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How sweet the sound! Lineup announced for Jazz in the Park

Published on May 31, 2022

It’s been two years since jazz lovers gathered for the popular Jazz in the Park-Huntsville concert series, but organizers hope a return of live audiences and a slate of all-star performers will make this year’s event bigger and better than ever.

Kenny Anderson, Director of the City's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ODEI), talks to the media about Jazz in the Park-Huntsville.
Kenny Anderson, Director of the City’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ODEI), talks to the media about Jazz in the Park-Huntsville.

Jazz in the Park events in 2020 and 2021 were held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While they still offered a taste of live music performed by top-tier talent, the virtual events lacked the excitement of a live audience.

“Despite the pandemic, it was important to keep the momentum of the event going,” said Kenny Anderson, organizer and Director of the City of Huntsville’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI). “The virtual shows not only provided a way for performers to continue to share their art with audiences, but it also gave audiences a temporary escape from the realities of the pandemic.”

Anderson is excited about the return of live audiences this year, though he encourages attendees to take necessary precautions to protect themselves.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle is also excited about the return of live audiences and said Jazz in the Park is an important part of the City’s efforts to build a thriving music ecosystem. Those efforts, which began with a music audit in 2018, took a giant step forward this year with the hiring of Music Officer Matt Mandrella and the completion of The Orion Amphitheater.

“We’re so pleased The Orion will be hosting one of this year’s Jazz in the Park concerts,” Mayor Battle said. “It’s a world-class venue that was built for all genres, including jazz, opera and hip-hop.”

Concert locations

This year’s concerts will be each Sunday in September at Big Spring Park, except for Sept. 11, which will be held at The Orion Amphitheater at MidCity District. Headlining the Orion show will be Matthew Whitaker, an internationally renowned jazz prodigy featured on “60 Minutes.”

The schedule of performers is as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 4 – Big Spring Park East
  • 5 p.m.: Jemison High Jazz Band
  • 6 p.m.: John Stoddart
  • 7:30 p.m.: Ragan Whiteside
Sunday, Sept 11. – The Orion Amphitheater
  • 5 p.m.: Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Band
  • 6 p.m.: Jeff Ryan
  • 7:30 p.m.: Matthew Whitaker
Sunday, Sept. 18 – Big Spring Park East
  • 5 p.m.: Columbia High School Jazz Band
  • 6 p.m.: Gino Rosario
  • 7:30 p.m.: Adam Hawley
Sunday, Sept. 25 – Big Spring Park East
  • 5 p.m.: Grissom High School Jazz Band
  • 6 p.m. Dee Lucas
  • 7:30 p.m. Phil Denny

Jazz in the Park-Huntsville is presented by Cynthia Joiner Real Estate and is a collaboration between the City’s ODEI and Huntsville Parks & Recreation Department. It has generous support from Lexus of Huntsville, Huntsville Utilities, Phoenix, the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind and many other sponsors.

For more information, visit the Jazz in the Park-Huntsville Facebook page. Click here to learn more about ODEI and here for more details about Mayor Battle’s Music Initiative.