DC Forecast: Duke Ellington Festival Free Concert

The third Duke Ellington Jazz Festival is well underway, and after a week of movies, workshops, and musical events held throughout Washington, DC, the festival is heading towards its culminating event, an all day free jazz concert on the National Mall.

Dedicated this year to celebrating the 90th birthday of jazz giant Dizzy Gillespie, the National Mall concert flagship event will bring together nine of the 12 artists whose careers were advanced when Gillespie hired them to play in the Grammy Award-winning United Nation Orchestra from 1988-1992. Performers will include Grammy Award winners Paquito D'Rivera & The United Nation Orchestra and Brazilian jazz couple, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim; Sibusiso Victor Masondo and Lalela; and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Orchestra, which will highlight Gillespie's international impact and role as a musical ambassador.

Past years have consistently delivered a plethora of renowned performers and many surprise guest appearances, so pack a picnic lunch and join in this annual homage to DC's jazz legacy.

When: Sunday, September 16
Where: The Sylvan Amphitheater, National Mall, Washington, D.C.
When: 12:00-7:00