One of the top jazz festivals in the world, the Tri-C JazzFest is in the capable hands of managing director Terri Pontremoli, who gives Cool Cleveland the lowdown on this year’s schedule of events. Watch her video here.
From artists sporting a solid Cleveland connection (Joe Lovano, Dominick Farinacci, Tommy LiPuma) to edgy artists (clarinetist/saxophonist Anat Cohen & guitarists Bill Frisell Lionel Loueke) to stone legends (Aaron Neville & Natalie Cole), to a night of smooth jazz heavyweights and an evening dedicated to legacy of Dexter Gordon, this year’s fest covers an increasingly wide range of styles that are comfortable with calling themselves “jazz.”
They’re featuring the Robert Glasper Experiment, who won the 2013 Grammy for best R&B album, and Dr. John, who just collaborated with Akron’s Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys on his recent critically acclaimed album. Michael Feinstein mines the Great American Songbook with “The Gershwins and Me,” and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra closes things out on Sat 5/4.
For the next couple weeks, Cleveland can truly say, “Jazz Lives Here.”