The City of Wilmington is gearing up to host it's annual jazz festival named in honor of the city’s famed trumpeter, Clifford Brown.
The DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival is taking over Rodney Square June 21-25. Named after Howard High graduate and acclaimed musician Clifford Brown, the event is the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast.
The festival’s lineup includes jazz musician and producer Marcus Johnson and trumpeter Nicholas Payton. The festival is headlined by Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day.
Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Wilmington, Ken Briscoe said the lineup doesn’t end there.
"We try to showcase a lot of local jazz musicians. So we work with the Delaware Jazz Alliance. They’ve provided what we call a Clifford Brown super group," Briscoe said.
Other acts include Dr. Carlton Cannon, Tony Smith, Larry Williams, Tom Palmer, Robert Zinn and Dr. Eddie Henderson.
The festival also has a night strictly dedicated to Latin jazz.
This year’s festival will block off all streets surrounding Rodney Square. The festival attracts upwards of 35,000 people during its five days.
