NYC Winter Jazzfest Details 2020 Programming

– Mark Guiliana
Winter Jazz Fest 2020 artist in residence

The 16th annual NYC Winter Jazzfest will celebrate the centennial of Art Blakey, the jazz history of Detroit and the legacy of late trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and present drummer-composer-bandleader Mark Guiliana, the festival’s Artist-In-Residence, in at least six configurations.

Staged in more than a dozen venues across Manhattan and Brooklyn, the event runs 10 consecutive nights from Jan. 9-18. The signature two-night marathon will take place Jan. 10 and 11 and, for the first time, a Brooklyn-based marathon night will be held Jan. 17 at Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Rough Trade, National Sawdust and other venues.

In Manhattan, the festival will take place in the recently reopened Webster Hall as well as Le Poisson Rouge, Mercury Lounge, Zinc Bar, Subculture, The Bitter End, NuBlu, The Dance, SOBs, and Nuyorican Poets Cafe. 

The celebration of Detroit will feature performances from Belgrave’s widow Joan Belgrave leading the Detroit Sound Ensemble; the Marcus Belgrave Legacy Ensemble, which includes Robert Hurst, Karriem Riggins and JD Allen; the Detroit Jazz Royalty Ensemble of Ron Carter, Louis Hayes, Sheila Jordan and Johnny O’Neal; and an ensemble with Hurst, Riggins, Theo Croker Kassa Overall and others.

Revive Music is working with the fest on Blakey concert that will have more than a dozen drummers paying respect and offering rhythmic nods to Blakey’s work in a “round robin” model.

Artist-in-Residence Guiliana, who has worked with David Bowie, Brad Mehldau, Donny McCaslin, Avishai Cohen and others, will appear as a leader and collaborator with Beat Music, Unholy Row, Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet with Gretchen Parlato, Space Heroes, Mark Guiliana + Kneebody, and at a closing night Beat Music Improv show with special guests.

The festival is partnering with BBC Music Introducing & PRS Foundation for a fourth annual British jazz showcase curated by BBC Radio 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson. Kokoroko, Moses Boyd, Poppy Ajudha and Sarathy Korwar will perform at Le Poisson Rouge.

Among the acts confirmed are Chris Lightcap’s SuperBigmouth, Hypnotic Brass Band, Joey Alexander, José James “No Beginning No End 2,” Kassa Overall, Kat Edmonson, Makaya McCraven, Nir Felder Trio, Rene Marie, Steve Lehman Trio + Craig Taborn, Steven Bernstein’s MTO@20, and Tim Berne’s Absint with David Torn and Aurora Nealand.

In one of the fest’s largest concerts, Brazilian singer-songwriter/actor Seu Jorge will perform at The Town Hall.