Our Sunday matinee kicks off at 1:30 with a theatrical presentation in honor of one of the all-time greats. The Mahalia Jackson Story will feature Lavenia Nesmith as lead actor & vocalist. A perennial MAJF favorite from the perspective of her wonderful jazz stylings, Ms. Nesmith has deep roots in gospel music and has taken the challenge of representing perhaps the most storied voice in the annals of gospel music. Lavinia will be supported in her efforts at bringing the spirit of Mahalia Jackson to MAJF, by pianist Stephen Kay, percussion Terron Whitehead, bassist Harry Jackson, and narrator Julian Hipkns. The Mahalia Jackson Story was written by Bebe Ross Coker.

At 3:00pm keyboardist Vince Evans brings his abundant chops to our stage in a program supported by the Gospel Roots ensemble. Vince and the Gospel Roots will then support Kim Burrell, one of the leading contemporary gospel voices, in her 4:00pm performance.

Kim Burrell represents the 21st century perspective on giving glory to God through song. A native of Houston, TX – home to MAJF director Paul Carr – Ms. Burrell’s lustrous voice has graced stages across the globe, performed on BET’s Celebration of Gospel, Bobby Jones’ Gospel Show, and has experienced much success in the secular world as well. She is a Stellar Award-winner and Grammy nominee and is guaranteed to be a highlight of the 2012 Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival.

Third Installment December 10th

The Summit Meeting has become one of the hallmarks of the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival. Year one featured a smokin’ assemblage of alto saxophonists, working together and in quartet features, that included three generations of the instrument with Fred Foss, Bobby Watson, and DC’s own Bruce Williams squaring off. Year two brought a conclave of tenor saxophonists to our stage, once again representing three generations, including the ferocious and ever-dapper Tim Warfield, Philadelphia’s quintessential tenor man Bootsie Barnes, and young lion Quamon Fowler from Houston.

This year we present a Trumpet Summit on Sunday evening at 8:30 that is guaranteed to blow the roof off the Hilton Hotel. This time the trumpet artistry will be represented by three exceptional proponents of the instrument who have arrived on the scene as part of the post-Wynton Marsalis generation of the late-1980s.

Brian Lynch is the elder of this superb trio of trumpeters. He grew up in Milwaukee and matriculated at the Wisconsin Conservatory. As a youngster learning the music in Milwaukee he performed with pianist Buddy Montgomery (brother of Wes), and organist Melvin Rhyne. Later he moved to San Diego and played for a time with the great alto saxophonist Charles McPherson. When he moved to New York in ’81 he linked up with NEA Jazz Masters Horace Silver and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Lynch gained valuable experience working with salsa bands, including with the legendary Hector Lavoe. This served him well through his many years with the great salsero and Latin Jazz giant Eddie Palmieri, with whom he won a 2006 Grammy for their “Simpatico” release. Brian Lynch is also a graduate of NEA Jazz Master Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, as he served in the last edition of the Messengers before Art’s passing. He has also worked for many years with NEA Jazz Master Phil Woods.
Latest Recording: Bolero Nights for Billie Holiday (Venus)

Nicholas Payton is a proud upholder of the rich jazz trumpet legacy of New Orleans. Born into a musical family, Nicholas’ mother is a pianist and vocalist, and his late father Walter Payton was a very prominent New Orleans bassist who worked with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band among many. Nicholas studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the same arts magnet school that produced the Marsalis brothers, Harry Connick Jr., and Donald Harrison. Long before matriculating at the University of New Orleans, where NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis was director of the jazz studies program, Nicholas Payton was working as a professional. This writer first saw him many years ago when he was introduced by NEA Jazz Master trumpeter Clark Terry to a throng of thrilled conferees at the International Association for Jazz Education conference in NOLA. Prior to that Payton earned his New Orleans spurs as a member of the Young Tuxedo Brass Band. He went on to work with Marcus Roberts, and NEA Jazz Masters Ray Brown, Elvin Jones, and Roy Haynes. In 1997 he earned a Grammy for his collaboration with the late trumpet legend Doc Cheatham.
Latest Recording: Bitches (In & Out)

From his work with MAJF director Paul Carr, both as an educator and a trumpet sidekick, Terell Stafford is fast becoming an MAJF fave. This year he will not only work with Paul on our Sunday night session, he will also complete our trio of trumpet artists for the MAJF Trumpet Summit on Sunday evening at 8:30. Though born in Florida, Terell Stafford grew up in part in nearby Silver Spring, MD. From there he received his degree in music from the University of Maryland, on the side working at Takoma Station. Terell’s first prominent professional affiliation came with Bobby Watson’s kinetic Horizon ensemble. From there he’s worked with NEA Jazz Master McCoy Tyner’s Latin ensemble and his sextet, as well as with NEA Jazz Masters Benny Golson, Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, and Jimmy Heath’s big band. Stafford is clearly a welcome addition to any big band trumpet section, as he has graced the sections of the Jon Faddis Orchestra, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and the Clayton-Hamilton Big Band. He has also worked with the Clayton Brothers Band, and drummer Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts. Terell Stafford is currently director of the jazz studies program at Temple University.
Latest Recording: This Side of Strayhorn (MaxJazz)

Clearly, with such prodigious proponents of that 3-valved monster, our Trumpet Summit will be one of the real highlights of the 3rd annual Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.

Second Installment November 12th

From experienced voices to emerging talents, the 3rd annual Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival, coming your way February 17-20, 2012, will present a veritable cornucopia of the jazz voice. Our vocal headliner is Carmen Bradford, one of the richest, most soulful and swingingest voices on the scene today. Ms. Bradford will perform in the debut of the new Mid-Atlantic Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Paul Carr. And that’s quite apropos given Carmen’s wealth of experiences with large ensembles, ranging from such ultra-swinging units as the Count Basie Band, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and DIVA, to such lush settings as the National Symphony Orchestra and the Rochester Symphony. Carmen Bradford comes from a true music legacy; she’s the daughter of the versatile singer Melba Joyce and the far-reaching trumpeter Bobby Bradford.

Rounding out our 2012 vocal menu is a wealth of voices from broad-ranging perspectives. From the Gospel side comes a perennial MAJF favorite, Lavinia Nesmith, who will pay homage to the peerless Mahalia Jackson. From the blues side we’ve got “Downtown” Janice Brown. No less authorities than NEA Jazz Masters Clark Terry, Dr. Billy Taylor, and Jimmy Heath have sung the praises of St. Louis’ own Denise Thimes, who will make her festival debut with the Chris Grasso Trio. Two of the DC area’s favorite voices will also grace our stage as Jamie Broumas and Sandra Y. Johnson exhibit their approaches to the American Songbook. Recognizing MAJF’s perennial Philadelphia connection we present one of Philly’s finest, Joanna Pascale.
As we continue to honor our predecessor, the East Coast Jazz Festival, we proudly present one of the late ECJF founder Ronnie Wells’ protégés in Tacha Coleman Parr, who will be accompanied by the return of ECJF co-founder, pianist Ron Elliston. Former ECJF fave Kathy Lyon will grace our stage.

Given the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival’s jazz education mission, its quite fitting that our 2012 festival will also engage a number of promising, emerging voices. Among these will be such gifted song stylists as Lori Williams, who delighted a Ronnie Wells Mainstage audience last year with Allyn Johnson’s Divine Order. For the male perspective we’ve got crowd-pleasing Chad Carter. Our own Iva Ambush leads Ambuscade. Young Integriti Reeves will be joined by two artists from last year’s twin brother’s show, the Jolley Brothers, Noble Jr. and Nathan.

Clearly Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival audiences will be able to sample where the jazz voice has been, where it is now, and where it’s going with our robust menu of not-to-be-missed vocal song stylists.

1st Installment: October 14th

The 3rd annual Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival, coming your way February 17-20, 2012, boasts a broad range of jazz styles and artists. However our 2012 festival could well come under the sub-head of The Year of the Drum. The drum being the heartbeat of any good jazz ensemble, the festival will be blessed with three of the greatest drummers on the planet, in separate irresistible engagements.
ROY HAYNES
Though the pallet of Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival artists is multi-hued and loaded with goodies, if any one artist could be said to be our flag-waver for the 3rd edition it would surely be NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient Roy Haynes. One of the most honored drummers in jazz history, Roy Haynes has played with artists from Lester Young, Sarah Vaughan and John Coltrane to Chick Corea, Pat Metheny and Christian McBride… and everyone in between!
A native of Boston, Roy Haynes came up during the bebop era as a worthy cohort of such giants as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, and Max Roach. Haynes has evolved a very unique and highly influential drum sound that is instantly recognizable and propels a band like none other. Now in his 86th year on the planet, Roy Haynes shows no signs of letting up on his high energy approach to music and overall joy of life as he leads his Fountain of Youth Band, introducing the next generation of jazz masters to the world.
WINARD HARPER
This native of Baltimore is one of the hardest-working drummers on the scene. When Winard Harper first came up through Betty Carter’s practical experience school of modern jazz, one could instantly tell that this was a drummer for all seasons, one blessed with a malleability that he could adapt to just about any setting – as long as it bore the promise of good swingin’! After matriculating with Betty, Winard spent many years working with the great Dr. Billy Taylor, again showing his unique versatility on that bandstand as Dr. Taylor invited many disparate guests onto the stage for his “Billy Taylor Live at the Kennedy Center” concert & NPR broadcast series.
As a bandleader Winard Harper took to heart the bandleading lessons of Art Blakey. Winard has welcomed a rotating cast of younger musicians onto his bandstand, all in the spirit of endowing them with the good groove and ample spirit he grew up on.
LEWIS NASH
Rounding out our triumvirate of drumming greatness is Lewis Nash, one of the most versatile and in-demand trapsmen on the scene. This native of Phoenix always brings an ability to blend & enhance any situation on whatever bandstand he’s invited, and they have been legion. Like Winard Harper, Lewis Nash is also a graduate of Betty Carter U, where he surely learned his trademark sensitivity in service to that unique jazz gravitational pull known as swing.

In 2009 Modern Drummer magazine named Lewis Nash jazz music’s Most Valuable Player. He has enhanced the work of a list of greats too numerous to detail here, ranging from NEA Jazz Masters Gerald Wilson, Sonny Rollins, and Tommy Flanagan to Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole and Bette Midler; offering ample illustration of his unique adaptability.
A MAJF perennial, you can check out Lewis ability to go from sensitive to explosive at the bat of an eye on a video of his 2011 MAJF performance posted at www.drummerworld.com. For the 2012 festival Lewis will return to MAJF director Paul Carr’s ensemble to closeout the festival on Sunday night.
For a festival based in jazz education and nurturing the young, a real jazz drumming education awaits those with the good taste to partake in the 2012 Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival.