Winter Jazzfest, now in its 18th year as an annual event in NYC, has announced programming for its 2022 edition, taking place at various venues in the city Jan. 13-22. In addition to the “Marathon Nights” on Jan. 14 and 15, a veritable club crawl that features nearly 100 groups performing sets at a dozen venues, the festival will be hosting various special events, including premieres by artist-in-residence Angel Bat Dawid, Pino Palladino & Blake Mills, Jaimie Branch, Fay Victor, and Kate Gentile. On Jan. 16, Questlove will host a screening of his documentary film Summer of Soul at Roulette, along with a multi-artist night called “The Feel Good Party” at House of Yes in Brooklyn. For the opening-night event at City Winery (Jan. 13), Terence Blanchard, along with his E-Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet, will present “Absence,” a celebration of the legacy and influence of his mentor, Wayne Shorter.
As the artist-in-residence, Dawid will DJ that same opening-night event. Four days later (Jan. 17), she will premiere her “Afro-Town Topics: A Mythical Afrofuturist Revue,” a piece inspired by Fats Waller that mixes a traditional musical revue with “Afro sonic realities and futures.” She will also perform with her Sistazz of the Nitty Gritty during the Marathon.
M3 (Mutual Mentorship for Musicians), an organization co-founded by Jen Shyu and Sara Serpa, will host its inaugural residency in a program funded by South Arts. In an effort to address gender inequity and underrepresentation in jazz and creative music, the residency will present 21 women and non-binary bandleaders during the festival. Participants include Samantha Boshnack, Romarna Campbell, Caroline Davis, Miriam Elhajli, Ganavya, Eden Girma, Val Inc. AKA Val Jeanty, Maya Keren, Erica Lindsay, Lesley Mok, Camila Nebbia, Shanta Nurullah, Cleo Reed, Michele Rosewoman, Sara Serpa, Jen Shyu, Monnette Sudler, Anjna Swaminathan, Sumi Tonooka, Fay Victor, and Malika Zarra.
Noted BBC Radio host and producer Gilles Peterson will present a filmed showcase of emerging talent from the U.K. jazz scene, shown virtually during the festival.
“Especially in these trying times we all deserve and need the positive energy of feel-good music,” Winter Jazzfest founder Brice Rosenbloom said in a press release received at JazzTimes. “In the spirit of celebrating Black American Music, we are committed to supporting musicians that have contributed to keeping us all musically medicated and inspired during the pandemic.”
The festival will adhere to New York State COVID mandates, including proof of vaccination for attendees and staff and mask-wearing for staff.
For more information, visit the festival’s website.
Here is the list of confirmed artists for Winter Jazzfest 2022:
Angel Bat Dawid (Artist-in-Residence)
Alan Braufman
Alicia Olatuja
Allison Miller
Anjna Swaminathan
Antonio Sánchez – A Bad Hombre Project
Ben LaMar Gay
Brianna Thomas
Camila Nebbia
Camille Thurman
Caroline Davis
Chien Chien Lu
Cleo Reed
Code-Switch with Nasheet Waits, JD Allen, Eric Revis
Connie Han Trio
Craig Taborn
Dave Harrington Pranksters East
Eden Girma
Erica Lindsay
Fay Victor
Ganavya
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Gilles Peterson (virtual)
Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade
Harriet Tubman
In Common: Walter Smith III and Matt Stevens featuring Kris Davis/Harish Raghavan/Terri Lyne Carrington
Jaimie Branch
James “Blood” Ulmer
James Brandon Lewis
James Francies, Joel Ross, Blaque Dynamite
Jen Shyu
Joel Ross
Julian Lage
Julius Rodriguez
Kassa Overall
Kate Gentile
Lakecia Benjamin
Lesley Mok
Louis Hayes
Mahogany Browne
Makaya McCraven
Malika Zarra
Marc Ribot Trio
Marshall Allen
Matthew Whitaker
Maurice Brown
Maya Keren
Melanie Charles
Michele Rosewoman
Miki Yamanaka
Miriam Elhajli
Monnette Sudler
Nate Mercereau
Nate Smith +KINFOLK
Nduduzo Makhathini
Pino Palladino and Blake Mills featuring Sam Gendel and Abraham Rounds
Questlove
Ray Angry
Romarna Campbell
Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio
Sam Gendel
Samantha Boshnack
Samara Joy
Samir LanGus
Samora Pinderhughes GRIEF
Sana Nagano
Sara Serpa
Sarah Elizabeth Charles SCOPE
Shai Maestro Quartet
Shanta Nurullah
Sistazz of The Nitty Gritty
Steph Richards +Supersense
Sumi Tonooka
SuperBlue: Kurt Elling featuring Charlie Hunter
Takuya Kuroda
Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet
Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science
Thana Alexa
The Bad Plus
The Jazz Gallery All-Stars
Theo Croker
Tim Berne Duo with Gregg Belisle-Chi
Val Inc. AKA Val Jeanty
Zoh Amba
