Live Music in Charlottesville
June kicks off mild and sunny after an unusually dry May concluded with a week of much-needed rain.
This is the month that signals the start of the summer season and a few choice events punctuate the calendar.
While New Orleans has the world-renowned JazzFest and Richmond has a long-running festival of its own, Charlottesville is a bit late to the game. To rectify that oversight, the inaugural Charlottesville Jazz Festival will take place at multiple venues across Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, starting on June 4th and running through the 7th. Sponsors include the Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU, along with C-VILLE Weekly, with support from Charlottesville GUIDE.
The four-day festival features both free and ticketed events in clubs and venues centered on the Downtown Mall, which turns 50 this year. The roster includes 18 national and international artists as well as many of Charlottesville‘s own jazz musicians.
The Saturday, June 6 headline concert at The Paramount features some incredible artists.
Namely, international jazz vocal star and Charlottesville native, Veronica Swift, who will be joined by special guest Stephanie Nakasian, who just happens to be her mother (her father was the late jazz pianist Hod O’Brien.) Charlottesville trumpeter John D’earth and the C’ville All Stars will open the show. D’earth will also lead a “Young Lions of Jazz” roster from area high schools at an earlier matinee.
Other events include the U.S. Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble and Richmond’s R4nd4zzo (“Randazzo”) at Ting Pavilion’s Fridays After Five. The Front Porch and The Guild at Vault Virginia will host concerts with artists such as the Robert Jospe Trio with Daniel Clarke and a CD release show with Ali Webb. The festival also offers a two-night, no cover charge club circuit at the Whiskey Jar, Rapture, and Miller’s. For a full schedule of what is certain to be a packed weekend for jazz-lovers and the jazz-curious, be sure to visit CvilleJazz.org.
Later in the month, on Saturday, June 13, the Rivanna Roots Concert Series will host another special event that falls more on the Americana side of the musical spectrum.
Sharing the stage for the first time in more than three years, the Terri Allard Band’s full six-member lineup will bring to life Allard’s songs and a selection of choice roots music covers. Fronted by the Batesville-based singer-songwriter, the group includes long-time bandmates Gary Green (harmonica), Eddie Hall (drums), Sonny Layne (bass, vocals), Jeff Saine (lap steel, accordion, vocals), and Jim Taggart (guitar, mandolin, violin, vocals).
“We are thrilled to be playing the Rivanna Roots Concert Series,” Allard told me. “We’ve been looking for the perfect place to bring the full band and all of our friends together again, and this is definitely it! It’s a magical and welcoming setting with plenty of room for folks of all ages to spread out blankets and spend a Saturday night dancing and listening to music under the stars.”
She added that her son, trumpeter Will Evans, and father, Bill, will join the band on a few songs, bringing together three generations of Allard family members on stage that evening. Evans with his band, Angelica X, will also appear at Miller’s on Thursday, June 4 as part of the Charlottesville Jazz Festival.
Two weeks later, on Saturday, June 27, be sure to catch local reggae, ska, and world music supergroup The Oversteppers at the riverside concert series.
And on Saturday, June 20, the String Cheese Incident will hit the stage at the Ting Pavilion. This Colorado-based jam band has been through town regularly over the past few years and they never fail to deliver on their unique mix of jam band good vibes.
