During Charlotte’s fourth-annual celebration of jazz, you can spend the night with ladies who sing the blues, revel in a showcase of Duke Ellington’s music, party like you’re in Cuba, experience a new composition by jazz great Wynton Marsalis that combines modern dance with big band jazz in a playful exploration of the animal kingdom, and so much more.
Here’s the lineup of ticketed events for the Charlotte Jazz Festival, April 29-May 4. Enjoy free concerts daily as well. For a complete list of events and more festival info, visit the Charlotte SHOUT! website.
CAMILLE THURMAN AND THE DARRELL GREEN TRIO:
Camille Thurman joins forces with The Darrell Green Trio and jazz legend Wynton Marsalis to kick off the 2019 Charlotte Jazz Festival with an unforgettable night of entertainment.
Acclaimed by Downbeat Magazine as a “rising star” singer with “soulful inflection and remarkable, Fitzgerald-esque scat prowess” and hailed by All About Jazz as a “first class saxophonist that blows the proverbial roof of the place,” Thurman has been amazing audiences throughout the world with her impeccable sound, remarkable vocal virtuosity and captivating artistry. Many have likened her vocal abilities to Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Her lush, rich, warm sound on the tenor saxophone has led others to compare her to tenor greats Joe Henderson and Dexter Gordon.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 1 | Jazz Garden Tent at Romare Bearden Park
BUY TICKETS: $24.50-$44.50
HAVANA NIGHTS WITH GINO CASTILLO & THE CUBAN COWBOYS:
Gino Castillo & The Cuban Cowboys bring their Cuban jazz flare to the Jazz tent for the ultimate Latin Jazz dance party. Featuring talented musicians from Connecticut, North Dakota, Venezuela and Cuba, GC & The Cuban Cowboys are known for high-energy performances sure to get you on your feet. Gino Castillo is currently in permanent residency at Prohibition in Charleston, SC, where he presents Havana Nights weekly.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 2 | Jazz Garden Tent at Romare Bearden Park
BUY TICKETS: $10 general admission
ELLINGTON THROUGH THE AGES: FUTURE OF JAZZ ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
Wynton Marsalis, bassist Rodney Whitaker, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, and saxophonist Dan Block lead an all-Ellington showcase with a group of young rising jazz stars. The band includes 16 of the best young professionals on the scene, many of whom came up through Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band program. This concert explores decades of Duke’s music, including his earliest hits, Hollywood charts, swinging blues numbers, pieces inspired by his international travels, and portions of his later suites. This vital music is at the core of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and you’re guaranteed to enjoy its timeless genius when the next generation of jazz leaders bring their fresh energy to it.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 2 | Knight Theater
BUY TICKETS: $25-$92.50
LADIES SING THE BLUES:
Three talented musicians sing and play the blues all night long in the Jazz Tent. The Donna Hopkins Band, Deva Mahal and Maria Muldaur each perform a full-length set during this blues triple-header. One ticket gets you in for all three amazing performances.
WHEN: 6-11 p.m., Friday, May 3 | Jazz Garden Tent at Romare Bearden Park
• 6 p.m. – The Donna Hopkins Band: Georgia Music Magazine called Donna Hopkins a “genuine triple threat” for her prowess as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Expect blues music with strong southern roots.
• 7:45 p.m. – Deva Mahal: Born with blues in her blood, Deva Mahal (daughter of blues legend Taj Mahal) is a genre-defying artist, powerhouse vocalist, and astute songwriter.
• 9:30 p.m. – Maria Muldaur: Perhaps best known for the 1973 hit song “Midnight at the Oasis,” Maria Muldaur is an American blues singer who was part of the early 1960s music revolution.
BUY TICKETS: $24.50-$44.50
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS WYNTON MARSALIS’ SPACES:
Join Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as they present an all-new composition for orchestra and dance by Wynton Marsalis titled “Spaces,” which combines modern dance with big band jazz in a playful and wildly entertaining exploration of the animal kingdom. Each of Spaces’ 10 movements corresponds to a different animal, from “King Lion” to “Bees, Bees, Bees,” offering a dazzling array of sights and sounds that express the diversity, humor, and quirky majesty found in nature.
For this performance, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will be joined by Bessie Award-winning “jookin” dance artist Myles Yachts and Broadway tap artist Jared Grimes—reprising their roles. Wynton Marsalis does not appear in this performance.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 3 | Knight Theater
BUY TICKETS: $25-$74.50
SATURDAY MORNING JAZZ BREW:
Ocie Davis takes the stage for a morning full of sweet jazz sounds with special guests Stephanie Jordan and Jamil Sharif. A Charlotte resident, Ocie Davis is a master jazz drummer, educator, and composer who has performed with influential jazz figures like Ellis Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Christian Scott, Nicolas Payton, and Donald Harrison. Joining Ocie are two well-known, seasoned jazz artists straight from New Orleans — vocalist Stephanie Jordan and traditional trumpeter/vocalist Jamil Sharif.
WHEN: 11 a.m., Saturday, May 4 | Jazz Garden Tent at Romare Bearden Park
BUY TICKETS: $19.50-$29.50. (Tickets do not include food. Cash bar and snacks will be available for purchase.)
THE GENTLEMEN OF JAZZ:
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra veterans Paul Nedzela, Kenny Rampton, and Carlos Henriquez lead three performances in the Jazz Garden Tent for a night of unforgettable music. Each JLCO member will present a unique set with special guests. One ticket covers all three performances.
WHEN: 6-11 p.m., Saturday, May 4 | Jazz Garden Tent at Romare Bearden Park
• 6 p.m. – Paul Nedzela Quartet: Nedzela has become one of today’s top baritone saxophone players and frequents major festival stages around the world.
• 7:45 p.m. – Kenny Rampton Octet presents “The Paradise Blue Suite:” Rampton (trumpeter) presents a suite of original music composed for award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue.
• 9:30 p .m. – Carlos Henriquez presents “Dizzy Con Clave:” Henriquez (bassist) and friends pay tribute to Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet master and leading pioneer who integrated Cuban rhythms with the hot sounds of modern jazz.
BUY TICKETS: $34.50-$59.50
PATINA MILLER SINGS NINA SIMONE:
Tony Award winner Patina Miller, a native of Pageland, SC, pays tribute to the late, great Nina Simone in an evening of unforgettable music. Currently starring on the CBS hit drama series “Madam Secretary,” Miller is a Tony-award winning actress with a resume that encompasses Broadway, TV, film, and music. She is famous for her role as Leading Player in the 2012/13 Broadway revival of Pippin, for which she won a Tony award. She made her Broadway debut (and earned her first Tony nomination) in the stage adaptation of Sister Act. Miller appeared in the renowned daytime soap opera All My Children, made her feature film debut in The Hunger Games series, and performed her first solo concert at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts during its 2013/14 theatrical season.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 4 | Knight Theater
BUY TICKETS: $34.50-$74.50
