29th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival

Mark your calendars for July 26-28 for must-see music at the Tisch Auditorium and the Bourne Courtyard, Frederick Gunn School in Washington CT.

July 26th: Friday Opens In Style!

The Fest begins Friday, July 26 with our traditional Opening Night Gala with top student combos and tasty fare. The night’s Headliner superb saxophonist Alexa Tarantino brings her quartet – Steven Feifke (her new husband!) on piano, Philip Norris (of Emmet Cohen Trio) on bass, and Mark Whitfield Jr. on drums. In the spirit of Festival Openers, this one is a tip-of-the hat to the iconic Litchfield Jazz Camp. Both Alexa and Mark are former Campers. Alexa was just 14 when she joined us, and from the get-go, a top combo member alongside 20 somethings! Now she is a principal player with the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and tours the world. But, on this night, she’s all ours!

July 27th: Saturday Is Full Of Stars

Saturday, July 27 is an afternoon-to-early evening affair featuring three top-flight groups. We open at 3 PM with pianist Amina Figarova Sextet and the Matsiko Orphan Choir. Amina is joined by Alex Pope Norris, trumpet, Wayne Escoffrey, sax, Bart Platteau, flutes, Rudy Royston, drums, Luques Curtis, bass and TWO DOZEN young singers from Liberia!

Next up at 4:45 PM we present Allison, Cardenas and Nash. With 25 years of creative collaboration behind them, Ben, Steve and Ted weave music full of subtlety and surprise modeled on Jimmy Giuffre’s drummer-less units of the 50’s and 60’s.The trio has released three albums, with a fourth, Tell the Birds I Said Hello – The Music of Herbie Nichols, set for a February 9 release. Their program for Litchfield is a nod to Nichols, Jim Hall, Carla Bley, Leonard Bernstein and others.

The day closes with one of the best-known jazz pianists in the world.

Bill Charlap appears with bassist David Wong and drummer Kenny Washington. Charlap, “a master interpreter of American popular song” (Time Magazine), has performed with leading artists from Phil Woods and Tony Bennett to Gerry Mulligan and Wynton Marsalis. He has led his trio since 1997.

July 28th: Sunday Jazz Brunch

On Sunday, July 28, our 29th Festival wraps with al fresco dining and music in the beautiful Bourne Courtyard. The sell-out Jazz Brunch begins at noon with an absolutely delicious meal–we have come to expect nothing less from Litchfield’s Official Chef, Charlene Dutka of Ciesco Catering! Albert Rivera & Nicole Zuraitis (Nicole is the 2024 GRAMMY WINNER for Best Jazz Vocal Album) will be joined by world-renowned guitarist Paul Bollenback, bassist Matt Dwonszyk and drummer (and Nicole’s hubby!) Dan Pugach. Dan and Nicole were also 2019 Grammy Nominees! Their program, A Century Of Jazz, is guaranteed to have something everyone loves.

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE HERE