Today marks the start of the DC Jazz Festival‘s seventh iteration, with the main event being the Berklee World Jazz Octet‘s performance on the Kennedy Center‘s Millennium Stage. After two years, during which a depressed economy had negative implications on the marquis jazz event in our nation’s capital, the festival is back in form and several of its signature shows are back on the program.
“First of all, we’re back on the Mall. That’s big,” said festival founder and Executive Producer Charlie Fishman, referring to the Jazz On The National Mall concert that was left out last year due to budget cuts. “Being back on the Mall gives a broader exposure both for the audience and the musicians.”
Though the festival suffered during the recent economic downturn, the organizational team kept things moving behind the scenes, assembling a permanent Board of Directors, chaired by Michael R. Sonnenreich. With public funds being scarce, the Board and the festival’s permanent staff have begun to secure commitments from corporate donors such as Bing and Verizon. These ties, along with a number of corporations who pledge in-kind donations, have fueled the DCJF’s resurgence, while giving the organizers flexibility in their programming options.
“Economically, it’s not logical to put [a major act] in a 200-seat theater because a) you’re not going to sell 200 tickets because you’re going to be giving some of them away, and b) you don’t want to set the price point too high,” explained Fishman. “That’s why being a non-profit and getting corporate sponsorship is so important.”
In the end, it is the programming — not fundraising capabilities — that makes the festival, and this year’s lineup only reinforces the notion that the DCJF is well on its way to becoming one of the country’s premiere jazz events. The Jazz ‘N Families Fun Days, staged in partnership with the Phillips Collection, is a family-oriented event that is unique to the DCJF, as is Jazz in the ‘Hoods. Unlike most major jazz festivals that are concentrated in one venue or arts district, the DCJF partners with local venues to increase visibility. The number of venues participating in Jazz in the ‘Hoods has grown from eleven in 2005 to over forty this year. Many of them are not music venues per se, but will be hosting performers over the next two weeks.
“The guy playing at The Grill from Ipanema will be able to legitimately say that he performed in the DC Jazz Festival,” said Fishman. “The whole goal is to try to make people aware that this is a rich jazz town.”
The DCJF has also expanded its educational offerings to include master classes taught by the world’s best for high school and college music students. Of course, it also offers the concerts that one would generally associate with a festival of this type. In addition to the all-star lineup that will be performing on the National Mall, major events include a concert with vocalist extraordinaire Bobby McFerrin and a musical tribute to the Crescent City titled A Night in Treme: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans. The DCJF is also partnering with local web site CapitalBop to present a series of shows at underground venues aimed at drawing listeners in their 20s and 30s, a demographic that has thus far eluded the DCJF.
“In terms of programming and what we offer, I would stand up our program with any other program at any other festival,” Fishman said. “What is most important is to get audiences to be hip to the music, and come out to the music.”
With that, we will now turn to DCist’s picks for the 2011 DC Jazz Festival.
Top Pick: Vocalist, District native and 2011 Grammy nominee Carolyn Malachi will bring her unique blend of jazz, R&B and spoken word to Bohemian Caverns tonight. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $15 in advance, $18 at the door.
Runner-up: Senegalese kora player Ablaye Cissoko teams up with German trumpeter Volker Goetze for a duo performance at Twins Jazz that will blend West African, European classical and jazz traditions. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.
Top Pick: The Berklee College of Music’s World Jazz Octet features a group of international students who attend the prestigious music school. The band, blending traditional and non-traditional instrumentation, will perform 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Bohemian Caverns. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. The band will also give a free 6 p.m. performance on June 1 at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.
Runner-up: The Sanga Equation, featuring rising local vocalist Lena Seikaly and under the direction of pianist John Xavier Paul, performs 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Twins Jazz. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.
Top Pick: The first show of the DCJF’s partnership with CapitalBop takes place at The Fridge, located in Eastern Market. The 9 p.m. show features drummer Tomas Fujiwara & the Hook Up, along with local opener Brian Settles and his trio. If there is any justice, both of these groups will be on the national jazz map in the not-too-distant future. $15.
Runner-up: La Maison Française hosts the Brass-A-Holics, an octet rooted in the traditional New Orleans brass band style, but which draws material from influences ranging from Louis Armstrong to Nirvana. 7:30 p.m. $25.
Also: Soulful local vocalist Akua Allrich sets up shop on Friday and Saturday at Twins Jazz, presenting material that covers the breadth of the African diaspora, but with a vocal style rooted in jazz. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $15 + $10 food/drink minimum.
Top Pick: The Jazz n’ Families Fun Days takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Phillips Collection. An event unique to the DCJF featuring performances story-telling, hands-on art workshops and an instrument petting zoo, this is the perfect way to introduce the little ones to the world of jazz. Free.
Runner-up: Soulful pianist Cyrus Chestnut‘s style is based in hard-bop, but incorporates a heavy gospel influence. He’ll be playing 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets on Friday and Saturday with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars at Bohemian Caverns. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Liv Nightclub (upstairs at the Caverns) will also host the Brass-A-Holics for a 6:30 p.m. set. $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Also: The CapitalBop/DCJF Jazz Loft series continues with an all-local lineup featuring the Jolley Brothers and pianist Amy K. Bormet at the Red Door. 9 p.m. $10.
Top Pick: Pianist Alex Brown, an area native who has blown us away at previous festivals, is just 22 and is already performing regularly with heavyweights like former DCJF Artistic Director Paquito D’Rivera. He’ll be celebrating the release of his latest album at Bohemian Caverns with 7 and 9 p.m. sets. $12 in advance, $15 at the door.
Runner-up: Nasar Abadey has been one of the District’s top drummers for decades and will give a free 3 p.m. performance with his band, Supernova, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Also: Integriti Reeves, a fresh new voice who recently graduated from the prestigious Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, will perform 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Twins Jazz. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.
Top Pick: The Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, always a fave here at DCist, will be performing its usual Monday night set at the historic club. However, this performance will feature Yotam Silberstein, a talented young guitarist who is racking up international accolades. 8 to 11 p.m. $7. Silberstein will stick around the club and will be joined by Dizzy Gillespie’s former bassist, John Lee, and legendary drummer Tootie Heath for a special masterclass.
Runner-up: Two of the area’s top musicians, pianist Chris Grasso and saxophonist Lyle Link, will team up for a special recital hosted by the Human Rights Campaign at the organization’s headquarters. 7:30 p.m. Free.
Top Pick: Saxophonist Brad Linde is one of the most recognizable faces on the local scene, both as an artist and a presenter. He will team up with fellow woodwind artist Sarah Hughes to lead a quartet through 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Twins Jazz. $10 + $10 food/drink minimum.
Runner-up: Festival organizers have long been trying to take advantage of the appeal the DCJF can have by virtue of the fact that Washington, D.C. is truly an international city. To that end, the Millennium Stage will host a group of European all-stars led by bassist Pascal Niggenkemper. 6 p.m. Free.
Also: Due to its sizable Latin population, D.C. has always had a rich tradition of Latin jazz. This music will be on display as pianist Benito Gonzalez and saxophonist Luis Faife, who both got their start here in the District, lead an excellent quartet at Bohemian Caverns. 8 and 10 p.m. sets. $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Top Pick: Local vocalist Heidi Martin will pay tribute to the great Cole Porter with her interpretation of his classic compositions. The 6:30 p.m. show will take place at the Dumbarton House. $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
Runner-up: The W.E.S. Group will give a performance combining jazz and hip-hop for students at THEARC. 10:30 a.m. Free.
Top Pick: A respected performer, composer and educator who has played with Roy Hargrove, Dave Holland and the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, saxophonist Antonio Hart‘s music is ever-evolving, but rooted in tradition. He’ll perform at Bohemian Caverns on Wednesday and Thursday, leading an amazing band comprised of Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Tootie Heath and bassist John Lee. $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
Runner-up: The Black Fox Lounge is one of the newer venues featuring jazz in the District, often in intimate duo and trio settings. Guitarist Matt Ingeneri and Bill “Magic” Lavender Bey will perform in a trio with the great Butch Warren on bass. 8 p.m. No cover.
Top Pick: The legendary Heath Brothers, drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath and saxophonist Jimmy Heath are jazz institutions (along with their late brother, bassist Percy Heath). Their careers stretch back to the birth of be-bop, when both played in bands with Dizzy Gillespie. They will lead a group on Friday and Saturday at Bohemian Caverns, playing 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets. $30 in advance, $35 at the door.
Runner-up: The Jazz Loft series continues with a night of experimental music featuring the OOO Trio, with CapitalBop‘s avant-garde editor Luke Stewart on bass. Brooklyn-based saxophonist Darius Jones will headline with his trio. 9 p.m at the Red Door. $12.
Also: Twins Jazz hosts saxophonist Anthony Nelson and his group on Friday and Saturday. 9 and 11 p.m. sets. $15 + $10 food/drink minimum.
Top Pick: When we profiled Bobby McFerrin last year, he spoke to us about VOCAbuLarieS, his then-forthcoming release featuring a meticulously constructed virtual choir singing compositions based on McFerrin’s signature improvisations. McFerrin will perform a 7:30 p.m. show at the Warner Theatre, recreating this experience with a 35-member choir comprised of current and alumni members of Howard University’s stellar jazz vocal group, Afro Blue. $27-$67.
Runner-up: At just 21-years old, saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed is one of the District’s most promising young talents. He will lead his group on Saturday, opening the last of the D.C. Jazz Loft series that will feature fiery saxophonist J.D. Allen and his group. 9 p.m. at Subterranean A. $16.
Also: Excellent local Latin jazz outfit Origem will play a midnight set at Cashion’s Eat Place, one of the many venues opening themselves up for jazz just for the DCJF. No cover, but seating is limited.
Top Pick: The only place for D.C.’s jazz fans to be on Sunday is at the Sylvan Theater near the Washington Monument for Jazz on the National Mall. The show begins at 1 p.m. and the lineup includes Toby Foyeh & Orchestra Africa, Claudia Acuña Quintet, Frédéric Yonnet, Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor and the Eddie Palmieri All-Star Salsa Orchestra. Free.
Runner-up: If you still have an appetite for more music, head over to the Bossa Bistro & Lounge for an 8:30 p.m. set of world jazz from guitarist Leni Stern. $5.
Top Pick: The 2011 DC Jazz Festival concludes with A Night in Treme: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans at the Kennedy Center. Hosted by actor Wendell Pierce, the concert features the Rebirth Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indian Chief and alto saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., singer and trumpeter James Andrews, clarinetist Dr. Michael White. and trombonist Big Sam Williams. 7:30 p.m. $20-$65 + fees.
