The Tri-C JazzFest starts this weekend, which is probably a whole lot more exciting to you than it is to me. I don't hate jazz. I'm not against jazz. I kinda like jazz sometimes. I even played softball for the House of Swing team a couple years. Still, I hate to say it, but I have to be honest -- jazz, I'm just not that into you.
Plenty of others are, though, which is why there's shows taking place all around town through next weekend. George Benson, Buddy Guy and John Scofield, Cecila Smith, and the Fountain of Youth Band are among the performers at various sites. Even a library is getting into the act. The East Cleveland Public Library will play host to four different Jazzfest performances in its Greg L. Reese Performing Arts Center.
Make sure you check out Cleveland's National Public Radio affiliate WCPN 90.3 throughout JazzFest as it will be airing interviews and live performances of featured acts. You can even download a JazzFest brochure right here. Oh, and you can buy a sweet poster version of the picture at the top of this blog (done by Cleveland's own Hector Vega) entry at any of the JazzFest events or at the JazzFest office at Tri-C's downtown campus. Even though I'm just not that into jazz, I am very into that poster.
JazzFest Schedule
George Benson - An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat King Cole
April 24, 8 PM
Playhouse Square Center – Allen Theatre
Jazz for Kids featuring Joe Hunter
April 25, 11 AM - 2 PM
Cleveland Children’s Museum
Women in Jazz featuring Marion Hayden
FREE
April 25, 1 PM
Mt. Zion Congregational Church
Buddy Guy with special guest John Scofield and the Piety Street Band
April 25, 7:30 PM
Playhouse Square Center – Allen Theatre
Latin Night with Eddie Palmieri Y La Perfecta II and special guest Grupo Fuego
April 25, 8 PM
Cuyahoga Community College – Metro Campus – Auditorium
Latin Jam Session featuring Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta
April 25, 10 PM - 2 AM
Doubletree Hotel Cleveland
Debut Series-Jonathan Batiste Quintet
FREE
April 26, 4 PM
East Cleveland Public Library
Debut Series-Sachal Vasandani
FREE
April 26, 8 PM
East Cleveland Public Library
Ernie Krivda and the Detroit Connection play Dexter, Trane and Sonny:
A Tribute to the Jazz Tenor Sax Giants of the 1960’s
FREE
April 27, 7:30 PM
East Cleveland Public Library
Oberlin Clinic with Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble
FREE
April 28
Noon - 2:00 PM
Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse
Eddie Baccus, Sr.
FREE
April 28, 8 PM
Karamu House
Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble
FREEApril 28Noon - 2:00 PMCat in the Cream Coffeehouse FREEApril 28, 8 PMKaramu House
April 28, 8 PM
Museum of Contemporary Art – MOCA
Crossing Bridges Preview
FREE
April 29, Noon - 1:00 PM
Playhouse Square Center – Ohio Theatre
NEA Jazz Masters Live Interview
FREE
April 29 3 PM
Tri-C Metro Campus, Studio Theatre
Crossing Bridges - World Premiere of commissioned work by composer Cecilia Smith
April 29, 8 PM
Playhouse Square Center – Ohio Theatre
Tri-C JazzFest Education Days
FREE
April 30, 8 AM - 5 PM
Cuyahoga Community College – Metro Campus – Auditorium
NEA Jazz Masters Live Concert: Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band
with special guest Randy Weston
April 30, 8 PM
Cuyahoga Community College – Metro Campus – Auditorium
Tri-C JazzFest Education Days
FREE
May 1, 8 AM - 5 PM
Cuyahoga Community College – Metro Campus – Auditorium
Dave Brubeck Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling
RESCHEDULED for JUNE 6, 2009
Playhouse Square Center – Allen Theatre
Downbeat Invitational
FREE
May 2, 1 PM - 4 PM
Cuyahoga Community College – Metro Campus – Auditorium
Dave Koz with special guests Joe Sample and Randy Crawford
May 2, 8 PM
Playhouse Square Center – Allen Theatre
Jazz Meets Hip Hop, Part 7 featuring Bill Ransom
May 2, 10 PM
Grog Shop
TCJF SoundWorks plays the music of McCoy Tyner featuring Sean Jones
FREE
May 3, 7 PM
East Cleveland Public Library