The 8th Charleston Jazz Festival draws music-lovers from around the globe to Charleston, SC for a four-day celebration of the Holy City’s jazz heritage. Musical performances feature renowned international headliners Dianne Reeves, Samara Joy, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cindy Blackman Santana and Lowcountry favorites.

Schedule of Events:

April 20, 2023:

Lowcountry Jazz Day:

Experience some of the area’s hottest jazz bands as they take center stage on Lowcountry Jazz Night.

Location: Forte Jazz Lounge

April 21, 2023:

5:00 p.m: Samara Joy - Charleston Music Hall

The New York Times describes Samara Joy as a “silky-voiced rising jazz star” and the Boston Globe compliments her “warm, capacious vocal instrument and breathtaking technique.” The 22-year old burst onto the world stage when her TikTok videos of soulful standards went viral landing her on the TODAY Show.  She is newly signed to the prestigious Verve records label and has already received two GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist and Best Vocal Jazz Album.  She brings a fresh, youthful energy to timeless jazz classics and is no doubt on her way to being the great legend of this generation.

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8:00 p.m: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Charleston Music Hall

With a mission to revitalize jazz and swing music, this powerhouse ensemble has sold-out prestigious venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center. They have toured the world selling millions of records and have their music featured in hundreds of film and television shows. They have appeared on Dancing with the Stars and Super Bowl XXXIII and are one of the driving forces that has kept swing and jazz in the limelight for nearly three decades.

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April 22, 2023:

5:00 p.m: Dianne Reeves - Charleston Music Hall

GRAMMY-winning artist Dianne Reeves has been named a “Jazz Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts – the highest honor for a jazz artist in the United States.   Reeves also holds an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Juilliard for her “breathtaking virtuosity, improvisational prowess, and unique jazz and R&B style.”  Historian and music critic Scott Yanow describes Reeves as “a logical successor to Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae, Reeves is a superior interpreter of lyrics and a skilled scat singer.”

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8:00 p.m: Cindy Blackman Santana - Charleston Music Hall

“Some drummers act, some react. Some keep time, others create it. Cindy Blackman Santana is among the few who can,” says Mike Zwerin of the International Herald Tribune.  Blackman started her career as a busker on the streets of New York City and has gone on to travel the world.  Her high-energy performances are mesmerizing and she is a master both in jazz and rock as the drummer for husband Carlos Santana, the Latin jazz and rock superstar.

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April 23, 2023:

5:00 p.m: Charlton Singleton’s Beehive Orchestra - Firefly Distillery

American trumpeter, vocalist and former leader of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, Charlton Singleton is a GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist along with his fellow Ranky Tanky band mates.  Charleston Magazine says “watching Singleton at work is mesmerizing…Charlton Singleton is a musical alchemist, a magician.”  One fan says “Just watching him conduct, play piano and trumpet draws you in, captivates you. He turns a non-jazz person into an enthusiast in a single concert.”  Joined by his stellar lineup of musicians, Singleton and his Beehive Jazz Orchestra are a true crowd favorite in the Lowcountry and beyond.

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Dates: April 20 - 23, 2023

Locations:

Forte Jazz Lounge, 477 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403.
Charleston Music Hall, 37 John Street, Charleston, SC 29403.
Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405.

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