Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival annually assembles some of the finest musicians in the world who reflect Parker’s musical individuality and genius, to promote appreciation for this highly influential and world-renowned artist. The two days of free concerts take place in neighborhoods where Charlie Parker lived and worked, in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park and the Lower East Side's Tompkins Square Park. On both days, the music starts at 3:00 p.m.

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival featuring:
McCOY TYNER, JASON MORAN AND THE BANDWAGON, THE JD ALLEN TRIO and REVIVE DA LIVE: CHARLIE PARKER REVISTED

Part of the NYC Revolutions series

Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan
Saturday, August 28
3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner’s distinctive and powerful blues-based style is defined by his “explosively percussive left hand.” His approach to melodies and chord-voicing has made him one of the most influential jazz pianists of the 20th century and his techniques have been mimicked by countless musicians. Tyner is a unique improvisational player who has released a staggering number of albums at nearly 80 and has earned four Grammys over the course of his impressive career.

McCoy Tyner is presented in association with Jill Newman Productions

Jazz composer and pianist Jason Moran keeps the swing tradition alive in modern jazz. Beginning with his debut album, Soundtrack to Human Motion to Artist in Residence, the formidable talent has challenged the status quo by combining elements that include improvisation, avant-garde jazz, classical music, hip-hop and spoken word.

Hailed by The New York Times as “a tenor saxophonist with an enigmatic, elegant and hard-driving style,” JD Allen is a bright rising light on today’s international jazz scene. His unique and compelling voice on the instrument – the result of a patient and painstaking confrontation with the fundamentals of the art — has recently earned Allen a blaze of critical attention signaling his ascension to the upper ranks of the contemporary jazz world.

Revive Da Live’s premiere CHARLIE PARKER REVISTED is an innovative tribute to the musical and cultural legacy of Charles Parker and will be led by an all-star band featuring Raydar Ellis, Ben Williams, Justin Brown, Jaleel Shaw, Marcus Strickland, Marc Cary, Corey King and Ingmar Thomas. Tonight’s show will explore the genius of Parker by combining music from his past with modern day interpretations. Since 2006, the anthem of “Revive Da Live&rdqo; has rung loudly in uniting prolific, groundbreaking, gifted and versatile hip hop artists and contemporary jazz musicians in a combined effort to educate and inspire broader audiences about the depths and origins of today’s popular music.

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival featuring:
JIMMY SCOTT, VIJAY IYER, THE COOKERS and CATHERINE RUSSELL

Tompkins Square Park, Manhattan
Sunday, August 29
3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

The distinct soulful and romantic voice of Jimmy Scott continues to charm audiences even at the age of 84. A regular on the jazz scene in the 1950s and ‘60s, Jimmy’s career came roaring back in the early ‘90s and has continued to flourish ever since. His natural style, phrasing and knack for bending notes have earned him a long list of admirers including the who’s who of fellow jazz greats.

Jimmy Scott is presented in association with Jill Newman Productions

Primarily self-taught, jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer is considered daringly original for creating jazz that is simultaneously improvisational, choreographed and grounded in groove and pulse. His cutting-edge music is powerful, compelling and has earned him numerous accolades in the jazz world. With critically acclaimed releases such as Panoptic Modes, Blood Sutra and Historicity, The New Yorker has given Iyer the title of “one of today’s most important pianists…extravagantly gifted.”

One of the highlights of late 1950s and early 1960s was the development of “hard bop”, a driving first-born descendent of the bebop era. The Cookers is comprised of many of the musicians who contributed to the development of this sound and to pushing the music forward from there. The band features Billy Harper on tenor sax, Eddie Henderson and David Weiss on trumpet, Craig Handy on alto sax, George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on Bass and Billy Hart on drums. While giants in their own right, the members of this ensemble have performed and/or recorded with pretty much every jazz great of the past 40 years including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, and Dexter Gordon, to name just a few. Combined they have appeared on over 1,000 recordings including many of the groundbreaking and most important recordings in the history of this music.

The sultry, bluesy vocals of native New Yorker Catherine Russell is making jazz fans everywhere sit up and take notice. Her unique sound is a throw-back to the female blues and jazz stars of the 1950s and ‘60s. With a sound that is at once powerful and touchingly vulnerable, her rich alto voice transports the listener to another time and prompts listeners to tap their feet and nod along to the music.