Sadly, we’ve received word that the 41st Tri-C JazzFest, scheduled for June 25-27 at Playhouse Square, has been cancelled, due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic and when it will be safe for people to gather in large numbers again. The festival lineup had already been announced, with advance festival passes already on sale, with refunds available. Tickets for the nine theater shows were not on sale yet.
The cancellation means that local music lovers won’t have the chance to hear such musicians as sax player Kirk Whalum; acappella group Take 6; Angelique Kido & the Spanish Harlem Orchestra; British bluesman John Mayall with blues rocker Walter Trout; guitarist Julian Lage and pianist Emmet Cohen; sax player Charles Lloyd, experimental American quintet the Punch Brothers, New Orleans funksters Cha Wa; and 2020 Tri-C JazzFest artist-in-residence Karriem Riggins with vibraphonist/composer Joel Ross.
It also means that the outdoor stage, featuring two days of local musicians, won’t be happening this year. But all isn’t lost on that end. The Tri-C JazzFest staff is currently working on organizing a virtual concert featuring local musicians, wth details to come.
“Artists would be paid for participation in the event, providing welcome income during a time when most have lost paying gigs,” they tell us, and that’s certainly good to hear.
“We see this as an opportunity to showcase Cleveland’s best while giving jazz fans everywhere a special treat,” says Tri-C JazzFest director Terri Pontremoli. “You can’t beat the experience of live music in crowded concert halls and clubs, but this is another way to sustain musicians and feed the souls of our audience.”
Also check out our story on Pontremoli being named one of the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2020 Jazz Heroes.
Go here to stay up on the latest Tri-C JazzFest News.