Enjoy a sip of wine and let the smooth sounds of jazz fill your soul at the always scenic Maymont for the 4th annual Richmond Jazz Festival, happening August 8-11th.
Over 20 artists from around the world are scheduled to perform, including the Grammy-winning actress and poet Jill Scott. Starting out as a spoken word artist, Scott was discovered by Amir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots and joined the group in the studio. According to Wikipedia, she co-wrote the 2000 hit “You Got Me” which was performed by The Roots and Erykah Badu, and later won a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group. Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, was released in 2000 and earned a Grammy nomination for the track “A Long Walk” in 2003. The single “Cross My Mind” won a Grammy in 2005 for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance. Scott expanded her acting career in 2007 with appearances in Hounddog and the Tyler Perry film, Why did I Get Married?. Currently, Scott is working on releasing her next album in late 2013 and a follow-up album in the spring of 2014.
Also scheduled to perform is National Endowment for the Arts honoree and 20-time Grammy award winner Chick Corea. Wikipedia describes Corea as an “American jazz and fusion pianist, keyboardist and composer” and the Los Angeles Times named him one of the major jazz piano voices to emerge in the post-John Coltrane era.” After moving to New York and briefly studying at Columbia University and The Juilliard School, Corea began his career performing with trumpeter Blue Mitchell’s quintet on the album The Thing To Do. In 1968, Corea replaced Herbie Hancock for Miles Davis’ band and performed on historic albums such as Filles de Kilimanjaro, In a Silent Way, and Bitches Brew. After leaving Miles’ band, Corea formed several groups and experimented in jazz fusion and electronic instrumentation. Between 1976 and 2013, Corea has been nominated for 59 Grammy Awards and won 20 of those nominations. He won two Latin Grammy Awards, and in 1999 Corea’s 1968 album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
While the festival primarily focuses on jazz, other artists present include traditional Cuban group Tiempo Libre, harmonica talent Frédéric Yonnet, and the Central Virginia Jazz Orchestra. With the beautiful gardens of Maymont open to all attendees, the festival will also include multiple vendor locations for shopping, wine tastings and chef demonstrations.
The Richmond Jazz Festival begins Thursday, August 8 with The Larri Branch Agenda performing at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Jazz Café on 200 North Boulevard. Marcus Johnson is scheduled to perform at the “Homegrown at the Hipp” event Friday, August 9 at the Hippodrome Theatre on 528 N 2nd St. The festival will take place at Maymont Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11 with performances by The Wailers, Jill Scott, Chick Corea and Michael McDonald.
Tickets for Friday are on sale for $20, Saturday and Sunday are $60 each. Saturday and Sunday weekend passes are available for $110. Early bird registration for the festival ends July 31 at midnight. More information can also be found on Facebook.
By Maya Earls; Photo via Richmond Jazz Festival Facebook Page