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Jazzing Up The City Clifford Brown Jazz Festival expands to week-long programming. Outdoor concerts on Rodney Square set for June 15-18.
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By JulieAnne Cross
he Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, the largest free, outdoor jazz festival on the East Coast, celebrates its 35th year when it sounds off in Rodney Square June 15. It honors Brown, a 25-year-old Wilmington trumpeter who died in 1956, just as his career was ascending. Planner Tina Betz makes room for musicians of all kinds at the longstanding fête. As director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and president of Cityfest, which runs the festival, Betz says she tries to “show as many of the different threads in the fabric that’s called ‘jazz’ as I can in the short amount of time we have.” This year’s performers range from headliners such as Stanley Clarke (Wednesday) and Rebirth Brass Band (Saturday), to celebrated regional
artists such as Baltimore’s Maysa (Friday) and Wilmington’s Tony “Big Cat” Smith (Saturday). New in 2022 are free indoor events starting on Sun., June 12, stretching festival programming to a week. The traditional Wednesday through Saturday (June 15-18) dates will deliver the classic big-stage concert experience, rain or shine. Festival week warms up with the Best of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew on Sunday at 4 p.m., with a post-concert reception at the Wilmington Library. Brownie Speaks: A Video Documentary — The Life, Music, and Legacy of Clifford Brown, plays at Theatre N on Monday at 6 p.m. followed by a panel discussion. ►
Above: Enjoying the sounds on a pleasant evening in Rodney Square. Photo by Butch Comegys
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