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Bassist Christian McBride is the artist-in-residence for the 2014 Tri-C JazzFest, and will be on hand for the traditional DownBeat Educational Days in April, as well as performing in the opening show of the 35th annual JazzFest's first summertime run, from Thursday, June 26, 2014, to Saturday, June 28, 2014.

(Courtesy of Cuyahoga Community College)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In 2014, the Tri-C JazzFest will leave the home it's had for 34 years. The CALENDAR home, anyway.

The JazzFest, in an announcement embargoed for 6 p.m. Thursday, said that the 35th annual installment of the storied event will shift from being a 10-day event in April to a three-day extravaganza from Thursday, June 26, to Saturday, June 28.

JazzFest Director Terri Pontremoli is excited about the change, which was made for practical reasons as much as anything else.

“The reason seriously is that April is a very difficult month,’’ Pontremoli said. “The festival has never been able to claim two weekends or one weekend without changing it. We always have to work around Easter or Passover.’’

Moreover, the shift would mean end to vying for venue space with things like the Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare, the concert home for the JazzFest.

It makes sense “for us to be able to do it in in a month where you would A) have people more relaxed and B) PlayhouseSquare has more venues available. We always had to take what was available,’’ Pontremoli said.

Thus, multiple venues within PlayhouseSquare will host multiple shows on the same day. For example, the Sean Jones Quartet and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra kick things off at the Ohio Theatre at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 26.

The Ohio Theatre will host vocalist Gregory Porter at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 27, and the Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra at 9:30 p.m. that night. Meanwhile, John Scofield Uberjam/Trombone Shorty will be in the Palace Theatre at 7:30 p.m. that night.

Eight different shows are scheduled in the Hanna, Ohio and Palace theaters on Saturday.

The multiconcert days are a result of an experiment in the 2013 JazzFest, which saw some days with three concerts.

“People seemed to like that,’’ said Pontremoli. “It makes Cleveland a destination point for this festival.’’

The reality that the festival will fall in the heart of the summer concert season is a double-edged sword. Pontremoli acknowledged that there will be a lot of competition for the concert dollar, but noted that summer traditionally is the time when artists most often tour, which will make it easier to book performers.

Under the new set-up, the JazzFest will feature three days of concerts at different PlayhouseSquare auditoriums, free concerts featuring students and others on Star Plaza outside the theater complex, a summer jazz camp from June 23-28 and, for the first time, an all-festival pass.

JazzFest attendees will be able to get preferred seat tickets for nine of the 12 ticketed concerts, plus walk-up admission to the other three shows, for a holiday price of $250 through New Year’s Eve. The pass has a face value of $445, according to a Tri-C release. Tickets are available at tri-cjazzfest.com or at 216-987-4049.

Individual show tickets will go on sale on Friday, Feb. 28.

Pontremoli stressed that the date and format shift does not represent a change in the JazzFest’s focus on education.

"The traditional DownBeat Education Days, which bring young musicians to Cuyahoga Community College for clinics and adjudication, will be April 10-11, and the jazz camp will be from June 23-28. Artist in residence Christian McBride, one of the best and most versatile bassists in music, will be part of both of those events.

Here is the complete JazzFest schedule:

Thursday, June 26, 2014

• 7 p.m. Sean Jones Quartet, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra with Christian McBride, Ohio Theatre.

Friday, June 27, 2014

• 6 p.m. Vocalist Gregory Porter, Ohio Theatre.

• 7:30 p.m. John Scofield Uberjam/Trombone Shorty, Palace Theatre.

• 9:30 p.m. Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra, Ohio Theatre.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

• 1:30 p.m. Jamey Haddad's Global Drums, Hanna Theatre.

• 2:45 p.m. Ernie Krivda's Fat Tuesday Big Band/Music of Jimmy Smith and Oliver Nelson, Ohio Theatre.

• 4 p.m. Eliane Elias, Hanna Theatre.

• 5 p.m. Terri Lyne Carrington, Ohio Theatre.

• 6:45 p.m. Christian McBride Trio, Ohio Theatre.

• 7:30 p.m. (Unconfirmed artist), Hanna Theatre.

• 8:30 p.m. Marcus Miller/Dave Koz, Palace Theatre.

• 9:30 p.m. Dave Holland Prism, Ohio Theatre.