Post Date: 04/30/2018 3:00 PM

Brian McKnight, Arturo Sandoval and Sara Lazarus are among this year’s performers

Mayor Mike Purzycki proclaimed today, April 30, 2018, as International Jazz Day in Wilmington and, along with Acting City Cultural Affairs Director Tina Betz, announced the schedule of performances for the 2018 DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. Wilmington’s premier event – the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast – is now celebrating its 30th year.

Mayor Purzycki and Acting Director Betz announced that Brian McKnight, American R&B singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and musician, will headline the main stage on Friday, June 22. Cuban Jazz icon and 10-time Grammy Award winner Arturo Sandoval will headline the Festival’s main stage on Thursday, June 21. Also, award-winning jazz singer and Wilmington native Sara Lazarus will perform on the main stage on Saturday, June 23.

The 2018 main stage jazz festival concerts will be held in Rodney Square on Wednesday, June 20 through Saturday, June 23, with performances starting at 6 p.m. on the weekdays and at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Wilmington will kick off Jazz Festival Week with “The Best of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts,” to be held on Sunday, June 17 at 7 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew at 719 North Shipley Street. This performance will feature a jazz band, soloists, chorus and dancers under the musical direction of David Christopher.

The DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival is an annual tribute to the late jazz trumpeter and Wilmingtonian Clifford Brown, who was born in 1930 on the east side of the City. Also known as ‘Brownie,’ he died in 1956 at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind only a few years’ worth of recordings. Brown had a considerable influence on later jazz trumpet players, including Sandoval, Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Booker Little, and Freddie Hubbard. Brown wrote two compositions, "Joy Spring" and "Daahoud", which have become jazz standards.

The schedule of performances for the festival is listed below and is also available at www.cliffordbrownjazzfest.org. Additional artists will be announced soon.





Sunday, June 17, 7:00 pm

The Best of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts

The Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew

719 Shipley Street

Monday, June 18, 5:30 pm

Community Concert

Clifford Brown Garden

16th and Clifford Brown Walk

Tuesday, June 19, 6:00 pm

Theatre N

Event to be announced

Wednesday, June 20, 6:00 pm

Rodney Square Main Stage

Matthew Whitaker

Laila Biali

Clifford Brown Tribute Big Band under the direction of Gerald Chavis featuring Ernie Watts

Thursday, June 21, 6:00 pm

Rodney Square Main Stage

Miguel Zenon

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque

Arturo Sandoval

Friday, June 22, 6:00 pm

Rodney Square Main Stage

Lao Tizer Band featuring Chieli Minucci, Eric Marienthal & Karen Briggs

Deva Mahal

Brian McKnight

Saturday, June 23, Noon

Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew

719 Shipley Streets

“Newly Strung: Jazz String Compositions from the Next Generation”

Saturday, June 23, 2:00 pm

Rodney Square Main Stage

Sammy Miller and the Congregation

Sara Lazarus

Scott Tixier

Sidewalk Chalk

Sunday June 24, 2:00 pm

Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency 2018 Graduates’ Concert

Queen Theater

5th and Market Streets

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News and information from the Office of Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki

John Rago

Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Communications

Mobile: (302) 420-7928

Email: jrago@WilmingtonDE.gov



Tina Betz

Acting Cultural Affairs Director

Phone: (302) 576-2100

Email: tbetz@WilmingtonDE.gov

