One Week From Today - Full Day of Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival

This is the second of my daily previews of this year's Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival for which I had a preview on January 15.  Today I am focusing on the programs that are scheduled to take place next Saturday, February 16.

Today's headliner is one of the legends of the Hammond B-3, Dr. Lonnie Smith (in the clip above),  who will be coming on at 10:PM after a full day of jazz. The main stage starts at noon with bass clarinetist Todd Marcus leading a group which will have as special guest, clarinet master Don Byron. Then there is a vocal summit with Sharon Clark, Lynette Washington and former Count Basie singer Carmen Bradford, backed by the Chris Grasso Trio. Saturday afternoon concludes with the Akira Tsuruga Quartet, featuring the Japanese born organist who is a mainstay on the NYC scene. In  addition to her performance, she will also be interviewed. Other interviews on saturday include Orrin Evans and Tim Warfield being interviewed.

Saturday Night’s on the Main Stage opens with the Larry Willis Quintet (in the clip above) with trombonist Steve Davis, saxophonist Joe Ford, bassist Steve Novosel and Billy Williams on drums. This is quite an impressive grouping including former McCoy Tyner saxophonist Ford and Rashaan Roland Kirk bassist Novosel in addition to the leader. It will be followed by a supergroup, Women In Jazz, which includes vocalist Sharon Clark, saxophonist Sharel Cassity, pianist Helen Sung, bassist Amy Shook and drummer Allison Miller.

Other performances at the Festival on Saturday include saxophonist Marshall Keys, vocalist Janine Gilbert-Carter (seen in the clip above) with a group that includes saxophonist Brian Settles and saxophonist Bruce Swaim.  In the Juke Joint, Clarence 'The Bluesman' Turner will be performing. Turner is a past winner of the DC Blues Society's Battle of the Bands, and played the DC Blues Festival and other regional blues events. Like the other nights at the festival, Wes Biles conducts a jam at Midnight.

This promises to be another spectacular program for jazz lovers.