CHARLIE PARKER JAZZ FESTIVAL

Join us from August 23-29 for the 28th annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, a vibrant - and free - celebration of jazz.

Charlie Parker’s music has long reflected Harlem’s prominence as a hub of Black culture and innovation. This year, while we continue to celebrate the artistic and creative energy that has made Harlem such a world renowned artistic community, we will also honor the neighborhood—and our city’s— resilience in the face of adversity after a long year during which the horns were silent.

This year we return to Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, the community where Parker worked, and bring together a stellar lineup that pays tribute to Charlie Parker and to jazz. Donald Harrison and his quartet will collaborate with some of Harlem’s finest string musicians in celebration of Parker’s most commercially successful works, while Willie Jones III will assemble a diverse ensemble of na- scent stars and jazz veterans. This year’s festival will also present partnered jazz events around the city, including film screenings, listening parties, acoustic performances, and more.

We’re excited to bring the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival back to New York this season, and look for- ward to celebrating Parker’s music and legacy with you!

ABOUT CITY PARKS FOUNDATION At City Parks Foundation, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs -- located in more than 400 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City -- reach 310,000 people each year. Our ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.

ABOUT SUMMERSTAGE Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is New York’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival. SummerStage annually presents approximately 100 performances in 15-18 parks throughout the five boroughs. With performances ranging from American pop, Latin, global music, dance, and more, SummerStage fills a vital niche in New York City’s summer arts festival landscape. Since its inception 35 years ago, more than six million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage. In 2020, Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Anywhere was launched in response to the global pandemic, presenting 80 free digital performances, spanning all genres, available to all around the world. Capital One is the Title Sponsor of SummerStage. For more information, visit www.SummerStage.org. FRIDAY, AUGUST 27 BIRD AT 100: FEATURING GARY BARTZ, VINCENT XHERRING & BOBBY WATSON, WITH DAVE KIKOSKI, YASUSHI NAKAMURA AND CARL ALLEN / A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY ANTONIO HART (QUARTET) WITH MIKI YAMANAKA, ALEX AYALA, AND VINCE ECTOR CO-PRESENTED BY JAZZMOBILE SUMMERFEST 7:00 - 10:00PM Marcus Garvey Park, 124th St. & Fifth Ave., Manhattan LIVESTREAM AT CHARLIEPARKERJAZZFESTIVAL.ORG MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, VACCINATION OR NEGATIVE TEST REQUIRED FOR ENTRY.

In celebration of what would have been Charlie “Bird” Parker’s 100th birthday, alto saxophonist Vincent Herring invited two seminal fellow altoists – Gary Bartz and Bobby Watson – to deliver Bird At 100 (Smoke Sessions) as a tribute to and in honor of Parker’s legacy. Bird at 100 sees the three saxophonists alternate between soaring solo flights and three-part harmonies, at times pushing each other, while at others, taking a backseat to Bird, their inspiration. They’re supported by David Kikoski on piano and Yasushi Nakamura on bass while Carl Allen sets the pace from behind the drum kit. A special guest for the evening is Antonio Hart and his quartet. Hart is an alto saxophonist who has sat in with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Terrence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, and Dizzy Gillespie. Rounding out the Quartet will be Miki Yamanaka on piano, Alex Ayala on bass, and Vince Ector on drums. SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 CHARLIE PARKER WITH STRINGS: THE DONALD HARRISON QUARTET AND THE HARLEM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / SHENEL JOHNS 6:00 - 8:30PM Marcus Garvey Park, 124th St. & Fifth Ave., Manhattan LIVESTREAM AT CHARLIEPARKERJAZZFESTIVAL.ORG MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, VACCINATION OR NEGATIVE TEST REQUIRED FOR ENTRY.

Though his legacy would come to be defined by his indelible contributions to bebop, theCharlie Parker with Strings albums were Charlie Parker’s best-selling recordings during his lifetime, featuring the legendary saxophonist’s takes on standards like Gershwin’s “Summertime” and Klenner & Lewis’ “Just Friends.” They’re performed here by the Donald Harrison Quartet and the Harlem Symphony Orchestra. Harrison, a New Orleans-born alto saxophonist (and former member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers), is leading this ensemble in honor of Parker, while the strings come courtesy of the Harlem Symphony Orchestra, comprising graduates of the country’s top conservatories and music schools, such as The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Indiana University. Harrison and company will also debut two new works showcasing his signature Nouveau Swing and Quantum jazz styles, both of which are heavily influenced by Charlie Parker. The show will kick off with a festival-debut performance by Shenel Johns, a dynamic jazz songstress who has performed at venues like Museum of Modern Art, Dizzy’s Club, Minton’s Playhouse, Blue Note Jazz Club and alongside the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29 WILLIE JONES III - A CHARLIE PARKER CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION FEATURING SARAH HANAHAN, GOWIN LOUIS, JUSTIN ROBINSON, ERENA TERAKUBO WITH DONALD VEGA AND ENDEA OWENS / SAMARA JOY IN ASSOCIATION WITH JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER 6:00 - 8:30PM Marcus Garvey Park, 124th St. & Fifth Ave., Manhattan LIVESTREAM AT CHARLIEPARKERJAZZFESTIVAL.ORG MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, VACCINATION OR NEGATIVE TEST REQUIRED FOR ENTRY.

For the Charlie Parker Centennial, Willie Jones III and Jazz at Lincoln Center have assembled a multi-generational, international band of men and women to demonstrate the global impact that Parker had—and continues to have—on music and the musicians that make it. Jones serves as music director, anchoring the rhythm section on drums. The ensemble includes pianist Donald Vega (who plays regularly with the legendary Ron Carter); bassist and Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Endea Owens, the house bassist in Jon Batiste’s Stay Human on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert; the alto saxophonists include Justin Robinson (a veteran of Roy Hargrove’s bands), Sapporo, Japan’s Erena Terakubo, a bandleader in her own right with six albums under her belt, and Harlem’s Godwin Louis, who founded the “Experience Ayiti” foundation for multi-disciplinary arts education, and Juilliard masters student Sarah Hanahan. The evening will also feature a festival- debuting performance by Samara Joy, a rising New York-based singer and the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner. CHARLIE PARKER JAZZ FESTIVAL PARTNER EVENTS MONDAY, AUGUST 23 JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: VALERIE CAPERS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE JAZZ FOUNDATION AND ARIANA’S LIST 5:30 - 6:30PM Harlem Rose Garden, 6 E 129th St., Manhattan ​​FREE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, NO VACCINATION OR TESTS REQUIRED.

Native New Yorker Dr. Valerie Capers is a celebrated educator, jazz pianist, composer and arranger. She served for several years as the chairman of the department of Music and Art at Bronx Community College (CUNY). Dr. Capers is the recipient of many honors and awards, from Essence Magazine, the National Endowment for the Arts, CUNY Research Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution. She has appeared with her trio and ensemble at colleges, universities, jazz festivals, clubs, and concert halls throughout the country and internationally, and has performed with many outstanding artists, including Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Ray Brown, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Slide Hampton, Max Roach, James Moody and Paquito D’Rivera.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24 LISTENING PARTY: HENRY THREADGILL, JALEEL SHAW, GODWIN LOUIS, AND CAROLINE DAVIS

7:00 - 8:30PM The Jazz Gallery, 1160 Broadway, Manhattan FREE WITH RSVP HERE PROOF OF VACCINATION REQUIRED. Livestreamed here For over 40 years, Henry Threadgill has been celebrated as one of the most forward-thinking composers and multi- instrumentalists in American music. The New York Times has called him “perhaps the most important jazz composer of his generation.” Alto & Soprano saxophonist Jaleel Shaw has been a long standing member of the Roy Haynes Quartet, the Mingus Big Band and recently joined Tom Harrell’s Color of a Dream band. A bandleader in his own right, Jaleel’s solo recordings have been met with rave reviews from publications including The New York Times, Downbeat Magazine, and Jazztimes Magazine. Godwin Louis, alto saxophonist, was born in Harlem, New York and began playing saxophone at age nine and was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Saxophone Competition. He has performed around the globe and is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute for Jazz Performance. Composer, and saxophonist Caroline Davis’ debut album, Live Work & Play, was featured on All About Jazz’s best releases, and she was named one of JazzTimes’ Best New Art ists in 2012.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25 A BIRD WITH STRINGS CONVERSATION: DONALD HARRISON AND AMADI AZIKIWE, HOSTED BY RON SCOTT

2:00 - 3:30PM National Jazz Museum in Harlem, 58 W 129th St., Manhattan ​FREE WITH RSVP (LIMITED SEATING) HERE NO WALK-INS, YOU MUST RSVP. MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, NO VACCINATION OR TESTS REQUIRED. Livestreamed here A conversation between saxophonist Donald Harrison and Music Director of the Harlem Symphony Orchestra Amadi Azikiwe about their upcoming August 28th performance of Charlie Parker with Strings at the 2021 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. The conversation will be moderated by journalist Ron Scott, who writes a weekly column “Jazz Notes” for the Amsterdam News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25 JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: WILLIE MARTINEZ AND HIS LATIN JAZZ COLLECTIVE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE JAZZ FOUNDATION AND ARIANA’S LIST, SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CARLINA RIVERA 5:30 - 6:30PM El Sol Brillante, 522 E. 12th St., Manhattan FREE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, NO VACCINATION OR TESTS REQUIRED.

Willie Martinez is a world class drummer/percussionist and vocalist who has worked with artists like Chico O’Farrill, Benny Powell, Hilton Ruiz, Ray Santos, Steve Turre and George Cables. He has played everywhere from CBGB to Carnegie Hall, and held a long-running monthly show at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe with his band La Familia. He was recently named “New Yorker of the Week” by NY1 for his weekly outdoor concerts, which have enlivened his Brooklyn neighborhood throughout the pandemic. His Latin Jazz Collective is a collaborative ensemble comprised of some of the most accomplished leaders in the genre. Their music exhibits the timeless marriage of Afro Caribbean rhythms and the harmonic vocabulary and improvisational spirit of jazz. THURSDAY, AUGUST 26 DAVID SCHNITTER QUINTET / FILM SCREENING: MARY LOU WILLIAMS: THE LADY WHO SWINGS THE BAND IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE JAZZ FOUNDATION AND ARIANA’S LIST 6:00PM - 7:30PM CONCERT; 8:00PM FILM

Harlem Rose Garden, 6 E 129th St., Manhattan FREE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, NO VACCINATION OR TESTS REQUIRED. The esteemed tenor saxophonist David Schnitter is well known for his work with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Frank Foster, and Rich- ard “Groove” Holmes, as well as with Charlie Parker’s bandmate Red Rodney. An accomplished bandleader with 10 albums to his name, he will perform with a special band featuring Marti Mabin on vocals. Following the performance will be a film screening ofMary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band, a documentary about the life and music of one of the greatest jazz pianists, composers and arrangers who has remained largely unknown...until now.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 & SUNDAY, AUGUST 29 ABDIAS ARMENTEROS AND THE NEW JAZZ UNDERGROUND PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL JAZZ MUSEUM IN HARLEM 5:00 - 6:00PM Marcus Garvey Park, 124th St. & Fifth Ave., Manhattan FREE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED CHECK THE EVENT WEBSITE FOR COVID GUIDELINES.

Come early to the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival and hear Abdias Armenteros and the New Jazz Underground playing outside of the entrance to the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater on Saturday and Sunday. Armenteros is a tenor player from Florida and a recent graduate of the Juilliard School. The New Jazz Underground features Abdias Armenteros on saxophone, Sebastian Rios on bass and TJ Reddick on drums.. TITLE SPONSOR:

SUPPORTING PARTNERS:

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Generous support for the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is provided, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and the NYC Council under the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson. Generous support for Charlie Parker Jazz Festival’s Jazz in the Garden at El Sol Brillante is provided by the NYC Council under the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson including Council Member Carlina Rivera. Additional support is generously provided by our dedicated festival audience and SummerStage Members.