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May 2017

Blue crabs, watermelons and lots of music: It’s a festival kind of weekend in Northeast Florida

If an extra day off and the opening of a new $9 million amphitheater aren’t enough to get you excited about this weekend, try one of these on for size: JACKSONVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL When: Friday-Sunday Where: Downtown Jacksonville What to expect: World-class jazz on three stages (Hemming Park, Jacksonville Landing, Main and Adams streets). Cost: Free, but VIP seating is available. Details: jacksonvillejazzfest.com SOURCE...

14-year-old stuns crowd, wins Jacksonville Jazz Festival Piano Competition

There was a lot familiar about the scene on the Florida Theatre stage during Thursday night’s Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition — the shiny Yamaha grand piano sitting center stage, the contestants calming their nerves before launching into their pieces, the stand-up bass and simple drum kit. But there was also something different this year: No Noel Freidline. The jovial jazz pianist, who has hosted the competition for the last decade, was unavailable, so Courtney Lewis,...

Jacksonville Jazz Festival brings groovin’ time to town this weekend

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival gets cranking Thursday evening with a spirited contest — the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition at the Florida Theatre. But the tone shifts for the three days of free music that follow this weekend. The event takes place largely on three outdoor stages downtown, and their names reflect the relaxed, inviting nature of the festival: the Groovin’ Stage in Hemming Park; the Swingin’ Stage, at Main and Adams streets; and the Breezin’ Stage...

Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition coming to Florida Theatre

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is always an invitation to kick back and enjoy. But it begins with a feeling of suspense. Five talented musicians are playing to win when they take part in the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, the traditional opener for the three-day celebration that follows. Victory next week at the Florida Theatre brings prize money and a spot in the festival’s weekend lineup. The event, set to begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, has become one...