Litchfield Jazz Camp is marking its 27th year this summer. Places are still available for instrumentalists and vocalists from June 30 to July 26. Campers can attend any or all of its 4 sessions at The Frederick Gunn School in Washington, CT, and sign up as residential or day students on a lovely and safe country campus. Classes and concerts are held in the
Thomas S.Perakos Arts & Community Center and its state-of-the-art Tisch Family Auditorium.

Litchfield Jazz Camp serves 60-130 students each week. Run by the not-for-profit Litchfield Performing Arts, LJC accepts students at all levels of play, with no prior audition requirement. Campers are assigned to skill-matched combos by placement auditions when they arrive.

Since its founding, the camp has been wedded to equity and inclusion, embracing campers of all learning styles, races, and gender identities, from all socio-economic backgrounds. Students with limited financial resources are offered support: no student has ever been turned away for lack of funds. There is a lower age limit of 13 at the camp, but no upper limit. While most students are in their mid-teens, our oldest camper this year is 81, with others in their
50s -70s.

Instrumentalists and vocalists are all welcome. A place for drummers, however, are sold out and can be wait-listed on request. The LJC day is filled with combo, theory and masterclasses, faculty concerts, student jam sessions, private lessons, and more. The camp is headed by Music Director, noted saxophonist Don Braden, and Operations Director, saxophonist Albert Rivera. The faculty, some 50 strong assisted by 20 TA’s, includes drummers Matt Wilson and Steve Johns, bassists Luques Curtis and Ugonna Okegwo, guitarists Paul Bollenback and Doug Munro, pianists Orrin Evans and Jen Allen, alto saxophonists Kris Allen and David DeJesus, tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, bari player Claire Daly, trombonist, Peter McEachern, and 2024 GRAMMY winning vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, to name a few.

As the camp closes on Friday, July 26, the 29th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival begins and runs through Sunday, July 28th. The all-star festival lineup includes, the Opening Night Gala featuring LJC’s Top Combos introducing the Alexa Tarantino Quartet. Saturday shows begin at 3PM, with the Amina Figarova Sextet & Matsiko World Orphan Choir from Liberia, followed by Allison, Cardenas & Nash, and they close with the Bill Charlap Trio. On Sunday, the annual Litchfield Jazz Festival Jazz Brunch presents A Century of Jazz, starring Nicole Zuraitis, vocals, and Albert Rivera, saxophones, and featuring Paul Bollenback, guitar, Dan Pugach, drums and Matt Dwonszyk, bass.

To register for Litchfield Jazz Camp visit www.litchfieldjazzcamp.com. The site is rich with information about the camp, the faculty, tips about preparing for Camp and much more. For further information, call the Litchfield Performing Arts offices at 860-361-6285.