[Archived] City to Host 38th Annual Memorial Day Jazz Festival

For Immediate Release: May 20, 2015

The City of Alexandria invites the public to the 38th Annual Memorial Day Jazz Festival on Monday, May 25, beginning at 1 p.m. at Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St. David Muse, WPFW Radio Jazz Show host, will emcee the program. Admission is free.

The Jazz Festival will feature a variety of talented musicians and diverse styles of jazz throughout the day, including:

The U. S. Army Blues, the Army’s premiere jazz ensemble, and part of the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” This 18-piece ensemble, comprised of exceptional jazz musicians from across the nation, performs jazz music in the big band style from the 1920’s to the present.
The exciting ensemble Origem, with Brazilian jazz incorporating traditional musical styles from Brazil like "Maracatú", "Partido Alto", "Samba" and “Baião" and dresses it with modern arrangements inspired by jazz and funk music.
The Halley Shoenberg Jazz Quintet, with modern jazz. Halley Shoenberg is an accomplished saxophone and clarinet player whose style is collected from several sources of jazz, theater and popular music. Shoenberg has produced three CD releases, which include several of her original compositions.
The Larry Brown Quintet, one of the most accomplished straight-ahead jazz groups in the Mid-Atlantic area, headed by post be bop jazz pianist Larry Brown. The Washington Post calls him “an artist deserving of greater exposure” and says Brown “evokes the master touch.”
Night and Day, a band specializing in the music of the swing and big band era, is composed of top flight musicians who share a love for the songs of Gershwin, Porter, and the other giants of American popular song. The band has been a fixture in the Washington area music scene for the last 20 years.

The performance schedule is as follows:

1 p.m. – U. S. Army Blues
2 p.m. – Origem
3 p.m. – Halley Shoenberg Jazz Quartet
4 p.m. – Larry Brown Jazz Quintet
5 p.m. – Night and Day

The start times can vary due to stage changeover between bands.

The park features lawn seating. Festival attendees may bring lawn chairs and blankets. Food, such as pulled chicken sandwiches, fried fish, hot dogs, snow cones and funnel cakes are available for purchase, but everyone is welcome to pack a picnic supper. Attendees are asked to refrain from smoking at this event, and pets should be left at home.

Visitors to the historic district are encouraged to take the Metro Yellow or Blue lines to the King Street Station in Old Town and take the King Street Trolley, take DASH or Metro Buses, or park in one of the convenient parking garages or lots. For DASH schedule information, call 703.370.DASH or visit www.dashbus.com . For Metrobus schedule information, call 202.637.7000 or visit www.wmata.com .

In case of inclement weather, the festival will be relocated to the Lee Center Kauffman Auditorium, 1108 Jefferson St. For more information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.746.5592 or the Special Events Office at 703.746.5418.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, contact Cheryl Lawrence, Regional Program Director, at 703.746.5419 (VA Relay 711) or e-mail cheryl.lawrence@alexandriava.gov.