Atlanta Jazz Festival…2015
2015 and another year and BADBADNOTGOOD played the Kickoff Party and the festival excitement was upon the city. As folks settled into Piedmont Park Memorial Day Weekend for the annual jazz gathering, it marked the start of another summer of music in Atlanta. The crowd came from near and far as they always do for this traditional free festival.
Once again the staff of the Office of Cultural Affairs put on a fabulous festival with many of Atlanta’s favorites Emrah Kotan, Four Women: A Tribute to Nina Simone Featuring Kathleen Bertrand, Julie Dexter, Rhonda Thomas and Terry Harper, Joe Gransden and His Big Band, Tony Hightower and the Wolfpack ATL. Coupled with the above, festival goers had the pleasure to hear some of the best names in jazz including Alfredo Rodríguez Trio, Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Banda Magda, Contemporary Violinist Daniel D., Derrick Hodge, Diane Schuur, Dida Pelled, Fernanda Noronha, Jeff Sparks, Jessie Davis and the Nebraska Jones Experiment, Kenosha Kid, Mad Satta, Marcus Strickland Twi-Life, Mastery, Navy Band Southeast V.I.P. Protocol Combo, Nettwork Trio: Charnett Moffett, Stanley Jordan, and Jeff “Tain” Watts, Otis Brown III, Pharoah Sanders Quartet, Strings, The Rad Trads, Thundercat,.
The Youth Jazz Band Competition winners were Westlake High School Jazz Ensemble taking 1st Place, Tri-Cities High School Jazz Band in 2nd Place, North Atlanta Center for the Arts Jazz Band brought home 3rd Place.
Lil’ John Roberts and His All Star Jam Band held down the Late Night Jazz Jam. #AJF40
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Atlanta Jazz Festival…2014
On May 23rd – 25th, the Atlanta Jazz Festival took to the stages in Piedmont Park for another fabulous weekend of jazz, that closed out the month-long educational focus on jazz master-classes. The Jazz Education and Workshop Series were free to anyone who wished to participate..
Performing this year were Ahmad Jamal, Airmen of Note, Ali Amr, Bill Frisell’s Guitar in the Space Age, Brian Hogans, Christian Scott, Cyrille Aimée, Darren English, Diego Figueiredo, Edmar Castaneda, Eldar Djangirov Trio, Ester Rada, Freddy Cole, Kemba Cofield, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra, Roberta Gambarini, Roy Hargrove, Russell Gunn’s Krunk Jazz Orkestra, Somi, Willie Ziavino and the C.O.T. Band.
The Youth Jazz Band Competition winners to open each day of the festival were North Atlanta Center for the Arts Jazz Band who took 1st Place, Tri-Cities High School Jazz Band in 2nd Place, and Milton High School Jazz Ensemble captured the 3rd Place performance spot.
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jon Batiste hosted the Late Night Jazz Jam that closed out the day of music. #AJF40
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Atlanta Jazz Festival…2013
As Atlanta suffered through one of the worst sports years in the city’s history, the NL East winning Braves lose to the Dodgers, Falcons dreams of the Super Bowl are dashed with a loss to the Jets, the Minnesota Lynx takes the Dream in the WNBA finals and national hopes for the Bulldogs were splattered when they lost to Mizzou. But the shining star of the year was the jazz festival that brought 31 Days of Jazz to neighborhoods venues and greeted passengers at the airport. This was the prelude to the artists that appeared in Piedmont Park, that once again hosted the annual jazz festival from May 25th to the 27th.
Aaron Diehl Quartet, Alexandra Jackson, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, Aruán Ortiz, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dominick Farinacci, Ginou, Gretchen Parlato, Jacob Deaton and the Tribulation Band, Julie Dexter, Jose James, Meshell Ndegeocello: A Dedication to Nina Simone, Miguel Zenón Quartet, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra, Rio Negro, Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Gamak, Tia Fuller, and the Uri Gurvich Quartet.
Benjamin E. Mays High School Jazz Orchestra came in as the 1st Place winner, North Atlanta Center for the Arts Jazz Band took 2nd Place, Stephenson High School Jazz Ensemble was the 3rd Place, Westlake High School Jazz Ensemble was 4th Place, J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Ensemble ranked 5th Place, and Tri-Cities High School Jazz Band had the 6th Place spot in the Youth Jazz Band Competition. The first three opened the main stage performances each day and the final three opened the festivals contemporary stage.
Dionne Farris with the Russell Gunn Quartet held down the Late Night Jazz Jam for the festival goers who didn’t want each day of music to end. #AJF40
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Atlant Jazz Festival…2012
It was May 26th and the 31 Days of Jazz was a success for the city of Atlanta and the neighborhoods and communities that represented. The weekend ran through the 28th the the crowds of jazz fans, enthusiasts and aficionados laid blankets, pitched tents and sat in lawn chairs to enjoy another year in Piedmont Park. Jazz was in the air and the adoring throng waited with anticipation as each act that came to the stage.
The Kickoff Cabaret performers were Jennifer Freeman and Johnny O’Neal with Jason Orr hosting the Late Night Jazz Jam. The 2012 Youth Jazz Band Competition winners opened each day of the festival on two stages and were Benjamin E. Mays Jazz Orchestra taking 1st Place, Woodland High School Jazz Band in 2nd Place, Martin Luther King, Jr. High School Big Band held down 3rd Place, and J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Ensemble was the 4th Place.
Performing over the weekend and following each youth jazz band were Andre Rievers, Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Dwight Andrews, Edy Martinez Jazz Orchestra, Ernest EC3 Coleman, Grace Kelly Quintet, Grégoire Maret, Kathleen Bertrand, Laura Coyle Quintet, Lionel Loueke Trio, Mace Hibbard, Marea Alta, Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective, Melvin Jones, Mushy Widmaier, Nadav Remez / Omer Avital Quintet, Ojeda Penn, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Robert Glasper Experiment, Roy Ayers, Russell Gunn and Elektrik Butterfly, Saunders Sermons, Son Jazzy Orchestra, Tito Puente, Jr. & Orchestra, Tropical Breeze Steel Band, and Yolanda Rabun. #AJF40
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Atlanta Jazz Festival…2011
2011 had an increased emphasis on straight-ahead jazz was by design. The festival is one of the last free music festivals that celebrates jazz in its purest form and will continue to cultivate the legacy of classic jazz.
In Piedmont Park over the Memorial Day Weekend of May 28th to the 30th, the lineup was a good collection of straight-ahead and contemporary, both young and more established stars, as well as Atlanta representation. J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Band and North Atlanta High School Jazz Band represented the Youth Jazz Band Competition winners opening each day’s festivities along with Audrey Shakir, Gerald Clayton Trio, Infinite Sound Family, Marea Alta, Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble Jazz Band, Myrna Clayton, Oliver Santana & Ellison Jazz, Neo 4, Ninety Miles featuring Stefon Harris, David Sanchez, and Christian Scott, Regina Carter’s Reverse Thread, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Rua 6, Sean Jones Quintet, Tropical Breeze, Warren Wolf Quintet and Wild Rice.
Saxophonist Mike Phillips was selected as the festival’s first-ever ambassador, Glory Foods came on as a sponsor and the GoGreen Initiative made available an iphone app allowing everyone to go paperless and get all festival information. 31 Days of Jazz continued to build its own tradition of community performances and educational workshops and neighborhood concerts were all a part of the festivities.
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