Alexandria Jazz Festival On For Memorial Day Weekend 2021

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The annual Alexandria Jazz Festival will bring back jazz to the waterfront in 2021 with COVID-19 restrictions.

The festival will be held Saturday, May 29 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Oronoco Bay Park, 100 Madison Street in Alexandria. Admission is free but requires preregistration. Each group is limited to four people, including children.

The festival will feature limited attendance and assigned seating. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs for seating, but umbrellas, tents and pets are not allowed. Masks will be required for all attendees over age 2.

Attendees will be asked to remain in their assigned seating except when visiting the restrooms or food vendors. The festival will offer pre-ordered desserts, wine and beer for delivery from Goodies Frozen Custard truck and Dr. Feel Good’s prosecco van. Haute Dogs & Fries will have a pre-order picnic menu with timed contactless pickups.

The lineup of performers is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Critically acclaimed artists Joel Ross 'Good Vibes,' Eric Byrd Trio, VERONNEAU, and Cubano Groove will offer different forms of pazz throughout the evening.

Here is the lineup:

• 4 p.m.: Cubano Groove: Percussionist René Ibañez has been performing for over 30 years, and his band Cubano Groove has roots in the Cuban DC music scene. The Latin jazz band was featured at the 2016 D.C. Jazz Fest and regularly performed at HR-57 jazz clubs. Ibañez has played with DC Latin legends Maria Rodriguez, Sin Miedo and Alfredo Mojica, Jr.
• 5:20 p.m.: VERONNEAU: VERONNEAU plays award-winning acoustic jazz with a global twist. The multilingual band is fronted by French Canadian Lynn Veronneau, accompanied by her English husband and guitarist Ken Avis. They have toured Europe and North America and performed live on BBC Radio, atThe Kennedy Center, Strathmore, The Hamilton and DC Jazz Fest.
• 6:35 p.m.: Eric Byrd Trio: The Eric Byrd Trio, made up of pianist/vocalist Eric Byrd, bassist Bhagwan Khalsa, and drummer Alphonso Young, Jr. have traveled the world to perform for nearly two decades. With roots in swing and be-bop, The Trio also incorporates gospel and the blues in their performance style. They have studio and live recordings, won the 2020 Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist Award for notable achievement, and have been sponsored by the U.S. State Department Jazz Ambassadors touring South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Eastern & Western Europe, and the Middle East.
• 8 p.m.: Joel Ross ‘Good Vibes’: Chicago-born and Brooklyn-based player and composer Joel Ross has played with Makaya McCraven, Walter Smith III, Matthew Stevens, Marquis Hill, Peter Evans, James Francies, and Herbie Hancock and studied with Stefon Harris. The New York Times has named him a top jazz prospect and praised his debut album with Blue Note, KingMaker.

Visit the Alexandria Jazz Festival web page to reserve free tickets.