CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) has announced the lineup for the 40th annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, presented by KeyBank, June 27-29 at Playhouse Square.
The anniversary celebration features nine ticketed concerts in Playhouse Square’s historic theaters, with a lineup that includes tributes to Cleveland music legends Bobby Womack and Tadd Dameron.
Other festival highlights include a reunion of the original Flecktones; a half-century of funk and soul from Tower of Power; a teenage piano prodigy whose career launched from Harlem’s fabled Apollo Theater; and a show meshing music and tap dance.
“Tri-C JazzFest — like jazz itself — honors the traditions while pushing forward and shattering expectations,” said Terri Pontremoli, director of the festival. “This season hits that note perfectly with nods to Cleveland’s own jazz history mixed with fresh tributes and several surprises.”
Here is the concert lineup, with show times and locations:
Thursday, June 27
Tower of Power — 7:45 p.m., KeyBank State Theatre
This funk and soul band lives up to its name through electric performances guaranteed to energize a crowd. Look for the group — which is celebrating its 50th anniversary — to mix golden classics from the past with material from their newest CD.
Friday, June 28
Tribute to Tadd Dameron ft. Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Dianne Reeves — 6 p.m., Ohio Theatre
Bassist John Clayton leads the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra as it pairs with five-time Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves in a tribute to legendary Cleveland bop composer Tadd Dameron. They’ll perform signature Dameron compositions with help from special guest Dominick Farinacci.
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones/John Scofield’s Combo 66 — 7:45 p.m., KeyBank State Theatre
Groundbreaking banjoist Béla Fleck comes to Cleveland with the original Flecktones — Victor Wooten, Roy “Futureman” Wooten and Howard Levy — fresh off their first recording collaboration in almost two decades. Guitarist John Scofield will perform a dozen original compositions with his new group, Combo 66, which features bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart.
Jeff Hamilton Organ Trio — 10:15 p.m., Allen Theatre
Dynamic drummer and brush master Jeff Hamilton leads a fresh new organ trio featuring guitarist Graham Dechter and B-3 wizard Akiko Tsuruga.
Saturday, June 29
Regina Carter and Xavier Davis/Helen Sung and Michela Marino Lerman — 1 p.m., Ohio Theatre
The violin serves as an improvisational vehicle that Grammy nominee Regina Carter uses to reach unexpected realms. Her duo with pianist Xavier Davis offers a simpatico merging of two musical minds. Prize-winning pianist/composer Helen Sung captivates listeners with imaginative artistry that integrates the jazz and classical worlds. Tap dancer Michela Marino Lerman joins Sung in this unique performance.
Ernie Krivda’s Return to Swing City/Matthew Whitaker — 3:30 p.m., Allen Theatre
Legendary sax man Ernie Krivda defined the soul and direction of the Tri-C Jazz Studies program with the faculty group Swing City. Their recordings — which Krivda turned into a CD — come to life in a fitting show to mark the festival’s 40th anniversary. Seventeen-year-old pianist Matthew Whitaker won the Apollo Theater’s amateur night at age 9 and has since toured the world, played Carnegie Hall and become the youngest artist endorsed by Hammond in its 80+ year history.
Tribute to Bobby Womack featuring Christian McBride — 6 p.m., Ohio Theatre
Jazz innovator Christian McBride — the most in-demand bassist of his generation — reveals the funk and soul in his DNA in this celebration of music by Cleveland music genius Bobby Womack. McBride will be joined for this one-of-a-kind performance by a slamming jump band and special guest vocalists.
Jazz Funk Soul/Sax to the Max — 7:45 p.m., KeyBank State Theatre
Pianist, composer and producer Jeff Lorber — an innovator on the music scene for more than three decades — takes the stage with acclaimed ensemble Jazz Funk Soul, featuring Everette Harp and Paul Jackson Jr. Sax to the Max saturates the senses with saxophonists Michael Lington, Vincent Ingala and Paul Taylor.
Jamey Haddad’s Under One Sun — 10:15 p.m., Allen Theatre
Percussionist/drummer Jamey Haddad — a Cleveland native — returns home to perform Under One Sun, a collection of nine tunes written by Kenny Drewes. The performance features eight musicians varying widely in age and representing five countries. The group’s wide array of instruments, moods and vocal styles makes for a fun and exploratory 70 minutes of world jazz.
Festival passes — which offer VIP seating to all nine ticketed concerts, plus other perks — are now on sale for $250. Visit www.jazzfest40.eventbrite.com to purchase a pass.
Individual tickets will go on sale April 1 through the Playhouse Square Box Office.
The 2019 JazzFest will also include free outdoor concerts on the plaza at Playhouse Square from 3 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday on festival weekend. The popular performances will feature local and regional talent selected by a jury of music industry experts.
The festival draws tens of thousands of people downtown for the three-day experience. For a full roster of Tri-C JazzFest events — including free community concerts in the months leading up to the festival — visit www.tri-cjazzfest.com.
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