It may seem far off, but the 46th annual Tri-C Jazz Fest, taking place June 26-28 has just announced the lineup of ticketed shows taking place in Playhouse Square’s theaters. And it’s a strikingly diverse lineup even for a festival that typical embraces a range of styles, even ones that some would argue are barely “jazz.”
The festival kicks off on a high-energy note on Thursday June 26 with New Orleans’ Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, playing funk, soul, pop and rock, filtered through that distinctive NOLA sensibility.
On Friday, the festival will pay tribute to pianist Oscar Peterson on the centennial of his birth. The 19-piece Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra featuring Peterson protege Benny Green on piano and NE Ohio’s own Dan Wilson on guitar. Also on Friday, the Sun Ra Arkestra will be bringing in their homage to the band’s founder who launched the group in the mid 50s and who more than virtually any other artist can be described as “one of a kind.” With music dubbed Afrofuturism, the band combines sounds and genres in ways no one else does. On the same night Grammy-winning bassist Stanley Clarke, one of the biggest names in jazz bass, will be fronting his band N.4EVER.
On Saturday, sax player Kirk Whalum and guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Butler will share an evening to perform accessible jazz laced with pop influences. Celebrated jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves will perform as a duo with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, and Cuban rumba percussionist and founding member of Yerba Bueno Pedrito Martinez, and his band, will be setting things on fire to close down the fest. But first there’s another tribute performance, honoring vibes player Gary Burton and pianist Chick Corea. It features pianist Taylor Eigsti and vibraphonist Christian Tamburr, along with Clevelander and director of the Tri-C JazzFest Academy, trumpet player Dominick Farinacci, “and friends.”
The outdoor lineup will be named later, but you can buy tickets to these shows now.