2017 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

The City Parks Foundation kicked off its 25th annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival Wednesday August 23, 2017 at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. On Thursday August 24th and Friday August 25th the festival continued its musical celebration uptown in Harlem at Marcus Garvey Park. It featured the work of Jason Samuels Smith's "Chasing The Bird" and renowned clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen. On Saturday August 26th veteran alto- saxophonist Lee Konitz a contemporary of Charlie Parker when bebop came on the scene performed with his quartet. Other featured artist included Terri Lyne Carrington and her Social Science Band and a wonderful new vocalist Charenee Wade. On Sunday August 27th the festival moved downtown to the place where it all began, Tompkins Square Park located just blocks away from Charlie Parker's home in the East Village in New York City. Sunday's event featured NEA master Lou Donaldson, one of the most cutting edge horn players today Joshua Redman and the wonderful Alicia Olatuja.

Here are just a few photos I feel capture the spirit of this musical celebration.

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