What to know about Burlington's Discover Jazz Festival, from music to street construction
Thankfully, the real music begins June 4. That's when the annual Burlington Discover Jazz Festival becomes the dominant sound – the dominant event, for that matter – in and around downtown for five days. Some performances are indoors but many are outside, giving listeners the chance to hear sweet sounds as they make their way through the confusing maze of construction-addled city streets.
The festival schedule is a bit of a maze itself, though a happy one as music fans salivate over the intriguing musical choices listed therein. In this space we're highlighting some of the marquee concerts as well as the ever-popular school-band performances and a few of the unofficial events that Burlington venues present to piggy-back onto the festival itself. We'll also wade into the construction morass and provide some advice on how to maneuver the ever-changing landscape of street closures and parking.
(All of these performances are free unless otherwise indicated.)
Wednesday, June 4
7:30 p.m., a night of music titled 'Origins: Sounds & Stories of the African Diaspora' includes performers Fred Wesley, Camilla Thurman, Cedric Burnside, Greg Osby and local rockers Julian Hackney and his father, Bobby Hackney Sr., the Flynn. $32-$53.
8:30 p.m., New Orleans-styled group Jon McBride's Big Easy headlines a show with special guest (and Burlington-based singer-songwriter) Ryan Montbleau, Big Joe's at the Vermont Comedy Club.
11:30 p.m., festival curator and bass player Anthony Tidd leads his 'Sittin' In' open jam this night and at the same time every night of the festival, Big Joe's at the Vermont Comedy Club.
Thursday, June 5
5:30 p.m., settle in after your workday is done for a set by long-running Vermont instrumental trio Vorcza, FlynnSpace.
8:30 p.m., catch rising South Burlington jazz singer Rachel Ambaye and her quartet, Big Joe's at the Vermont Comedy Club.
10 p.m., end a strong night for local sounds with a performance by the Parker Shper Ensemble, Big Joe's at the Vermont Comedy Club.
Friday, June 6
4:30 p.m., an evening of outdoor music begins with DJ Tad Cautious before performances at 5:30 p.m. by the Roy Hargrove Big Band; 6:55 p.m., local singer Kat Wright; 8 p.m., Afro-Cuban act Okan; and at 9:25 p.m., a celebration of the music of The Meters by Dumpstaphunk featuring George Porter Jr., Waterfront Park.
5:30 p.m., flutist and composer Nicole Mitchell performs, FlynnSpace.
10 p.m., Portuguese vocalist Sara Serpa and guitarist Andre Matos perform as a duo, Big Joe's at the Vermont Comedy Club.
Saturday, June 7
Noon, start the day early with a performance by the Steve Lehman Trio with special guest Paul Cornish, FlynnSpace.
4 p.m., a second consecutive evening of outdoor music starts with DJ Taka, followed at 5 p.m. by local African-inspired group Sabouyouma; 6:20 p.m., festival curator Anthony Tidd's Quite Sane; 7:40 p.m., Virginia-based jazz group Butcher Brown; and at 9:15 p.m., The Soul Rebels with special guests Rakim and Talib Kweli, Waterfront Park.
8:30 p.m., local jazz singer Tiffany Pfeiffer and her trio play Big Joe's at the Vermont Comedy Club.
Sunday, June 8
3 p.m., Vermont world-music performer Avi Salloway & Friends play The Skinny Pancake.
6 p.m., saxophone player Ravi Coltrane presents 'Translinear Light: The Music of Alice Coltrane,' a tribute to his mother that features guest performer Brandee Younger, the Flynn. $32.63.50.
8:30 and 10 p.m., Chilean saxophone titan Melissa Aldana helps wind the festival down with two sets inside Big Joe's at the Vermont Comedy Club.
More than 40 bands affiliated with Vermont schools will play weekdays at three locations along the Church Street Marketplace, as they do in an annual beloved tradition. Bands from Chittenden County include:
Wednesday, June 4 – 11 a.m., Sustainability Academy (bottom stage) and Shelburne Community Stage Band (top stage); 11:20 a.m., Champlain Elementary (bottom stage); 11:55 a.m., Edmunds Elementary Chorus (bottom stage); 12:35 p.m., Edmunds Middle School Jazz Band (bottom stage); 1:25 p.m., Hunt Middle School Jazz Band (bottom stage); 1:40 p.m., Browns River Jazz Band (top stage); 2:15 p.m., Burlington High School Jazz Band (bottom stage); 3 p.m., Winooski High School Jazz Band (top stage); 4 p.m., Winooski High School Chorus (bottom stage).
Thursday, June 5 – 11:40 a.m., Charlotte Central School Jazz Band (middle stage); 2:40 p.m., Essex Jazz Collective (bottom stage).
Friday, June 6 – 11 a.m., Hinesburg Community School Jazz Band (top stage); 1:40 p.m., Albert D. Lawton Jazz Band (bottom stage); 1:40 p.m., South Burlington High School Jazz Band (top stage); 3:20 p.m., Colchester Middle School Jazz Band (bottom stage); 4:20 p.m., Colchester High School Jazz Band (bottom stage).
Venues throughout the city will host jazz showcases as well. Here are a couple of highlights from each day of the festival (free unless otherwise indicated):
Wednesday, June 4
5 p.m., Vermont drummer Dan Ryan leads The Dan Ryan Express, American Flatbread.
7 p.m., 'The Ladies of the 126 Showcase' features Rachel Ambaye, Janea Hudson, Bella Sances, Victoria Fearn, Julianna Luna and The 126 House Band, The 126.
Thursday, June 5
8:30 p.m., Vermont trumpeter Ray Vega settles in for a four-night residency Wednesday through Saturday, and on this night offers Latin jazz with his Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble, Juniper at Hotel Vermont.
9 p.m., a local guitar whiz leads Bob Wagner & Friends, Nectar's. $15 in advance, $20 day of show.
Friday, June 6
8:30 p.m., pop-rockers follow Vermont-raised singer-songwriter Reid Parsons, The Lounge at Nectar's. $20.
9 p.m., things are hopping downstairs, too, with local favorites the Grippo Funk Band, Nectar's. $15 in advance, $20 day of show.
Saturday, June 7
6 p.m., soulful Burlington rocker Ali McGuirk joins Acqua Mossa, Radio Bean. $15. (This show was moved from The District VT, the Pine Street venue formerly known as ArtsRiot that closed May 28.)
9 p.m., speaking of venues that are closing, drummer Blaque Dynamite and opener Breathwork play Nectar's on the last night before an announced summer hiatus for the legendary Main Street spot. $20 in advance, $25 day of show.
Sunday, June 8
1 p.m., an afternoon of music presented by the Vermont Blues Society starts with Sunny Lowdown, followed at 2 p.m. by the All Night Boogie Band and 3:30 p.m. with a blues jam hosted by the Nerbak Brothers, Red Square.
5 p.m., dance the late afternoon away with Sonido Mal Maiz, The Skinny Pancake
Enough talk about fun, fun, fun: The logistics for this year's Burlington Discover Jazz Festival could be especially challenging given the ongoing 'Great Streets BTV' project that is tearing up pavement throughout downtown.
Kevin Sweeney, director of marketing for the festival's presenter, the Flynn, told the Burlington Free Press in an email that the venue is directing patrons to the website for Great Streets BTV for driving and parking recommendations.
Information on that page changes weekly; as of 10 a.m. June 2, the Great Streets BTV website reports that the Main Street/South Winooski Avenue and Main/St. Paul streets intersections are open for north-south traffic. The intersection at Main and Church streets is fully closed to vehicular traffic.
The Flynn's website has information related to Great Streets BTV as well, especially as it relates to the area of Main Street in front of the Flynn and FlynnSpace.
'Main Street is currently open between Church Street and St Paul Street,' the Flynn's website reads. 'However, there is still construction in Burlington, and Main Street is closed between Church Street and S Winooski Avenue. Please allow extra time to arrive and park. If you need to drop patrons off, you can use King Street to access St Paul St or Church St.'
The Flynn's website also offers information about parking. Meters in the downtown core are $1.50 an hour and enforced until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Meters outside the downtown core tend to be $1 an hour and enforced until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Parking is free downtown on Sundays. Some meter-less parking might be available a reasonable walk from downtown on lower Church, Maple and King streets.
The website for the Flynn also notes the availability of parking garages downtown. Municipal garages are at the Marketplace Garage, with entrances at Cherry and Bank streets; the College Street Garage, with entrances at College and Battery streets; and Lakeview Garage at Cherry Street. The first two hours are free at the latter two garages.
Presenting organization the Flynn – www.flynnvt.org
The Great Streets BTV project – www.greatstreetsbtv.com
Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, from music to street construction
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