The Allentown JazzFest is a 10 day celebration of music, arts and ideas which opens on April 29th, and concludes on Mothers’ Day, Sunday May 8th. While JazzFest is a celebration of America’s greatest art form, many styles of music will also be represented, including funk, neo-soul, EDM, afro-cuban and latin jazz. Approximately two thirds of the events will be free to the public.
Performers include: trumpeter Al Chez, powerhouse LA based vocalist Lucy Woodward, Grammy winner Laurence Hobgood, up and coming violinist Scott Tixier, internationally acclaimed saxophonist Steve Coleman, veteran percussionist Hector Rosado, pianist Eric Mintel, five time Grammy winner Jeff “Tain” Watts, and many more.
“We’ve been gratified to draw the interest of such world renowned artists this year. It’s really a testament to how hard the volunteers, Board of Directors and AJF business partners and sponsors have been working to turn this into a world class event.” JazzFest Executive Director and CEO Bryan Tuk said. “The more I talk to people in the business district and in the neighborhoods, I see that this is becoming a movement. There are a lot of people starting to see what JazzFest can become: an arts centric celebration that unifies all parts of the city and draws in visitors from outside the Valley to support the restaurants, hotels and businesses.”
Education will also play a strong role in this year’s JazzFest. Several high school jazz programs will visit Allentown on Opening Day, April 29th, to participate in the inaugural High School Jazz Summit. This event will feature a masterclass by headliner Al Chez and his band. The high school programs will all get an opportunity to perform in Allentown during the late afternoon.
Performance venues will be located throughout Allentown’s West End, along Hamilton Street and also in the Arts District. This year will also feature more free outdoor performances, a three concert series at The Bell Hall Stage and two performances at West Park in connection with Radio Ola 99.5FM.
Tickets are on sale now. This year, a single Season Pass is available which gains entry into every ticketed JazzFest event until the closing of this year’s event on May 8th. For more information, please visit http://allentownjazzfest.org.
Information Provided By: Allentown JazzFest
