Knox Jazz Fest Rallies Local Jazz Fans

In Music Stories by Coury Turczynleave a COMMENT

Since 2006, the nonprofit Knoxville Jazz Festival has been rallying local jazz fans with a series of surprising performances as well as its efforts to document Knoxville’s jazz history. This year’s edition features more great musicians.

FRIDAY, AUG. 28

Benny Golson
Bijou Theatre (803 S. Gay St.) • 8 p.m.
The golden age of hard bop may be some 50 years ago, but some of its storied players remain to be heard on stage and are not to be missed. Tenor saxophonist Benny Golson is an all-star sideman who hit his stride in the 1950s and ’60s while playing with greats like Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Yes, that’s him playing on the Messengers’ 1958 Blue Note opus Moanin’—which pretty much qualifies him for jazz immortality. He’s also one of only two jazzbos remaining from the legendary 1958 photo titled “A Great Day in Harlem.” The other survivor is Sonny Rollins. This guy is living history.

Manuel Rocheman
Bijou Theatre (803 S. Gay St.) • 9:45 p.m.
French pianist Manuel Rocheman hit the New York jazz scene in 1980, where he was taken under the wings of Tommy Flanagan and Jaki Bayard.

SATURDAY, AUG. 29

Jazz in a Hot Scruffy City
Scruffy City Hall (32 Market Square) • 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
First, Knoxville History Project director Jack Neely takes jazzbos on a walking tour of downtown’s jazz history. Then participants can hunker down at Scruffy City Hall on Market Square for an afternoon of local jazz bands, an art exhibit, and vintage jazz films.

Keith Brown
Pianist Keith Brown celebrates the release of his new album. Read Mike Gibson’s interview here.

Tickets to the Knoxville Jazz Festival and more info on the performers are available at www.knoxjazzfest.org

 

Editor Coury Turczyn guided Knoxville's alt weekly, Metro Pulse, through two eras, first as managing editor (and later executive editor) from 1992 to 2000, then as editor-in-chief from 2007 to 2014. He's also worked as a Web editor at CNET, the erstwhile G4 cable network, and HGTV.

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