M&T Jazz Fest and JazzWeek to Coincide in Syracuse

For the first time, the dates and location of the M&T Jazz Fest and the JazzWeek Convention will coincide as organizers of JazzWeek bring their event to Syracuse, N.Y. this year from June 24 to 26.

Held last year in Rochester, N.Y., the JazzWeek Convention will draw between 100 and 120 prominent educators and journalists from across the nation as they hold workshops and symposiums and attend concerts on the campus of Onondaga Community College.

The M&T Jazz Fest, a free festival funded by private sponsorships, featured artists including Lou Rawls and Ramsey Lewis in 2004, Chaka Khan and the John Pizzarelli Trio in 2003 and Al Jarreau in 2002.

While headliners for the M&T Jazz Fest will not be announced until mid-April, director Frank Malfitano said to the Syracuse Post-Standard, “This year, I want to bring a headliner who is as legendary as Ray Charles [who played the festival in 2000]… The challenge is to get everybody’s attention.”

Originally Published April 9, 2005