The 12th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival line-up is set. The event will be held on August 3, 4, 5 at the Goshen Fairgrounds in Northwest Connecticut. This year’s line-up is a salute to jazz orchestras featuring the Mingus Big Band, Count Basie Orchestra with Nnenna Freelon, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra featuring Carla Bley and much more. With past performers like Dave Brubeck, Eartha Kitt, Dionne Warwick and Diana Krall, it’s no wonder the Litchfield Jazz Festival was recently nominated for two Festie Awards by MelodyTrip.com. A long-time festival attendee called it “a most mellow and tasty event,” and Dave Hershorin of New Orleans Radio said, “Litchfield really is what other jazz festivals wish they could be…a true gem.”
The weekend kicks off on Friday, August 3, with a gala “Friends of the Festival” party, with music provided by outstanding students of Litchfield Jazz Camp and hors d'oeuvres by Jordan Caterers. The party is followed by a performance by two-time Grammy Award Winner and NEA Jazz Master, trombonist Slide Hampton. Up next is the Count Basie Orchestra featuring Six-time Grammy Award nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon.
On Saturday, August 4, the music begins at noon with Insight, a group of seven young talented, award-winning musicians. In 2005 Eddie Palmieri reflected, "Give them another two years, and Insight will blow any band off the stage!’" Up next is 20-year-old vocalist Rachael Price. Rachael was a semi-finalist at the Montreux Vocal Competition. Following Rachael Price for his sixth appearance on the Litchfield Jazz Festival is Mario Pavone / Deez to Blues Sextet. Bassist Mario Pavone has recorded 17 albums as a leader. His latest recording, “Deez to Blues,” has appeared on best-of-the-year lists in The New York Times, The New Yorker, All About Jazz and more. Next up is the Sonny Fortune Quartet. Sonny has played in venues world wide with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Reggie Workman and many others. Next the festival welcomes Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts, with guest artist vocalist Bill Henderson. The New York Times called him “one of the best drummers of his generation.” This is Matt’s eleventh the festival. Closing the evening is the Mingus Big Band celebrating the music of the late composer and bassist, Charles Mingus.
Opening on Sunday, August 5, is the high-energy Rolando Matias - Afro-Rican Ensemble featuring Bobby Matos. Up next is the Dave Stryker Organ Trio. Stryker is a regular teaching artist at Litchfield Jazz Camp and has played with such greats as Stanley Turrentine, Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard. Following Stryker is the Helio Alves Trio led by the Brazilian born, New York-based pianist. Alves has recorded more than 40 albums as a sideman and recently released his second album as a leader. Next up is a Litchfield favorite – Don Braden who is the Music Director of Litchfield Jazz Camp. Braden will be performing with his Contemporary Standards Ensemble making this his tenth appearance on the festival. Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra will feature Carla Bley. Haden has received three Grammy Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship and four NEA grants for composition. The LMO’s latest project, “Not In Our Name,” was released on Verve. And brining the 12th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival to a close is a multi-Grammy-nominated vocalist/pianist – Karrin Allyson. Karrin appeared on the festival in 2005 and had the audience on their feet! She is “one of the most charismatic figures on tour today.” (New York Times).
Premium tickets are $350 for Best Friends VIP weekend passes and $125 for the opening gala and performance. These include upfront seating and VIP parking. Multi-day JazzPasses are available from $65 - $150 only until June 29th. Advance-purchase general admission tickets are $37 for lawn and $55 for tent. Visit www.litchfieldjazzfest.com for more information and to purchase tickets. Any other questions call 860-567-4162.
The Litchfield Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Steinway & Sons, The Republican-American, Down Beat, Connecticut Grand Hotel, Northeast Beverage Corporation of Connecticut, Jazz Corner, Hartford Magazine, Home Living Connecticut and Connecticut Business Magazine and others. Litchfield Jazz Camp students who study for up to a month prior to The Festival and perform at the festival participate with generous support from the CT State Department of Education Interdistrict Grants.
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