Blue Note Jazz Festival to Spotlight Diverse Global Cultures

By DownBeat I May. 7, 2024

Wynton Marsalis will perform at this summer’s Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York.
(Photo: Courtesy Blue Note Jazz Festival)

The Blue Note Jazz Club has unveiled the lineup for its 13th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, featuring performances by Wynton Marsalis, Andra Day, Corinne Bailey Rae, Yo La Tengo with the Sun Ra Arkestra, Stanley Clarke, the Yussef Dayes Experience, Soulive, The Soul Rebels featuring Ghostface Killah, Antibalas with Hailu Mergia, Jazz Is Dead, Soulive, Bombino with Etran De L’Air, Os Mutantes, Victor Wooten and many more.

Kicking off June 1 with Soulive at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, New York, and running through early July, the festival spans five venues across the city including Sony Hall, SummerStage in Central Park, Town Hall, Brooklyn Bowl and performances in partnership with Jazz At Lincoln Center.

The Blue Note takes a unique approach in curating its namesake New York festival, looking beyond the confines of genre, geography and time to craft a one-of-a-kind lineup. Pulling together history-shaping innovators, cultural icons from around the world and contemporary artists pushing the boundaries of music today, the festival captures the social fabric of the city like no other.

“This year, Blue Note Jazz Festival is focused on spotlighting diverse global cultures in a range of venues throughout New York City, including artists from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Niger, Brazil and beyond,” says Blue Note Director of Programming Alex Kurland. “The lineup features iconic and legendary artists that have made a tremendous impact in music and on generations of artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Clarke, Fred Wesley and hip-hop icon Ghostface Killah. The lineup is complemented by a wave of progressive and contemporary artists ranging from Ezra Collective, the Yussef Dayes Experience and Julius Rodriguez. We’re also focused on spotlighting powerful and impactful female voices including Andra Day, Corinne Bailey Rae and Lisa Fischer, to name a few.”

To see the complete festival lineup and purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.

“Presenting artists who make an immense impact in music culture and inspire is a common thread of the annual Blue Note Jazz Festival,” Kurland said. “This mirrors the festival’s partnerships with impactful institutions in New York City including SummerStage in Central Park, Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Town Hall, which enrich the festival’s depth of programming, experience and culture.” DB