Harlem and the East Village are about to get three days of free jazz, with major names, rising artists and plenty of room for New Yorkers to claim a patch of grass. The 34th annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival returns Aug. 28-30, bringing its signature outdoor concerts to the Manhattan neighborhoods tied to the legendary saxophonist.
According to FOX 5 NY, the festival’s three main concerts will be free and open to all ages at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem and Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. The neighborhood pairing is deliberate: organizers say the festival honors Charlie Parker by presenting music in places where he lived and worked.
Three Main Concerts, Two Manhattan Parks
The opening concert is set for Friday, Aug. 28, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Marcus Garvey Park, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra headlining under musical director Sherman Irby. The orchestra will be joined by trumpeter Marquis Hill and vocalist Ekep Nkwelle, while the Bill Saxton Harlem All-Stars are also scheduled to perform, according to the City Parks Foundation.
Saturday’s lineup, running from 2 to 7 p.m. at Marcus Garvey Park, is led by saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman and includes Nat Adderley Jr., Catherine Russell, Nicole Glover and DJ Kultured Child. The festival closes Sunday, Aug. 30, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Tompkins Square Park with Ravi Coltrane, the Billy Hart Quartet, Kassa Overall and Vanisha Gould, FOX 5 NY reports.
More Than Three Park Concerts
The festival’s free programming will extend beyond the headline performances, with a Sun Ra documentary screening, live shows, a Monday night jazz jam, community-garden concerts, an outdoor art exhibit and an after-party planned across Manhattan. More performers and events may still be added, the City Parks Foundation says, giving local jazz fans a full weekend—and then some—to make their plans.
