This past week Queen City Jazz Festival announced its 9th annual line up for the July 26, 2014 concerts. This festival brings together some of the region’s most talented jazz musicians and performers – a few of who appeared in the 2012 photo “A Great Day in Buffalo” (lead image).
For the first time, the festival will be hosted on two stages, with both indoor and outdoor elements (rain or shine). The performers and the festival-goers will get to experience jazz in the historic Colored Musicians Club (the longest continually operating African-American Musicians Club in the United States), as well as on the streets of downtown Buffalo.
“The Colored Musician’s Club’s vision for the future of the Queen City is a place where local musicians—with diverse backgrounds from students to Grammy-award-winning artists—can share their love for music on one stage for Western New York audiences,” said Walter Kemp III, Board Member and Artist Coordinator.
The festival is free, though donations are welcome. There will be 15 performances at this year’s Queen City Jazz Festival – July 26th, 2014 from noon-9pm at the historic Colored Musicians Club at 145 Broadway at Michigan. Here’s the line-up:
Outdoor Stage Performers include: Carol Mc Laughlin Big Band noon; Michael Mc Neil 12:55pm; Rick Holland Productions 1:50pm; Three Kings 2:45pm; George Caldwell Quintet 3:40pm; Gruvology 4:45pm; Michael King 5:35pm; Les Davis Quartet 6:30pm; Critt Juke Joint 7:25pm.
Indoor Stage Performers include: Anthony Re and the Flat Five Noon ; Ed Chilungu 1:00pm; Payazzo 1:55pm; Sabu Adeyalo Oasis 2:55pm; JazzWizz 3:50pm; DMW Jazz 5:00pm.
*Refreshments and vendors are available, and the Colored Musicians Club Museum will be open at reduced admission.
More details about the Queen City Jazz festival can be found here.
The lead image was not taken as part of the festival. Rather, it was taken two years ago on the steps of the Buffalo History Museum and showcases this city’s top honored jazz talents. The image is referred to as “A Great Day in Buffalo”, and was considered a tribute to Buffalo jazz musician Elvin Shepherd (see here) who missed the iconic 1958 photo “A Great Day in Harlem”. The “Who’s Who” of the Buffalo jazz community came out to honor Elvin and the Buffalo jazz scene. The photo also captured a moment in time for Buffalo – it’s an incredible snapshot of this city’s finest living jazz players, some of who will be playing/singing at this year’s festival.