A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is more identified with his love of commercial rap than jazz, so one might have wondered what his first jazz festival would have held.
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival, held on an annual basis since 1981, has featured a wide range of artists, ranging from Dizzy Gillespie in its first year, to a panoply of mainstream and adult contemporary luminaries, including Gillespie, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chuck Mangione, Kenny G, and many more.
The 2016 lineup is more traditional jazz and less smooth jazz than in recent years, with slots for Jon Batiste and Stay Human (the house band for the Stephen Colbert show), Snarky Puppy (not, as this scribe’s tired eyes thought at first, industrial pioneers Skinny Puppy), the Yellowjackets, the Longineu Parsons Ensemble, and the Dizzy Gillespie Band.
“We’re thrilled about the exciting changes within the 2016 Jacksonville Jazz Festival,” Curry said of this “fun, family-friendly, and free street festival,” which will take place in the Urban Core, with stages in Hemming Park, the Jacksonville Landing, and the Burrito Gallery parking lot.
