Clifford Brown Jazz Festival goes virtual

This year, there won’t be a Clifford Brown Jazz Festival held in Rodney Square. While it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the Delaware phases in economic reopening, the downtown square is still under construction, too.

So, on June 25 through 27, the City of Wilmington will hold one of its biggest and longest-running music festivals virtually on Youtube and Facebook.

This year, the festival, which has drawn big-name headliners like Branford Marsalis, will be focusing on local and regional talent.

“We regretted very much having to cancel the Rodney Square staged event, but we have revived it to showcase the talents of our own local musicians, which makes it an even more special event,” said Wilmington Cultural Affairs Director Tina Betz.

In its 33 years, the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival has become the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast, bringing attendees from all over Wilmington, the state and the region. It’s is an annual tribute to the late jazz trumpeter from Wilmington’s East Side, Clifford Brown, best known for the jazz compositions “Joy Spring” and “Daahoud.” Brown died in a car accident in 1956 at the age of 25, yet his short career had considerable influence on later-generation jazz trumpet players.

(Courtesy image)

The virtual festival, accessible worldwide, will feature artists well-known in Wilmington and the Mid-Atlantic jazz scene, including Wilmington’s Raye Jones Avery, who will present “Voices for Healing” on Saturday afternoon.

Attendees are encouraged to donate to Cityfest. A portion of the donations will be used to establish the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help Wilmington’s local musicians affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here’s the 2020 performance lineup:

Wednesday, June 24

7 p.m. — Pre-festival event featuring the Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency Program and graduates

Thursday, June 25

7 p.m. — Arturo Stable Quartet    
8:10 p.m. — Sharon Sable Quintet    
9:20 p.m. — Cintron    

Friday, June 26

7 p.m. — Gerald Chavis Quintet
8:05 p.m. — Mike Boone Quartet 
9:10 p.m. _ Barbara Walker        
10:15 p.m. — Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead  

Saturday, June 27

3 p.m. — Vertical Current
4:05 p.m. — “Voices for Healing” with Raye Jones Avery
4:55 p.m. — Terra Soul Project
6 p.m. — Dennis Fortune
7:05 p.m. — The Whitney Project
8:10 p.m. — Korey Riker Band
9:15 p.m. — Fostina Dixon & the Winds of Change
10:30 p.m. — Jeff Bradshaw Band