BRIC JAZZFEST ANNOUNCES
FULL SCHEDULE FOR HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED OCTOBER LINE-UP INCLUDING FREE POP-UP OUTDOOR CONCERT
Acclaimed Festival Kicks Off Saturday, October 14, with a Free Outdoor Jazz Concert featuring Endea Owens and The Cookout at The Plaza at 300 Ashland
Co-Presented and in partnership with Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
Daily And 3-Day Passes to BRIC JazzFest at BRIC House Available HERE
Brooklyn, NY (September 27, 2023) – BRIC, a leading, multi-disciplinary arts and media institution anchored in downtown Brooklyn, has released the full daily schedule for this year’s two-stage, three-day BRIC JazzFest. Set to take place at BRIC House from October 19-21 with two stages, this year’s festival promises to be an extraordinary celebration of jazz and its influences.
The festival will also kick off with a special off-site performance down the block on Saturday, October 14 at The Plaza at 300 Ashland. The free outdoor jazz concert, co-presented by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, will feature one of the jazz scene’s most dynamic emerging artists, Endea Owens and The Cookout. Endea Owens, known for performing with icons like Wynston Marsalis, Jennifer Holiday, Diana Ross, and more, founded her non-profit The Cookout in 2020, providing free meals and music concerts to underserved communities in New York City. RSVP here.
In addition to the 300 Ashland free show, BRIC JazzFest announced they will introduce the first night at BRIC House with a special panel discussion on October 19th exploring the intersection of Jazz & Hip-Hop, featuring BJF Artist Curator Melanie Charlies (Make Jazz Trill Again); Marcus Moore (The New York Times); and BRIC President Wes Jackson. Each night, the voice of Hip-Hop will also be uplifted through screenings of curated BRIC TV-produced films in BRIC House’s artist studio.
The recently confirmed artists joining the BRIC JazzFest 2023 lineup include:
- Reggie Workman (Thursday, 10/19), is recognized as one of the most original and technically gifted bassists in jazz and American contemporary music.
- Alexa Tarantino (Thursday, 10/19), a vibrant and versatile jazz saxophone and woodwind artist, triple-nominated as a “Rising Star Alto Saxophonist” by Downbeat Magazine’s Critics’ Poll from 2020-2022.
- Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Cisco Swank (Friday, 10/20), who hails from Brooklyn, NY, and is quickly rising as a staple in the city’s R&B, jazz, and hip-hop communities.
- Jonathan Michel: L’Ouverture (Friday, 10/20), a world premiere concert featuring Emeline Michel, Riva Precil, and Val Jeanty, celebrating the vital role of Haitian women in music and culture.
Vocalist and composer, Sarah Elizabeth Charles (Saturday, 10/21), known for her exceptional talent and innovative compositions. - Nite Bjuti feat. Candice Hoyes, Val Jeanty and Mimi Jones -pronounced Night Beauty- (Saturday, 10/21), an evocative improvised trio of Afro-Caribbean artists using a blend of electronics, vocalism, bass, Haitian drum rhythms, sampling, and spoken word to craft a captivating narrative journey.
- Strings N Skins (Friday, 10/20), a band comprised of Haitian vocalist and percussionist Okai, Colombian vocalist, dancer, and Latin Grammy Award-winning violinist, Luisa “Lulu” Bastidas, alongside drummer and producer Lautaro Burgos and keyboard guru and producer Eric Lane.
- Panikkar Rosner & Leigh (Thursday, 10/19), a bebop and post-bop centric jazz octet featuring three vocalists in the instrumental vocal style of Lambert Hendricks & Ross.
The festival’s closing night jam session promises an unforgettable experience with the Trill Mega Jam Featuring The Jungle and Guests. The jam session will culminate in an “expanded sense of jazz” led by a well known NYC party called The Jungle, which will feature artists spanning across multiple genres. The Jungle is an Afro Diaspora Dance party and live music experience curated by DJ, producer and jazz musician Zacchaeus Paul and is comprised of of DJs, musicians, and artists delivering a stimulating sonic experience that traverses the African Diaspora, embracing Latin, Jazz, Afrobeat, Amapiano, Percussion, Brazilian, Caribbean, House and Soul. The session will also feature Farrah Boulé, J. Hoard, Christopher McBride, Xiomara Laugart & Axel Tosca, Jaylen Petinaud, Parker McAllister, and Chad Selph.
Previously announced headliners include Georgia Anne Muldrow and Terrace Martin, as well as Isaiah Collier, Amina Claudine Myers Trio, Melanie Charles / Orrin Evans Duo, B. Cool-Aid, BIGYUKI, Miki Yamanaka, and George Burton.
This year’s BRIC JazzFest was thoughtfully co-curated by Melanie Charles, in collaboration with BRIC JazzFest producer Viviana Benitez and NYC Winter JazzFest Founder Brice Rosenbloom.
Tickets for BRIC JazzFest 2023 are available now, with options for daily and 3-day passes. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to experience the diverse range of jazz.
For more information and to stay updated on event details, please visit the BRIC website at www.bricartsmedia.org/JazzFest
Buy tickets for BRIC JazzFest: HERE
Apply for BRIC JazzFest Media Credentials HERE
BRIC JazzFest 2023
OCT. 19 Terrace Martin | Melanie Charles / Orrin Evans Duo | Isaiah Collier | Reggie Workman | Alexa Tarantino | Panikkar Rosner & Leigh
OCT. 20 Georgia Anne Muldrow | BIGYUKI | George Burton | Jonathan Michel: L’Ouverture | Cisco Swank | String N Skins
OCT. 21 Amina Claudine Myers Trio | B. Cool-Aid | Miki Yamanaka Origami Project | Sarah Elizabeth Charles | Trill Mega Jam Featuring The Jungle And Guests | Nite Bjuti feat. Candice Hoyes, Val Jeanty and Mimi Jones
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For More Information Contact:
Wendy Washington
Decota Letman
Naya Samuel
ABOUT BRIC
BRIC is a leading arts and media institution anchored in Downtown Brooklyn whose work spans contemporary visual and performing arts, media, and civic action. For over forty years, BRIC has shaped Brooklyn’s cultural and media landscape by presenting and incubating artists, creators, students, and media makers. As a creative catalyst for their community, BRIC ignites learning in people of all ages and centralizes diverse voices that take risks and drive culture forward. BRIC builds Brooklyn’s creative future.
ABOUT DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PARTNERSHIP
The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is a not-for-profit local development corporation that serves as the primary champion for Downtown Brooklyn as a world-class business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination. Working together with the three Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) that it manages – the MetroTech BID, Fulton Mall Improvement Association, and Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn BID – the Partnership’s diverse activities include attracting new businesses and improving the environment for existing companies, facilitating the construction of public spaces and streetscapes that promote an active and cohesive community, supporting and promoting Downtown Brooklyn’s cultural assets, and encouraging a sense of place and an engaged civic community. For more information, visit www.downtownbrooklyn.com.
ABOUT THE PLAZA AT 300 ASHLAND
At the corner of Flatbush and Lafayette, The Plaza at 300 Ashland is Downtown Brooklyn’s newest public space in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. Managed, programmed and maintained by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, the plaza hosts events as part of the Downtown Brooklyn Presents series, a calendar of programming including film screenings, concerts, theater performances, dance & fitness classes, readings, community gatherings, and more. These events are all free and open to the public, with the goal of serving the community, the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood, and NYC’s cultural community at large. Additional support for programming at the Plaza at 300 Ashland is provided by Two Trees Management Co. and Whole Foods Market.
