Cleveland’s Tri-C Jazz Festival Celebrates 35th anniversary

Christian McBride Trio

Cleveland’s Tri-C Jazz Festival celebrates its 35th anniversary with a big move to June 2014. The 35th Edition of the Festival will present three jam-packed days of concerts in the theaters of Playhouse Square plus free music outside on Star Plaza. The Festival was founded in 1980 by Dr. Thom Horning and Reginald Buckner with a mission to: (1) Foster the history and nurture the future of Jazz; (2) Provide educational opportunities for students of all ages and in all walks of life; and (3) Bring world-class Jazz to Cleveland. To accomplish these purposes Tri-C JazzFest features jazz performances, clinics master classes, lectures, broadcasts, and a breadth of other concert and community outreach activities. Local and national artists teach, compose, arrange, and perform. 

 

Ernie Krivda

The line-up for this year’s festival includes the Sean Jones Quartet; Christian McBride; Gregory Porter; John Scofield Überjam; Trombone Shorty; Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra; Jamey Haddad; Ernie Krivda; Eliane Elias; Terri Lyne Carrington; Raul Midón; Marcus Miller/Dave Koz; and Dave Holland Prism. As can be seen it is a pretty diverse group of artists. 

To highlight a few of the performers, Christian McBride will be performing with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and with his trio of pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr.  McBride is one of the most in demand bassists on today’s scene and is comfortable playing straight-ahead hard bop, Weather Report inspired fusion and some James Brown inspired funk. Whether leading his Big Band, his group Inside Straight, playing with Sonny Rollins, or his new trio with the brilliant Sands on piano and Owens on drums, McBride displays a facility and expressiveness on the double bass that few of his contemporaries can approach. He is also a marvelous composer. 

Cleveland’s Ernie Krivda would be one of the best known saxophonists in the Jazz Scene if he hadn’t remained in Cleveland. His robust tenor saxophone swings hard and full of melodic invention. Krivda is scheduled to lead his Fat Tuesday Band on a program devoted to the music of Oliver Nelson and Jimmy Smith. 

Gregory Porter

Drummer Terri Lynn Carrington’s most recent recording Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue, was the winner of the 2014 Grammy Award for Best jazz instrumental album. It is simply another example of her talent and musical vision that is increasingly being recognized, whether for her own projects as well as her collaborations with others. 

Gregory Porter has become one of the most in-demand vocalists on the jazz scene. Bringing a warm vocal style that incorporates a variety of influences bridging soul and jazz troubadours including Donny Hathaway, the warmth and joy he brings to his originals along with his terrific band have delighted audiences throughout the world. And those familiar with his recordings should not be surprised when he reworks some these or such jazz standards as Work Song, that are part of his repertoire. 

More information on the Tri-C JazzFest including information on the schedule and tickets can be found at http://www.tri-cjazzfest.com.