Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Ulysses Owens Jr. will lead his big band in a performance with special guest Marquis Hill at the Detroit Jazz Festival on Sept. 3.
(Photo: Courtesy of Ulysses Owens Jr.)Jazz fans in three major U.S. metropolitan areas — Chicago, Detroit and Washington, D.C. — might want to hop a train or pack up the car and head into town this coming Labor Day weekend, as all three play host to their annual jazz festivals.
The Chicago Jazz Festival returns Sept. 1–4 with performances celebrating all forms of jazz on multiple stages in downtown Millennium Park and at the Chicago Cultural Center. Programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, the performance schedule highlights include Henry Threadgill and Zooid, Bill Frisell, William Parker and his quintet, Greg Ward, Immanuel Wilkins, Donald Harrison, Miguel Zenón, Linda May Han Oh, Adam O’Farrill, JD Allen, Jazzmeia Horn, local student jazz ensembles and others. Admission to all performances is free and no advanced reservations are required.
For a complete lineup and schedule for the Chicago Jazz Festival, click here.
The Detroit Jazz Festival, another free-admission jazz celebration, gets underway Sept. 2 and runs through Sept. 4 with a parade of stars performing on four stages in downtown Motor City. Featured artists include Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet, Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya, Artemis, Antonio Sánchez & Bad Hombre, Bill Frisell Trio, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Charles McPherson, Chucho Vadés, Dianne Reeves, Monny McCaslin, Ethan Iverson, JD Allen, John Scofield, Michael Dease, DownBeat Blindfold Test with Jason Marsalis, Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band with Marquis Hill, Vijay Iyer Trio and José James, among others.
For more information on the Detroit Jazz Festival, click here.
The 18th annual DC JazzFest, which includes both free and paid-admission performances, is set to launch its lineup of acclaimed artists into an array of indoor and outdoor venues in and around the District starting tomorrow, Aug. 31, and running through Sept. 4 — culminating in a big tentpole Labor Day weekend on the scenic Potomac Riverfront at The Wharf. Headliners include Christian McBride & Inside Straight, Orrin Evans Captain Black Big Band with Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio; Regina Carter, Cindy Blackman Santana, Kurt Elling’s SuperBlue with Charlie Hunter, Emmet Cohen Trio, Patrick Zimmerli “Messages” with Chris Potter and Steve Wilson, Matthew Shipp, the 2022 DCJazzPrix emerging bands competition finalists (Akua Allrich & The Tribe, Jalen Baker Quartet and Julieta Eugenio Trio) and numerous others. On Sept. 3 at the Arena Stage, DC JazzFest will screen the 2022 documentary film Hargrove, followed by a panel discussion featuring former Roy Hargrove band pianist Marc Cary, Orrin Evans and film producer Eliane Henri.
For a complete DC JazzFest schedule, click here. DB
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
The Century Room in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was born in 2021.
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
