A very successful DC Jazz Festival closed on Monday night with A Night in Treme: The Musical Majesty of New Orleans, a concert anchored with the joyful grooves of the Rebirth Brass Band. This was the first show I’ve seen at the Kennedy Center where extra ushers were called in to prevent people from getting up and dancing on stage. This moment was just one of many highlights to come out of D.C.’s largest music event, which featured over 100 acts playing in 50 venues.

The festival’s centerpiece, Sunday’s free concert on the National Mall, went on despite high temperatures and the threat of lightning. Showcasing the international spread of jazz, the day-long concert featured artists from West Africa, Europe, Latin America and, of course, the United States. The festival as a whole not only presented a diversity of cultures, but also artists in different stages of their careers. The D.C. Jazz Loft shows hosted younger acts in underground venues and the Brass-a-Holics might look at the festival as their big break, while the venerable Jimmy Heath graced the historic Bohemian Caverns. Likewise, talented local artists such as Frédéric Yonnet and Akua Allrich got to show off their skills alongside national and international acts.

Bobby McFerrin delivered the DC Jazz Festival’s most inspiring performance, singing with current and alumni members of Afro Blue, Howard University’s outstanding jazz choir. Mixing musical mastery with inimitable showmanship and an inviting energy, the concert was not only the best of this year’s festival, but possibly the best show of any of its seven iterations. Festival founder Charlie Fishman and his staff should be proud of their progress in creating a world class event, and we are already looking forward to what the next year brings.