The 2015 Twin Cities Jazz Festival Lineup has been announced.
Jazz fans across the Midwest are already gearing up for a weekend of great music at the city’s annual jazz celebration from Thursday June 25 – Saturday June 27, when the festival will take over more than two dozen locations in and around downtown Minneapolis/Saint Paul.
As the festival enters its 17th year of operation, the organizers are pulling out all the stops to bring an incredibly unique combination of headliners to the region. While six-time Grammy award-winner Dr. John with his Nite Trippers band will likely stand as a crowd favorite at the festival, every headliner seems ready to bring their own flare to the festival.
Araya Orta’s Quartet featuring steel pan player Othello Molineaux will bring some serious Latin flavor to the event, as will the Cuban drummer Francisco Mela‘s new “Jazz Machine” combo, which will feature bassist Nicholas Payton as a special guest. Mela was appointed as the festival’s first Artistic Director last year.
2014 Monk Trumpet Competition winner Marquis Hill and his “Blacktet,” which includes saxophonist Christopher McBride, vibraphonist Justin Thomas, bassist Joshua Ramos, and drummer Makaya McCraven, will also tear up the main stage on the final day of the festival. These guys are known for pushing the boundaries of music, so that’s a performance you won’t want to miss.
Saxophonist Chris Potter also stands as a headliner, performing on the Main Stage with bassist Dave Holland, guitarist Lionel Loueke and drummer Eric Harland.
Other notable performers at the event include fresh-faced bassist Charlie Lincoln performing at the Black Dog Cafe; two-time Grammy award winner Cassandra Wilson performing at the Dakota Jazz Club, and Iowa City-based Jazz combo Laranja performing on the festival’s Main Stage.
You may be wondering how much it will cost to hear all this live music. Well, every performance has been completely free since the festival’s inception, and that won’t change this year!
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