampled Secrets’ restaurants,

shopping venues and, of course, aqueous amenities,such as the meandering pools and sun-splashed beach.Mornings began with a breakfast buffet that includedeverything from tamales and pancakes to green healthjuice and Bloody Mary cocktails. What a grand and un-conventional way to spend Thanksgiving.“Welcome Home!” We heard it a lot. The staff at the

resort greeted us this way each time we entered thelobby from an off-property excursion. It alwaysmade us smile. Though one can’t help but smile,

gush even, at the lavishness of this sprawling adult-only, all-suite resort.The property certainly lives up to its moniker, “Un-

limited Luxury,” featuring seven restaurants, eightbars and lounges, a fitness center, spa, tennis courts,shopping areas, an expansive waiter-attended in-finity pool and 12 smaller plunge pools throughoutthe resort. There are themed parties, live entertain-ment nightly and big screen movies on the beach.Nestled between more than 500 acres of unspoiledcoastal strands and lush rain forests, it retains a feel-ing of intimacy as well as exclusivity. Some of the ground floor suites are “swim-out”—

step from your room into the refreshing pools thatwind around the grounds. Our balcony suite wasslathered in marble and featured a whirlpool tub for

two; net-draped, four-poster, king-sized bed; step-down sitting area; and all the amenities you wouldexpect from a first-class resort. We were members of the VIP club, which means

we had access to the concierge room with its end-less array of gourmet snacks and full bar. But youdon’t have to be a VIP to find food and drink at everyturn, even if it’s delivered via 24/7 room service.There’s nothing like sipping champagne on a bal-cony overlooking manicured gardens, lighted foun-tains, a white sand beach and turquoise waters. Lateat night, all you hear are crashing waves. During theday, songbirds serenade.

BEYOND THE FESTIVALFew places on earth cause as much amazement asRiviera Maya. What makes the area so different fromother coastlines around the world is that here youcan completely escape from the outside world. It’s

filled with natural wonders: ecological reserves; anemerald-green jungle, a turquoise-blue sea huggedby miles of sparkling beaches and countless lostcities of the ancient Mayan civilization.Riviera Maya is located within the state of Quin-

tana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Theterrain is flat and covered by low tropical jungle.Lying hidden amid the intense green is a habitat richwith indigenous flora and fauna and geological for-mations not found anywhere else in the world. Fac-ing the coast is one of the largest coral reefs in theworld, with colorful tropical fish and various typesof coral, making the Great Mayan Reef ideal forscuba diving and snorkeling. Our visit came to an end all too soon. My only com-

plaint about the experience is the weight I gained,courtesy of all-inclusive Secrets Maroma Beach. Still,on a “scale” of one to five, this was a six-star stay,awash in exotic beauty, gracious people, pamperedluxury, and, oh yes—all that jazz.

Lisa Codianne Fowler is a veteran travel journalist, travel

video host and travel radio co-host. She resides in sunny

Sarasota, Fla., with her chef-husband and two adorable dogs.

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IF YOU GORiviera Maya Jazz Festival

www.rivieramayajazzfestival.comSecrets Maroma Beach

www.secretsresorts.com/maromaRiviera Maya information

www.rivieramaya.comVisit Mexico

www.visitmexico.com