ABOUT | Litchfield Jazz Festival
The Litchfield Jazz Festival (estb. 1996), is thrilled to have made the campus of Kent School and the town of Kent their new home in 2009. Kent is known as the cultural heart of the Litchfield Hills with an array of art galleries, cafes, shops and more. The Festival is run by Litchfield Performing Arts, a non-profit founded in 1981, whose mission is to offer arts programming that addresses the expressed needs of the community.
This summer we celebrate the 16th Anniversary of The Litchfield Jazz Festival and two NEA Jazz Masters the weekend of August 5-7, 2011. The weekend includes an opening night “Friends of the Festival Gala”, three days of jazz, fine arts and craft exhibitors, stellar food vendors, a new kids craft area, clinic and artist talks by festival stars and performances by Litchfield Jazz Camp students. Over the years we have presented legends like Sonny Rollins, Tito Puente and Ray Charles as well as introduced new talent and fostered the careers of Diana Krall, Brad Mehldau, Jane Monheit and many others.
The 2011 line-up features Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Jimmy Heath Big Band, Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band, Clayton Brothers Quintet, A Ray Charles Tribute with Davell Crawford and much more. And for the entire month leading up to the Festival enjoy our FREE jazz series, Kent Has That Jazz, from July 11 – August 6, with performances by Litchfield Jazz Camp's all-star faculty and talented students. The Festival is “among the best of the best,” (JazzTimes) and is “a model jazz line-up,” (New York Times). All of this, just two hours from NYC on the Metro North Train to the Tenmile River station where you can meet a shuttle bus to the Festival. See our Travel page for details.
The Festival also has an education arm – Litchfield Jazz Camp, which runs for one to four weeks leading up to Jazz Fest weekend also at Kent School. LJC is open to students ages 13 through adult of all ability levels and need-based scholarships are available for Connecticut students. Each summer about 500 students flock to the camp to be immersed in America’s art form – the music of jazz. Please visit our website to learn more.
HOURS of OPERATION
SUMMER 2011 Dates | August 5-7, 2011
Friday: Friends Gala from 5:45-7:15PM | Festival 7:45 – 10:45 PM
Saturday: Main Stage music and Festival activities from 12 – 10 PM
Sunday: Main Stage music and Festival activities from 12 – 8:00 PM
Where: Friends Gala and The Litchfield Jazz Festival are held on the grounds and in the Springs Center at Kent School.
Gates Open: Friday Night – 5 PM, Saturday & Sunday – 11 AM
Litchfield Jazz Festival | Vita West Muir, Executive Director
P.O. Box 69
Litchfield, CT 06759
Phone: 860.361.6285
Fax: 860.361.6288
eMail:
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Website: www.litchfieldjazzfest.com
Litchfield Jazz Camp: www.litchfieldjazzcamp.com