This wekend, September 7 to 10, the Chestertown Jazz Festival 2017 declares that “Jazz Lives!” now more than ever, with acts featuring young artists as well as favorite established musicians.
The kickoff Thursday, September 7, at the Mainstay in Rock Hall features Katie Thiroux. A triple threat talent, Katie Thiroux has garnered considerable attention for her bravura bass playing, assured singing and compelling compositions. Her in-the-moment jazz draws upon the music’s rich history, from swing to bebop and beyond. Tickets are available by calling The Mainstay or by visiting their website.
Friday night, September 8, at the Garfield Center for the Arts in Chestertown, young Hannah Gill and the Hours will rock the house with their combination of 70s lo-fi pop and rock with contemporary soul and blues. Hannah said; “Anyone coming to the show can expect an exciting high-energy show that will make you want to dance your pants off!” Hannah Gill has Eastern Shore roots and has garnered a lot of attention from the likes of NPR and the Huffington Post since her move to New York and release of a debut ep, “The Water.” in 2016. Tickets available at www.garfieldcenter.org or by calling 410-810-2060. For more about Hannah and a brief video, see this story from the Talbot Spy.
On Saturday the action begins at 11:30 at Wilmer Park with a gospel music opening followed by Capitol Focus, a nationally acclaimed group of young musicians continuing the New Orleans style legacy of such giants as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Bix Beiderbecke. Next up, The John Thomas Quartet features the versatile saxophonist playing straight-ahead original jazz compositions and standards.
The Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet has been enchanting audiences worldwide since the early 90s with their
tightly harmonized renditions in all genres. Their hallmarks include inventive vocalese, big band jazz, original songs and arrangements, and American Songbook classics. The Jazz Academy of Music brings their ensemble of talented young musicians from the Silver Spring area.
The afternoon wraps up with legendary multi-instrumentalist Joey DeFrancesco playing the Hammond B3 organ. DeFrancesco has topped the Critics Polls in Downbeat magazine eleven times in the past fifteen years as well as the Readers Polls every year since 2005. A three time Grammy nominee with over 30 recordings under his belt, DeFrancesco recently released his latest album Project Freedom. Tickets are available at www.garfieldcenter.org or by calling 410-810-2060.”
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.