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As one of the signature events in the month-long Charlotte Shout arts and culture celebration, the CityVerve Jazz & Heritage Festival will offer three days of great music in a beautiful new setting, with more than 25 performances on three stages. Featuring artists such as Medeski Martin and Wood, John Scofield, Poncho Sanchez, Nicholas Payton, Nnenna Freelon, Jazz Mandolin Project, John Mayall, Los Hombres Calientes, and the Yellowjackets, CityVerve boasts the most talented and diverse jazz lineup this city has seen since JazzCharlotte -- if ever.
Robert Krumbine, vice president of events for Charlotte Center City Partners and executive director of Charlotte Shout, says CityVerve is a perfect fit for both the city and for Charlotte Shout. "There has been a lot of talk, since the demise of JazzCharlotte, of bringing back some type of jazz festival," he says. "When you're talking about cultural arts and some of the greats who came out of this area, it seemed like a natural to do a jazz event. Jazz pulls blues, folk, gospel, and roots music together, so that's how we came up with a jazz and heritage festival.
"We didn't want to do something in the middle of the streets because that has a completely different connotation," Krumbine continues. "When you come to those festivals in Charlotte, they're exactly the same; you can call them anything you want, but they're all alike. So we looked for a place that had a little bit of class and a different feel to it, and Gateway Village just jumped out at us."
The headline stage will be covered, in the cavernous breezeway adjacent to the large garden at Gateway Village. Another stage will be on the grass in front of the Doubletree Hotel across Trade Street. Another difference between this and other festivals is that this is a free event that also has a paid stage. People can go out to enjoy the food, the atmosphere and the music, and if they want to get closer to the headline stage, they can buy one of two types of tickets. General admission tickets cost $15 for one day and $25 for Saturday and Sunday. A VIP reserved seat is $40 for one day and $65 for both days, and includes access to special food vendors and restrooms.
The festival actually kicks off Friday night with a performance by singer (and Durham resident) Nnenna Freelon at Spirit Square. The concert is a benefit for Spirit Square's McColl Center for Visual Art. Freelon has won a lot of fans in her Charlotte appearances over the years.
The organizers clearly put thought into covering a lot of musical bases, offering something for almost everyone while staying true to the concept of a jazz and heritage festival. The Doubletree stage will feature blues, funk, gospel, roots music and jazz, with a combination of local and national talent. The headline stage focuses more closely on jazz, but of course that incorporates many different styles. You'll find some real virtuosos there, too.
Many of the artists play an eclectic mix of music, and some might catch you by surprise. Take Nicholas Payton, for example. He's one of the better young trumpeters on the scene, known mostly for his neo-bop and New Orleans sounds, but his new project is called The Soul Patrol, and he recently recorded with Phish's Trey Anastasio. Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield is another good example. He's also from New Orleans and is known more for a neo-bop style, but he formed Los Hombres Calientes with percussion master Bill Summers, and their mix includes Latin, African, reggae and funk influences. Or look at John Scofield, one of the best guitarists around. He's making some really funky music now, something he's done before, but his rhythm guitarist also plays electronic beats and samples, and his drummer sometimes plays techno beats.
The jazz camp isn't the only place Scofield has fans. He's been playing some of the jam band festivals lately, and he recorded an album with Medeski Martin and Wood a couple of years ago. That mixture of elements isn't new to MMW. They've been combining jazz with funk, hip-hop, psychedelia, and other stuff for years. There's a good reason why hippies follow MMW around from show to show like Deadheads, and an equally good reason why you'll see them mixing with jazz fans at the shows, everybody dancing in the aisles. And speaking of dancing, get ready to hit the floor for some salsa when Poncho Sanchez takes the stage.
It's about time we had something like this again. Don't miss your chance.
The CityVerve Jazz & Heritage Festival will be held Friday-Sunday, September 13-15. For tickets, call 372-1800 or visit www.performingartsctr.org.
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