It’s about that time, jazz lovers: The Duke Ellington Jazz Festival is upon us. The event is the District’s premier jazz happening, and is now in its fifth iteration. Though its official dates are June 5 to June 15, pianist and local mainstay Allyn Johnson will open the festival on Thursday with a free prelude concert, which will take place at 5 p.m. at The Phillips Collection. This year’s festival theme is “Celebrating New Orleans,” in tribute to the Crescent City’s rich heritage.

“We chose to highlight New Orleans because a) it’s the birthplace of jazz, and b) it’s still suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina,” said Charlie Fishman, the festival’s founder and executive producer. “We want to call attention to the wondrous culture of the city.”

This year’s festival brings with it some changes, most welcome, but some not. This year marks the first time Duke Fest will take place in June, as will all future festivals, as opposed to its usual September time frame. Festival and city organizers were having difficulty locking down weekends in the fall where the festival could take place on an annual basis, a must for an event of this scale. This year’s program has also been scaled back because of budget cuts. Losses include events at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the memorable closing concert that was held in honor of Voice of America DJ Willis Conover.

“We’ve lost close to $200,000 in corporate sponsorships. This is the worst I’ve ever experienced,” said Fishman, a veteran producer and promoter.