Tri-C JazzFest Announces Outdoor Stage Lineup

Nineteen bands selected to perform June 29-30 at Playhouse Square

Nearly 24 hours of live music showcasing the best of Northeast Ohio will take place at the summer’s hottest downtown music festival, the 39^th annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, presented by KeyBank.

A jury of music industry professionals vetted more than 100 bands to select those chosen to play on the Strassman Insurance Stage on Euclid Avenue at East 14^th Street. The free performances run 3 p.m. to midnight June 29-30 at Playhouse Square.

“The stage features blues, soul, Latin, gospel, reggae, jam and big band,” said Terri Pontremoli, festival director. “Literally something for everyone, complete with a dance floor.”

Look for the following acts, listed by day of performance. A full schedule with performance times will be posted at www.tri-cjazzfest.com closer to the event.

Friday, June 29

• Tri-C JazzFest Academy Summer Camp: Students from the JazzFest summer camp show off what they’ve learned over two weeks.
• Acid Cats: An energetic quintet led by Tom Lehman, with driving grooves guaranteed to get the audience on the dance floor.
• Becky Boyd & The Groove Train: Blues singer Becky Boyd is joined by bassist Alfredo Guerrieri, drummer Jim Wall and keyboardist Chris Hanna.
• Blue Lunch: An eight-piece band whose influences range from Chicago-style blues, jazz, jump swing, R&B, doo-wop and soul.
• The Glenn Holmes Quartet: The band presents original music and outstanding arrangements of standards, making it one of the most in-demand jazz quartets in Cleveland.
• Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band: Jones delivers authentic roots reggae with the help of his eight-piece band, which stirs up the party with occasional lighthearted soca and calypso numbers.
• Curtis Taylor & #HASHTAGGED LIVE: Bedford native Curtis Taylor won his first Grammy award in 2014 as a sideman with acclaimed jazz vocalist Gregory Porter. The young trumpeter will perform songs from his debut recording, #Hashtagged.
• Organisum: Led by B-3 wizard Dave Thomas, the band includes top-of-the-line Cleveland musicians who bring the swing.
• 3Divas: The all-female powerhouse trio features pianist and 2018 Cleveland Jazz Legend, Jackie Warren; drummer Sherrie Maricle; and bass player Amy Shook.
• Uptowne Buddha: This dynamic and diverse group seamlessly crosses boundaries between neo-soul, hip-hop and jam scenes. 

Saturday, June 30

• Lafayette Carthon & Faith: The gospel group dedicates itself to enriching lives through the Word in song.
• Jul Big Green: Known for always wearing green, the singer and musician ranges across the musical spectrum from pop rock to hip-hop to jazzy acoustic.
• People in the Daytime: One of the finalists at the 2018 Tri-C High School Rock-Off as FunkBox, the renamed band comes to the stage from Nordonia and Twinsburg high schools.
• Sam Hooper Group: Get ready for a blend of blues, rock, jazz and funk.
• Ernie Krivda’s Fat Tuesday Big Band: The 19-piece group and its legendary frontman have a well-earned reputation as one of the region’s hardest-swinging big bands.
• Josh Rzepka Quartet: Trumpeter Josh Rzepka’s quartet is comprised of Theron Brown on piano, Mike Forfia on bass and Zaire Darden on drums. They play original compositions and arrangements.
• The JSaxx Watkins Experience: John "JSaxx" Watkins plays the alto, tenor and soprano saxophone with a style that infuses blues, gospel and hip-hop.
• Helen Welch Quartet: Welch is an internationally acclaimed vocalist and bandleader. Her group features pianist Joe Leaman, bassist Bryan Thomas and drummer Anthony Taddeo.
• Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta: Percussionist Sammy DeLeon — recipient of the 2016 Cleveland Jazz Legend Award — has performed with some of the world’s greatest Latin musicians and always rocks the stage.

The performances are made possible with support from the George Gund Foundation and Strassman Insurance Services.

An outdoor happy hour with discounted drinks starts at 5 p.m. Friday, June 29. The night will also feature street performers, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle puppets and line dancing.

Other free outdoor activities during the weekend include the U.S. Bank Kids Club; cooking demonstrations; food trucks and vendors; games; the Chemical Bank Jazz Talk Tent with artist interviews; and a Saturday morning yoga session.

JazzFest also features eight ticketed concerts with artists such as Common, Snarky Puppy, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, Dee Dee Bridgewater and more. Tickets are available through the Playhouse Square Box Office at www.playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.

For a complete indoor lineup, showtimes and ticket costs, visit www.tri-cjazzfest.com.

Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland is presented by KeyBank and made possible by Cuyahoga Community College, the National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council and a growing list of donors and members.

April 30, 2018

John Horton, 216-987-4281 john.horton@tri-c.edu