Friday Day 1
The Fest opens on Friday evening, July 26 at 5:30 PM with its traditional Gala, boasting
delicious savories and sweets from Cisco Catering, vintage French wines from Vandoren
Vineyards, a full bar by Litchfield Distillery, and music by Litchfield Jazz Camp's top players.
Proceeds support need-based scholarships.
Friday night concerts begin at 7:30 with the "Founder's Choice Jazz Camp Combo " opening for
saxophonist Alexa Tarantino. Alexa, who started at Litchfield Jazz Camp at 14, is now a principal player with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has appeared with Wynton Marsalis, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Arturo 'Farrell and many others. Breaking out as a leader these days, she appears, as she does here, with her Quartet. She will be joined by Steven Feifke on piano, Mark Whitfield Jr. on drums and Philip Norris on bass.
Saturday Day 2
We continue on Saturday, July 27th with music starting at 3 PM. Get there by 2 PM, and you can grab a tasty lunch, or small plates all afternoon, in the Latin Fusion style by "Rice To Meet You. "First up for concerts of the day is The Amina Figorova Sextet & Matsiko World Orphan Choir. Joining Azerbaijan-born pianist are Wayne Escoffery, on saxophone, Bart Plateau, flutes, Alex Pope Norris, trumpet, Luques Curtis, bass, Rudy Royston, drums and a 24-voice children's choir from Liberia. The choir, comprised of orphaned and at-risk children from a war-torn homeland, was created by Matsiko Children International. Matsiko choirs have toured the world and performed at the White House, the Rose Bowl, Disneyland and many other venues. This choir will spend the year performing at US churches and festivals with the goal of raising 1000
educational sponsorships for their friends and family at home. The Matsiko Choir will join the
top-draw Sextet in a performance of Figarova's Suite for Africa, the centerpiece of a star--
spangled show.
At 4:45, the creative collaboration of bassist Ben Allison, guitarist Steve Cardenas and
saxophonist Ted Nash- billed for the past 25 years as ALLISON, CARDENAS & NASH will take
the stage. These independently successful jazzmen, whose inspiration was Jimmy Giuffre's
drummerless units of the 1950s and 60s, have released four albums as a trio. Ben Allison has composed, performed and recorded for nearly 30 years. He co-founded with Ted Nash, the Jazz Composers Collective, a non-profit fostering new music when he was just 25 and since then has appeared on international tours and over 100 albums. All this recording notwithstanding, his most listened-to composition cannot be found on any of them. It is the theme for NPR's On the Media with 1.5M listeners each week! Steve Cardenas was a longstanding member of the Paul Motian Electric Bebop Band, Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, Steve Swallow Quintet and Joey Baron's Killer Joey. He is currently a member of the John Patitucci Electric Guitar Quartet, Ben Allison Band, Jon Cowherd Mercy Project and Adam Nussbaum Lead Bell Proiect. Steve tours extensively and leads his own group. He teaches at New School, Banff and Stanford Jazz Workshops, and elsewhere. His co-authored Thelonious Monk Fakebook (Hal Leonard) marks the first time all Monk's compositions were assembled in one volume. Steve appeared during the pandemic with Peter Bernstein's Quartet live-streamed for Litchfield Jazz Presents with over 50,000 views Ted Nash, a two-time Grammy Award winner is the son of trombonist Dick Nash and nephew of Reedman Ted Nash. With that background, it's not surprising he became a pro at 16; what is surprising is that his gig was with legendary vibraphonist Lionel Hampton! One of his most important associations today is with the JALC Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. His first Grammy win was for arranging Portrait in Seven Shades for JALCO. Today his work often embraces social themes. He received two Grammys and the Jazz Journalists Association Composer of the Year Award in 2017 for his Presidential Suite, a work inspired by great political speeches of the 20th century. The Allison Cardenas Nash Trio's latest recording, released in February 2024, is Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols.
Closing Day 2 of the festival is one of the most revered jazz pianists of all time, Bill Charlap with the Bill Charlap Trio. Over a long and stellar career, he has performed with the leading artists of our time, including Phil Woods, Tony Bennett, Gerry Mulligan, Wynton Marsalis, Ron Carter, and many more. Charlap started playing piano at age 3. His father, composer Moose Charlap, was best known for his score for the Broadway smash, Peter Pan, and his mother, singer Sandy Stewart, toured with Benny Goodman. She and Bill performed together throughout the years, releasing two albums, Love is Here to Stay in 2005 and Something to Remember in 2013. These days when time allows, he collaborates with his wife, renowned pianist Renee Rosnes. Roses appeared on the very first Litchfield Jazz Festival in 1996 with JJ Johnson. Bill and Renee, encouraged by UF"'s founder to do a two-piano program, made their first appearance doing just that on the Litchfield Stage in 2006. In 2010, he and Renee released Double Portrait on Blue Bill has two Grammy nominations and a Grammy win, in 2016, for The Songs of Jerome Kern with Tony Bennett. He has recorded as a sideman and a leader with his Trio and with the New York Trio with Jay Leonhart and Bill Stewart. He has more than 50 releases to his credit. Bill has enjoyed a parallel career as a concert producer for prestigious halls. He recently retired as Artistic Director of the Jazz in July Festival at the 92nd Steet Y. In 2015, he became Director of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University. This is his third time at Litchfield Jazz Festival. For this performance he will appear with Kenny Washington on drums and David Wong, standing in for long-time Trio member Peter Washington, on bass.
Sunday Day 3
The 29th Litchfield Jazz Festival wraps up on Sunday, July 28 with its annual Jazz Brunch in the
Bourne Courtyard... As always, guests will enjoy a delicious menu created by the Fest's long-
time chef Charlene Dutka for Cisco Catering, vintage French wines from Vandoren Vineyards,
and the Brunch's Signature Sangria crafted by Managing Director Tegan Ryan.
As for Bells & Whistles, this one will be hard to beat. Litchfield Jazz Festival is proud to present
this year's GRAMMY WINNER for Best Jazz Vocal Album, Nicole Zuraitis, co-leading the brunch
band with saxophonist Albert Rivera. Nicole began her connection with Litchfield Jazz as a 12-
year-old camper who grew up to become not just a Grammy winner and in-demand performer,
but our favorite and long-time Litchfield Jazz Camp Vocal Instructor and familiar face on the
festival stage. Albert became part of the Litchfield family as a 15-yo camper who grew up to be
a busy soloist and bandleader for the past two decades, a faculty member at SUNY Purchase
College, and Litchfield's Director of Operations. Their theme for this concert is A Century of Jazz
and they have chosen for their bandmates bassist Matt Dwonszyk, drummer Dan Pugach and
renowned guitarist Paul Bollenback.
Early reservations for the festival, the Friday Night Gala and the Jazz Brunch are highly
recommended. Tickets for the 28th Litchfield Jazz Festival are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/29th-annual-litchfield-jazz-festival-tickets-801649042867?aff=oddtdtcreator