The third annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, produced by nonprofit organization Blues to Green, will take place on Aug. 6 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Springfield, Massachusetts’ Court Square.
Headlining the free event is Springfield native and Grammy-winning singer/guitarist Taj Mahal, whose appearance at the event is “significant for both the city and the festival,” according to a press release. “Taj is an artist who has paid tribute to his own cultural roots while merging sounds from different parts of the world and creating something new. He is a big part of Springfield’s history and a big part of American music. Springfield will be enlivened by his return home for this festival,” said the festival’s co-executive producer Kristin Neville in the press release.
Other featured performances include drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, organist Joey DeFrancesco and guitarist and producer Eric Krasno, best known for his work in Soulive, as well as the Charles M. Greenlee Ensemble, Jose Gonzalez and Banda Criolla, Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils and Heshima Moja and Ofrecimiento with special guest Rayvon Owen.
More information on the festival, which will also include dance, theatre and spoken-word performances; workshops taught by music experts; local handmade arts and crafts; food vendors and family-friendly activities, can be found at springfieldjazzfest.com.
