DC Jazz Festival 2014

The 2014 DC Jazz Festival (DCJF) will this year run for 6 days and marks the festivals 10th Anniversary. With over 125 performances at various clubs and venues around the city (60+ different venues), the DC Jazz Fest is expected to bring in a crowd of over 100,000. It is regarded by many to be one of the fastest growing jazz festivals in the USA.

Confirmed acts for this year include Gregory Porter, Trombone Shorty, Yasiin Bey AKA Mos Def + Guests, Paquito D’Rivera & Brass-A-Holics – Full lineup here.

Whilst still strictly a ‘Jazz Festival’ if you’re coming for this years event you’ll hear a wide selection of musical styles including Blues, Swing, Soul, Latin, World and even a bit of Bebop.

The DC Jazz Festival is one of the most multicultural jazz fests I’ve ever been to, during last years performances 12 countries were represented here from France, Italy, Peru, Israel and even as far afield as Japan. The fact that artists are willing to fly such distances shows just how great the event is.

The festival is managed by a company called Festivals DC who also help to develop cultural and educational programs in and around Washington DC. The DC Jazz Fest is no different, each year you’ll find a huge amount of educational programs that are provided “mostly-free” to over 5,000 young people each year.

The direct impact of the festival on the local economy is huge, in 2013 the event raised over $2.9 million.

History

The DC Jazz Festival was first founded in 2004 in order to celebrate the history of music in and around Washington DC; it was originally called the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival up until 2010 where it was ‘re-branded’ to help better reflect the impact of jazz in the capital.

Over the years the DC Jazz Festival has spawned some internationally renowned musicians including the infamous Duke Ellington and his band The Washingtonians. Lesser known artists to have started in Washington DC include Ben Williams (Grammy Award winner for Best Instrumental Jazz), popular jazz pianist Allyn Johnson, Shirley Horn, Billy Taylor and sax legend Frank Wess.

In 2011/2012 the Catalogue of Philanthropy selected the DC Jazz Festival as one of the best small nonprofit charities in Greater DC.

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Photo Gallery

More Photos in the ‘Gallery‘ Tab below.

Lineup & Schedule

The DC Jazz Festival 2014 lineup is shown below.

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The 2014 DC Jazz Festival lineup is as follows:

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what do you think of this years lineup?

The 2013 DC Jazz Fest lineup was as follows:

The Roots

Machito

Brenda Feliciano

the Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio

the Cyrus Chestnut Trio

Snarky Puppy

Terri Lyne Carrington

Anat Cohen

Paquito D’Rivera

soprano

the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band

Twins Jazz

Chico O’Farrill

Nicholas Payton XXX

Bohemian Caverns

the Howard Theatre

the Brass-A-Holics

Go Go Brass Funk Band

Berta Rojas

the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band

Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Tito Puente

the Brubeck Brothers Quartet

Stefon Harris & Blackout

the Roy Hargrove Quintet

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Tickets

Tickets for the 2014 DC Jazz Festival range from FREE – US$38.00 depending on which acts you see and in which venues.

Tickets for various performances can be purchased from: Ticketfly

Venue

There are 63 venues in total for the DC Jazz Festival most of which are spotted around the Washington D.C. area and are within easy walking/subway distance from each other. Most venues do not require a ticket but for ‘premium’ shows you will need to buy a ticket in advance.

Jazz at the Hamilton Live – Programme

The Hamilton Live (other names: Hamilton Crowne Plaza, Hamilton Hotel) is a luxury AAA, 4-Diamond rated hotel in downtown Washington. With a 1920s art deco look the Hamilton provides around 1,650 m2 of entertainment space. Most of the premium ‘Paid’ shows during the DC Jazz Festival will be hosted here.

Address: 600 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, United States

Hours: 11:00 am – 3:00 am

Phone: (202) 787-1000

Jazz in the ‘Hoods – Programme & Venue Info

The U Street corridor (otherwise known as ‘Black Broadway’) is stooped in jazz history and was the site of the ragtime-to-jazz transition which occurred in the late 1910’s, to this day it remains the center of Washington’s Music Scene. Many famous artist like Billie Holliday, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and obviously Duke Ellington have all playing in clubs in and around the U Street corridor.

Location: 9th Street on the east to 18th Street and Florida Avenue on the west.

Nearest Metro: U Street Washington Metro station.

Main venues participating in this years DC Jazz Festival include: Howard Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, Bohemian Caverns, Black Cat, U Street Music Hall, the 9:30 Club.

Flights & Transportation

The closest international airport to Washington D.C. is the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Distance from Airport to city center is 26.9 miles, transportation time around 35 minutes.

Currently 33 airlines operate from Washington Dulles Airport, some of the best value airlines are given below:

To get the best flight deals I would use SkyScanner‘s official search widget below.

Ground transport options to and from the airport.

Hotels & Accommodation

The cheapest hotel and accommodation options I could find in and around Washington DC during the DC Jazz Festival (late June) are shown below (Click HERE for a complete list).

*** Hotel prices rise exponentially as you get closer to the festival dates. Book early to avoid disappointment. ***

If you are on a super shoe-string budget then search HostelWorld and get a bed in Washington for as little as $20.00.

Check out the nicest hotel in Washington D.C. >>

I would recommend checking Washington D.C. hotel reviews on TripAdvisor prior to placing any booking. Alternatively, why don’t you try something different and rent someones apartment during the festival period at AirBnB?! Click here for a free £15 credit towards your first booking!

Note that there is NO TENT CAMPING at the Washington DC Jazz Fest. However, if you really did want to camp, either in a tent or your RV/Motorhome, then you can check out the nearby facilities at Cherry Hill Park it seems to be a popular campsite according to the numerous 5-star reviews at TripAdvisor.

Interview

We currently have not been able to interview anybody at the DC Jazz Festival, if you work for the festival and would like to answer a few questions for this section of your listing, please contact me so that we can get something arranged, thank you.

Videos

Video Highlights of the DC Jazz Festival 2014 (various years)

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Outside of the Festival

If you’re coming from afar to visit the DC Jazz festival then you might want to take a few days out and experience the other highlights that Washington D.C. has to offer. I’ve put together a small list of the best things to do in Washington D.C. Enjoy!

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art is said by many to be one of the world’s greatest art museums. It’s housed in two buildings, one for modern art and one for paintings from 13th through to 18th centuries and remains to be free to the general public. You could easily spend the whole day in the gallery even if you weren’t especially interested in art. Temporary exhibs are rotated frequently and due to its size it never really seems to get busy so you can enjoy the collections often by yourself. Monet’s, Renoir’s and works by Van Gough are all here. Child friendly, food/drinks and gift shop on site.

Newseum

Have your mind blown at the ‘Newseum‘ and explore interactive exhibits that put you in touch with the history. There are 15 theaters, 15 galleries and 7 levels. Whether old or young you’ll have a good time here, I’d recommend spending at least a few hours else you’ll find yourself rushing around and missing some of the ‘gems’. A great view of the Capitol Building from the top floor balcony too – an added bonus!

Smithsonian Institution Building

Probably one of the most iconic structures in DC, the Smithsonian Institution Building is the world’s largest museum and research complex. Hosting a total of 15 specialty museums which display everything from African Art to space exploration. The grounds around the “Castle” are well kept. Free WIFI, Guides and language translations available, also a well priced good quality cafe on site.

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Additional Resources