Pompano Beach Arts will host the city’s inaugural Jazz Fest, featuring a dynamic lineup of music icons, April 15-16. The star-studded festival kicks off at The Great Lawn along the beach for an evening concert with ten-time Grammy-winner Arturo Sandoval on April 15, at 8 pm.
Day two is an immersive musical extravaganza at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. During the afternoon, the center’s ArtsPlaza will fill with the sounds of legendary artists including Sammy Figueroa, Bryan Lynch, Magela Herrera, Ashley Pezzotti, in addition to emerging and student artists under the direction of Grammy Award-winning professor Dr. Ed Calle. In the evening, Grammy- and Tony Award-winner, singer Cécile McLorin Salvant will take the stage inside the center’s theater. VIP tickets for the performances are $65 and general admission to the festival is free. RSVPs via the website are requested. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
“Jazz Fest Pompano Beach is an extraordinary opportunity to experience some of the greatest musicians of our time,” said Phyllis Korab, Director, Cultural Affairs Department. “We are honored to invite jazz lovers, from all over South Florida and beyond, to enjoy our City’s amenities and participate in this inaugural event.”
Read up on the event’s full lineup below:
Arturo Sandoval
Friday, April 15, 8 p.m.
Jazz Fest Pompano Beach kicks off on Friday evening at the city’s beachfront. The Great Lawn will be the site of the concert by Arturo Sandoval with special guest vocalist Ashley Pezzotti and Master of Ceremonies, Grammy® Award-Winner Nestor Torres.
A world-renowned trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval will perform a set of original music with homages to legends including Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clifford Brown. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $65. RSVP is required.
Jazz Fest on the ArtsPlaza
Saturday, April 16, 12-6 p.m.
On Saturday, the festival heads downtown to the Pompano Beach Cultural Center’s ArtsPlaza, which will bustle to life with two stages, food trucks, a jazz bar, and festival vendors. A stellar line-up of musicians will be hitting the high notes for the enjoyment of jazz enthusiasts and casual fans alike. In addition, there will be meet-n-greet opportunities and a Student Stage, featuring exceptional musicians from Miami-Dade College, under the direction of Dr. Ed Calle. RSVP is required.
Magela Herrera, 12 p.m.
Magela Herrera grew up between her family’s deep ties to a large set of unique traditions influenced by West African and European and studying classical music at the Conservatory of Music in her native Havana. She is an Afro-Cuban flautist and vocalist who has toured worldwide developing a unique timbre, phrasing technique, rhythm, and melodic skills on the flute.
Brian Lynch, 1:30 p.m.
Trumpeter Brian Lynch is a vital force and emergent legend within both the hardcore and Latin Jazz communities. The multi-Grammy Award winner has been a valued collaborator with jazz artists such as Benny Golson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Charles McPherson; Latin music icons like Hector LaVoe and Lila Downs; and pop luminaries such as Prince.
Ashley Pezzotti, 3 p.m.
Ashley Pezzotti is a vocalist based in Miami. At just 21 years old, Pezzotti has already performed with Grammy-winning artists like Keith Urban, Juanes, Chick Corea, Delfeayo Marsalis, Vampire Weekend, and Arturo Sandoval.
Sammy Figueroa, 4:30 p.m.
Sammy Figueroa has long been regarded as one of the world’s great musicians. As a leading percussionist, he has played on countless records and is well-known for his versatility in a multitude of musical styles. In addition to playing with David Bowie, Chaka Khan, and Mariah Carey, Figueroa has also played with a multitude of distinguished jazz artists including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, and George Benson.
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Saturday, April 16, 8 p.m.
Cécile McLorin Salvant is a composer, singer, and visual artist. She has received Grammy® Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her three latest albums, The Window, Dreams and Daggers, and For One to Love, and was nominated for the award in 2014 for her album WomanChild. She also won the Thelonious Monk Competition in 2010, and in 2020, she received the MacArthur fellowship and the Doris Duke Artist Award.
The late Jessye Norman described Salvant as “a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality, which light up every note she sings.” Salvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections between vaudeville, blues, and folk traditions from around the world, theater, jazz, and baroque music. She is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs with strong narratives, interesting power dynamics, unexpected twists, and humor.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, of a French mother and Haitian father, she started classical piano studies at the age of 5, sang in a children’s choir at 8-years old, and started classical voice lessons as a teenager.
Salvant received a bachelor’s in French law from the Université Pierre-Mendes France in Grenoble, while also studying baroque music and jazz at the Darius Milhaud Music Conservatory in Aix-en-Provence, France.
Sponsorships, concert times, additional information and ticket information will be regularly updated here.
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