Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
The Lemon Bucket Orchestra dives into the crowd at the Ottawa Jazz Festival.
(Photo: Chris Parker)Ah, spring, when a jazz fan’s mind turns … to summer festivals! From fantastic locales to intimate encounters, from rising jazz outposts to legendary jazz settings, now is the time to start making those plans and prepare to go where the fun is. DownBeat’s annual jazz festival guide, which appears in the May 2024 issue of the magazine, is a great place to start. We’ve pulled together 145 opportunities to find a great jazz experience pretty much anywhere in the world. And we shine a spotlight on five fests to consider.
In Pittsburgh, you’ll find one of the world’s great jazz towns, right there in the Midwest, and one of the rising-star festivals on the circuit with the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival.
Over in the unlikely jazz hub of Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada, the Festival International Musique Actuelle pays tribute to the mind-expanding sounds of the avant garde, celebrating 40 years of adventurous programming.
We also travel down to Brazil to check in on the 20th anniversary of the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues Festival, a crowd-pleasing event located on the area’s famed beaches and lagoons.
Across the pond, in Rome, Casa del Jazz’s Summertime serves as a rising star on the scene, offering a variety of national and international talent in one of the more beautiful settings in southern Europe.
And back in Canada, DownBeat checks in with the Ottawa Jazz Festival, celebrating its 44th edition while transitioning to a new generation of management.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE 2024 SUMMER FESTIVAL GUIDE!
Happy travel planning! DB
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
