In 1996 a small gem of a music celebration popped up in a nature preserve in Litchfield County Connecticut. That debut was to become one of the longer standing jazz festivals in the United States. After running a classical concert series for 15 years and exploring jazz in small venue settings, the non-profit Litchfield Performing Arts decided to embrace the draw of summer in the hills and launch what would become an internationally recognized jazz festival that would still be around a quarter century later. And it began with a bang.
In addition to making safe bets on the first lineup with icons like trombonist JJ Johnson, pianist Ahmad Jamal, and bassist Rufus Reid – who returns this year– its founder and artistic director Vita Muir (who is still at the helm today) featured a handful of newcomers. These little-known players who would become jazz royalty in the years to come included a pretty Canadian singer/pianist making her American festival debut called Diana Krall, bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, pianist Renee Rosnes, organist Larry Goldings, and many others. (We couldn’t afford a B3 organ. Larry would bring his own his agent insisted. His album cover had a snap of him balancing an organ on his shoulders. That would have been a bridge too far: we all carried it!). Renee, mini-skirted, tiny and young, almost delayed a curtain when an overzealous security guard detained her briefly thinking she could not possibly belong up there with the “big boys.” From that year forward, fest organizers hung ID badges around every artist’s neck. And the volunteer stage manager slept under the Steinway. Perfect. No night watchman to pay.
In the intervening years, some things changed, others didn’t. The fest stage was graced by legends like Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Ray Charles, Eartha Kitt, Tito Puente and scores more. We weathered storms, both virtual and financial, venue changes and a pandemic. But Litchfield Jazz Festival is still here, still presenting the finest of seasoned artists and newcomers, including some who have been schooled at its teaching arm, Litchfield Jazz Camp.
Set to live stream on July 31st from the Telefunken Soundstage in South Windsor, CT, the 26th Litchfield Jazz Festival will present a lineup that reads like a metaphor of its mission. It includes stars young and old, players with legendary careers, some in their youthful prime and a few who found their love of jazz as teenagers at Litchfield’s revered summer camp. The festival, and all Litchfield’s concerts, have been offered for free since the pandemic. The live stream runs from noon to six, thanks to generous donor support and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Connecticut Office of the Arts, and the New England Foundation for the Arts. Our host is Mike Gow of WZBG Radio. This year’s Fest is dedicated to the memory and artistry of bassist/composer Mario Pavone who left this life on May 15.
The featured groups are the Albert Rivera/Andrew Hadro Sextet, the Rufus Reid Trio, the Matt Wilson Quartet and the Emmet Cohen & Friends, featuring clarinetist Ken Peplowski.
Litchfield Jazz Festival is available free of charge and can be viewed on Litchfield Jazz’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
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