More than two years have passed since the last DC Jazz Festival took place in its full 10-day glory. Normally a highlight of the District’s annual music calendar, the festival is yet another victim of the COVID pandemic, and was turned into a virtual event last September. This year, the event returns with live, in-person performances, albeit on a reduced scale over five days, starting Wednesday.

“When I was talking to our team, the first and foremost [priority] in our mind was paying artists,” says Sunny Sumter, DCJF’s executive director, speaking of the decision to hold last year’s virtual festival and this year’s abbreviated program. “It’s been a devastating year as far as income for musicians, so we really want to write checks to artists.”

Sumter says that the organization’s pre-pandemic budget was approximately $2 million with an additional half-million of in-kind support, a level she says it took 15 years to reach. That budget plummeted 70% in the two months following the citywide shutdown in March 2020. With foundation grants and support from the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, DCJF was able to build a budget even larger than the one its board approved last summer. “Here’s the thing: We haven’t had to lay off a single person and we’ve been able to maintain salaries for everybody,” Sumter says.

She’s already got plans for next year’s festival, which, like the 12 prior editions, will take place in June. Organizers are planning for a minimum five-day festival, but hope to bring back a 10-day format with a main event on Father’s Day weekend.

“We want the audiences to be as big as they are for festivals in Europe or New Orleans or Newport,” says Sumter. “We want those big audiences right here in D.C.”

Despite this year’s cut-down lineup, attendees can expect many of the festival’s usual highlights. This includes a family-friendly afternoon event at The Phillips Collection this Friday with performances from saxophonist Langston Hughes II. The Hamilton, which served as a hub of sorts for the festival in recent years will host one performance featuring keyboardist Shaun Martin.

Here are a few of the events at the DC Jazz Festival that we’re looking forward to. All will require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test within the previous 72 hours, along with a matching photo ID. Proof of vaccination may be a physical vaccine card or a photo.

DCJazzPrix

Now in its seventh year, the festival’s annual competition attracts international talent. This year’s finals take place on Sunday at Union Stage with performances from Bahaman trumpeter Giveton Gelin, London-based saxophonist Camilla George, and Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez. “As jazz makers we like to create opportunities for connections between artists and audiences,” says Sumter. “One of the things that happens every year is that I get up and introduce a new artist and I watch the response.”

Local talent

As always, the jazz festival makes it a point to highlight the world class talent we have right here in the District. Highlights of this year’s schedule include performances from pianist Janelle Gill, a longtime first-call accompanist in the area making a change by leading a group at the Kreeger Museum on Thursday. Saxophonist Herb Scott will play two shows on Friday at the jazz room he helped revitalize: Mr Henry’s. And veteran pianist Kevin Toney will lead a tribute to Andrew White, the late saxophonist who’s among the foremost authorities on John Coltrane and was known for marching to the beat of his own drummer. (One performance on Thursday is reserved for Howard University students only; another show in the evening is open to the public at Westminster Presbyterian Church.)

The Wharf 

In recent years, the festival’s major draw has been a weekend of outdoor performances at The Wharf. This weekend’s all-day affairs are stacked with jazz giants, starting with headliners Regina Carter (Saturday) and John Scofield (Sunday). Other performers that excite us include celebrated jazz pianist/composer Maria Schneider and her orchestra, and pianist Orrin Evans, and Performance pianist Cyrus Chestnut will celebrate the centennial of the late Dr. Billy Taylor, who for many years served as the artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center.

The DC Jazz Festival takes place September 1-5, 2021 at various venues around D.C. Visit the festival website for full schedule and ticketing information.