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Sound the horns: 2023 Jazz in the Park lineup announced

Published on May 24, 2023

Some of the nation’s top jazz artists will perform in Huntsville this September as part of the annual Jazz in the Park-Huntsville concert series.

A group of five people stand next to a sign that says Jazz in the Park sign in Big Spring Park.
From left, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) Kenny Anderson, Cynthia Joiner, Music Officer Matt Mandrella and Calhoun Community College music instructor Dr. Matthew Leder pose for a photo at the Jazz in the Park-Huntsville artist announcement on May 24, 2023.

Artists slated to perform at this year’s festival were revealed Wednesday by Kenny Anderson, Director of the City’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI). As with previous years, performances will be each Sunday in September at Big Spring Park East.

The festival is free to attend.

“Music is a universal language,” Anderson said. “When people come out for Jazz in the Park, they have an opportunity to connect with people across the whole spectrum of our community.”

Mayor Tommy Battle described Jazz in the Park as one of the City’s signature events the community looks forward to each year. He said no matter what genre of music people enjoy, the musicianship of the performers is often awe-inspiring.

A man in a gray suit plays a golden trumpet at a podium as three people stand behind.
Dr. Matthew Leder, a music instructor at Calhoun Community College, plays trumpet at the Jazz in the Park-Huntsville announcement on May 24, 2023.

“It features some of the best players in jazz today and we’re lucky to have them on our stage,” Mayor Battle said. “When people come to Jazz in the Park, they know they’re going to see a display of amazing talent.”

This year’s festival will act as a kick-off event for Huntsville Music Month, observed each September. Music Officer Matt Mandrella said Jazz in the Park’s enduring popularity is paramount to transforming Huntsville into a music city.

“Huntsville is incredibly lucky to have a long-running signature music series of this caliber that has been embraced by the community,” he said. “Jazz in the Park is a pillar of our annual music calendar and a vital part of growing our music ecosystem because it keeps us on the radar of world-class talent as well as potential visitors who need to see what we’re about.”

Jazz in the Park-Huntsville includes music education workshops with local students. The workshops expose young people to high caliber jazz recording artists and cover topics such as improvisation, section playing, tuning, intonation and more.

The schedule of performers is as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 3

  • 5 p.m. – Erisa Nicole
  • 6 p.m. – Tr3ple Threat
  • 7:30 p.m. – Jessy J

Sunday, Sept 10

  • 5 p.m. – Noelette Leader-Hutton
  • 6 p.m. – Chandra Currelley
  • 7:30 p.m. – Brian Simpson

Sunday, Sept. 17

  • 5 p.m. – Calhoun Community College Show Band
  • 6 p.m. – BK Jackson
  • 7:30 p.m. – Alex Bugnon

Sunday, Sept. 24

  • 5 p.m. – Angela Bryant Brown
  • 6 p.m. – Marqueal Jordan
  • 7:30 p.m. – Ben Tankard

Presented by Cynthia Joiner Real Estate, Jazz in the Park-Huntsville is a collaboration between the City’s ODEI and Parks & Recreation Department.

For more information, visit the Jazz in the Park-Huntsville Facebook page. Click here to learn more about ODEI and here to visit the Huntsville Music Office.

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