News • Jacksonville Jazz Festival

May 20, 2019

City Prepares for 2019 Jacksonville Jazz Festival

Local music lovers are set to descend upon downtown Jacksonville over Memorial Day weekend for the 39th annual Jacksonville Jazz Festival. This year’s festival is headlined by seven-time Grammy Award winner Gladys Knight and also features Brian Culbertson, Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective, Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, Monty Alexander, Ledisi, Avery*Sunshine, Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet, The Sax Pack with Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, and Kim Waters, Jamison Ross, the Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Marcus Johnson, Greg Adams and...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

May 20, 2019

Jacksonville Jazz Festival Poster A Nod To City’s History As ‘Harlem Of The South’

This year’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival poster pays tribute to the city’s legendary reputation as the “Harlem of the South” in LaVilla's heyday. Brooklyn, New York, artist and jazz aficionado Keith Henry Brown was commissioned for this year’s poster. Brown said he was drawn to LaVilla’s musical history, noting Ray Charles got his start in Jacksonville. Charles played piano for bands at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla as he was working to establish himself, earning $4 a night, according...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

March 20, 2019

Big names, bigger sounds coming to Jacksonville Jazz Festival

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Empress of Soul will be swinging into the River City in May as part of the 2019 Jacksonville Jazz Festival. Gladys Knight will be part of the lineup for what's billed as one of the largest free jazz festivals in the country. Jacksonville Jazz Fest will be May 23-26 covering 10 blocks of Downtown Jacksonville. Two stages of live music will feature jazz greats and modern favorites. The festival also includes an epic street party...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

March 20, 2019

R&B legend Gladys Knight to headline Jacksonville Jazz Festival

R&B legend Gladys Knight will headline the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, which returns to the downtown streets on Memorial Day weekend. The free festival is scheduled for May 23-26. Other acts announced are multi-instrumentalist Brian Culbertson, pianist Monty Alexander, the Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Greg Adams & East Bay Soul, bassist Amina Scott, singer Avery Sunshine, jazz trio Moonchild, the Brass-A-Holics and salsa band LPT. More acts are expected to be announced in the next few weeks. SOURCE...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

March 8, 2019

Are you ready for music under the sun?

There’s nothing like live music in an open-air venue. Here are some of the big music festivals heading our way. SWEET LIFE MUSIC FESTIVAL Saturday, March 9 at Seawalk Pavilion, Jacksonville Beach www.sweetlifemusicfest.com Free, $20 VIP seating Who’s playing? The Bruce Katz Band, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Tall Paul & the Divers, the Mandalla Band, Bird Tribe, Bonnie Blue and Kaleigh Baker & Someday Honey. SUWANNEE SPRING REUNION March 21-24 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Live Oak www.suwanneespringreunion.com $30-$180 Who’s playing? Marty Stuart...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

May 24, 2018

Join Us: ‘First Coast Connect’ Is Live Downtown Friday At 9 For Jazz Fest

First Coast Connect is hitting the road for Friday morning’s episode. We’ll be broadcasting and streaming live from Chamblin’s Uptown at 215 N. Laura Street, Friday at 9 a.m., as a nod to this weekend’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival. Listen in at 89.9 FM, wjct.org, NPR One or in the WJCT app. Or, stop by and see us on location. We’ll have live music and our Weekly Roundtable with Florida Times-Union reporter Andrew Pantazi, David Cawton from the Daily Record along with regular contributor...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

May 24, 2018

What to expect at this weekend’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival

For the first time since 2009, Jacksonville will not use the Landing as a venue for the Jazz Festival, instead utilizing space in front of the courthouse. But those who plan on attending can still expect a full lineup of acts, including "after hours" performances. The festival this year features names such as Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dianne Reeves, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Vijay Iyer, The Pete Escovedo orchestra and more. Jazz Fest After...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

May 23, 2018

Jacksonville Jazz Festival Prepares For Rain

All of the rain in the forecast is expected to make for a wet Jazz Festival this weekend. Organizers told WJCT News they’ll be monitoring the weather onsite and working with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Fire-Rescue to ensure the safety of everyone that attends. Any postponements or cancellations will be posted on the Jacksonville Jazz Festival website, the organization’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @JaxJazz@Fest. Attendees will be allowed to bring umbrellas this year, according to organizers. Music fans attending...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

May 19, 2018

Jacksonville Jazz Fest returns to downtown Friday-Sunday

One of the performers at next weekend’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Sheila E., had a Top 10 pop single, toured three times in Ringo Starr’s Band and spent years as musical director for Prince. Her father Pete Escovedo, who is also on the bill, is a former member of Santana and a titan in the Latin jazz community. There’s a performer, sax man Charles Lloyd, who was named Down Beat magazine’s Jazz Artist of the Year...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News

May 15, 2018

2 Posters Unveiled For 2018 Jacksonville Jazz Festival

Unique art has been a part of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival since 1980 with an official event poster unveiled each year. This year the festival is featuring two poster designs created by local artist Jeff Whipple. A rarity compared to previous years, the 2018 posters pay homage to the jazz performer and fan. Each piece of art incorporates Whipples’s distinctive and highly recognized three-line motif. “I use three lines because three repetitions of an element are a pattern, and...

Jacksonville Jazz Fest News