It’s time once again for the largest contemporary jazz and soul festival in the country, the 18th Annual Capital Jazz Fest continuing its long-standing, highly anticipated 3-day music showcase June 4-6, 2010 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. A “weekend of cool jazz & soul”, this year’s lineup is sure to electrify audiences, kicking off on Friday, June 4 with an evening of music and comedy with performances by the legendary Grammy® award winning, “Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight and veteran comedian/actor Sinbad on the Pavilion Stage.
Saturday and Sunday are filled with contemporary jazz artists on the Pavilion Stage and R&B/soul artists on the Soul Stage (a.k.a. “The Party Stage”) from noon until 10:00 p.m. Whether the seating choice is theatre-style in the open-air covered pavilion, or outdoors and picnic-style on the gently-sloping lawn, Fest-goers are destined to have a great time seeing these amazing performers.
“Our unique blend of live jazz and soul music on two big stages makes the Capital Jazz Fest the very special event that it is,” says festival producer Cliff Hunte. “You won’t find this kind of talent lineup at any other festival in the world.”
This year’s event includes Capital Jazz Fest favorites Kenny G, Ledisi, The Brand New Heavies, Brian Culbertson, and Rachelle Farrell. Also, gracing the stages are Marcus Johnson, Laura Izibor, Johnny Gill and the classic funk band Cameo. Making festival debut appearances this June will be Grammy® award winners Patti Labelle and Raphael Saadiq, jazz-pop singer Basia, vocalist-keyboardist Patrice Rushen, and R&B group Mint Condition plus first-timers like bassist-vocalist Esperanza Spalding, and a cappella group Naturally 7.
Additionally, special collaborations will bring together two of contemporary jazz’s top names in “G & Lee” featuring Gerald Albright & Lee Ritenour, British jazz/funk group Down to the Bone with special guest Hil St. Soul, and jazz artists Nick Colionne & Eric Darius. Several groups return to the music scene on the 2010 Capital Jazz Fest stages, among them “psychedelic soul” band The Family Stone with original founding members Jerry Martini and Cynthia Robinson of Sly & the Family Stone (Sylvester “Sly Stone” Stewart no longer tours with the group), and 70’s fusion group The Jeff Lorber Fusion featuring Eric Marienthal & Jimmy Haslip. Plus, a Capital Jazz Fest exclusive introduces “Soul Sista Serenade” featuring Ann Nesby, Elisabeth Withers & Angela Johnson.
For the first time ever, Capital Jazz presents the “Catch A Rising Star” showcase, featuring up-and-coming artists from the world of contemporary jazz. Featured performers include Brian Simpson, B.K. Jackson, U-Nam, Althea Rene, and others who will open the Pavilion stage shows on Saturday and Sunday.
The Capital Jazz Fest, described as “The Woodstock of Jazz Festivals” by guitarist Chuck Loeb, kicks off the summer season of great music festivals, with tens of thousands of music lovers from throughout the country congregating in the suburbs of Washington, DC.
Between musical sets, attendees have the options of enjoying traditional and non-traditional crafts at the Festival Marketplace, culinary treats at the food court, and opportunities to meet performers at the artist workshops and meet & greets, all while catching up with old and meeting new friends. For those with energy after the performances, Capital Jazz Productions also hosts a Mix & Mingle Social and After-Hours Party at the Marriott BWI Hotel.
For more information about Capital Jazz Fest tickets visit www.capitaljazz.com, the Merriweather Post Pavilion box office, or Ticketfly.com. Tickets are available by phone through TicketFly at
877-4FLY-TIX (877-435-9849). Friday, June 4, 2010 general admission ticket prices start at $44.50; Pavilion seating prices start at $54.50. Saturday, June 5, 2010 and Sunday, June 6, 2010 ticket prices start at $54.50 for general admission; Pavilion seating prices start at $72.50.
About Capital Jazz Productions
Jazz Radio (www.capitaljazz.com/radio), a 24-hour, online station in CD-quality stereo consisting of a cool mix of up-tempo contemporary jazz, instrumental funk, and acid jazz. This station was created to offer “Jazz that Rocks”, an alternative to “smooth” jazz while meeting the demands of listeners in markets where many of the smooth jazz stations were discontinued.
For more information about the Capital Jazz Fest, The SuperCruise and Capital Jazz Radio, please visit www.capitaljazz.com.
